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Who We Are

A Truly American Artform, Barbershop Harmony is Music

Founded in 1938 as the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (SPEBSQSA), the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) preserves and extends the reach of a uniquely American close harmony musical art form whose roots lie in African-American improvisation and European harmony traditions. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee since 2007, our nonprofit organization provides active programs and resources in music education, publishing, performance, and community outreach.

Bringing Everyone in Harmony: A Global Reach

With 22,000 members across North America and affiliated men’s and women’s organizations in more than a dozen countries, the total number of active singers with BHS reaches more than 80,000 worldwide.