Varsity Choruses

• Open to male, female, and all-voice choruses – both established and new.

• All singers must be 25 years of age or under at the time of the International Event.

  • A chorus may have members under the age of 18, as long as a parent or guardian accompanies the underage chorus member(s) at the convention and accepts responsibility for the minor(s) on the Youth Participation Form.

• Singers may NOT sing with more than one Varsity chorus

• Each chorus must pay a $300 chorus registration fee.

• Membership with the Society is not required for the singers or director.

• The chorus must be able to attend and participate in the entire convention activities described here, arriving on Wednesday and departing on Sunday.

• All Varsity participants will be required to stay within the BHS convention hotel block at their own expense.

  • Participants staying outside of the hotel block will forfeit any/all scholarship/financial assistance and be disqualified from all Varsity participation.

• Choruses are responsible for their own travel, lodging, food and other expenses incurred while participating in the invitational.

  • All singers plus one director who participate in the Varsity Chorus Invitational will receive a complimentary convention registration at no additional cost.

• All choruses are required to participate in a pre-event and post-event survey.

• Each Varsity chorus will be required to learn 2 mass songs to be sung during the convention on Friday or Saturday.

• September 15 - December 1: Interested Varsity choruses can submit their ensemble for consideration.

  • Varsity Choruses must have their chorus names approved so as not to conflict with names already selected and reserved by registered BHS chapters or other Varsity Chorus Invitational participants.

• December 15: Up to 5 Varsity choruses will be invited with priority given to ensembles coming from a single college/university and first-time attendees.
  • We welcome all applicants to record a video demonstrating why they should be considered for an invitation, and include it with their application by December 1.

    • All video/photo/audio submitted will be owned and used without restriction by BHS.

• February 15: Deadline for invited Varsity choruses to register

  • Varsity Choruses may be invited after the February 15 deadline to fill in possible slot opening(s).

• Varsity Chorus Invitational participants and one director will each be given a complimentary registration at no additional cost (assuming they are not also competing in the International open quartet or chorus contest)

• All varsity participants will be required to stay within the BHS convention hotel block at their own expense.

  • Participants staying outside of the hotel block will forfeit any/all scholarship/financial assistance and be disqualified from all varsity participation.

• Varsity choruses attending the invitational for the first time may be eligible for chorus scholarship assistance.

  • The scholarship application will be open to invited choruses from December 15 through February 15, 2026.

• Varsity chorus participants will be given one complimentary ticket to the AIC Show.

  • The Association of International Champions is an affiliate organization of quartets who have won the BHS International Quartet Contest, and they put on a show featuring several of these quartets each year at our International Convention.

• Any singer competing in the open quartet contest is ineligible for any level of Varsity scholarship assistance.

What You’ll Prepare:

• Each chorus will be adjudicated on three songs. Only one of the three songs must be contestable by BHS Contest and Judging (hereinafter C&J) standards

• The second and third selections can be any song sung a cappella with any number of voice parts, may be in a foreign language, and vocal percussion is permitted.

• No instrumentation is allowed for any of the three song selections.

• Certified BHS judges will be adjudicating according to BHS C&J rules (with allowances for the second and third selection)

Contestable arrangements must feature:

• Melody primarily in the second voice (Tenor II/Lead).

• Four unaccompanied voices, singing distinct parts.

• Mostly consonant, diatonic harmony based in major tonality (with some secondary dominants).

• Homophonic texture with clear, understandable, G-rated lyrics.

• Check out our Suggested Song List.

Contestable arrangements do not include:

• Jazz-based harmonizations, counterpoint-heavy arrangements, or Eric Whitacre-style writing.

• Patriotic, religious, or explicit themes.

• Any form of instrumental accompaniment.

Copyright compliance:

• Arrangements must adhere to international and U.S. copyright law.

• See our Copyright Basics for Barbershoppers.
  
  

Adapting Existing Barbershop Arrangements for Mixed or Women’s Voices:

• TTBB → SSAA: transpose up a minor 3rd to perfect 5th; revoice as needed.

• TTBB → SATB:

  • The entire arrangement might need to be transposed down a half-step or a full-step.

  • This adaptation requires switching some of the voice parts.

    • Lead (Tenor II)→ Sopranos (up an octave).

    • Tenor (Tenor I) → Altos (as written).

    • Baritone (Bass I/Baritone) → Tenors (as written).

    • Bass (Bass II) → Basses (as written).

• Some revoicing may be needed if notes fall outside range.

• Not recommended to adapt arrangements with fewer than four voices.

• Each chorus will receive a score in three categories (Singing, Music, and Presentation, according to BHS C&J Rules) All participating choruses will be awarded a rating based on the overall score from the judging panel.
  • Rating Criteria

    • Good: <13 (<61 on BHS 100 point scale)

    • Excellent: 13 to <17 (61 to <68 on BHS 100 point scale)

    • Outstanding: 17 to <21 (68 to <75 on BHS 100 point scale)

    • Superior: >21 (>75 on BHS 100 point scale)

Each varsity chorus will receive scores based on a 30 point scale (converted from the standard BHS 100-point scale). Should your varsity chorus be interested in how your score converts to the BHS 100-point scale, this information can be provided to you after the Invitational by requesting the conversion from education@barbershop.org.