Highlights:
Increase in chorus qualifying target scores for the 2027 International contest from 80 to 81.
Increase in quartet qualifying target scores for the 2026 International contest from 78 to 81.
All Districts and Global Alliances still receive at least one qualifier provided they achieve the minimum score (unchanged: 74 for choruses, 76 for quartets).
Minimum of 50 quartet quarterfinalists with the opportunity for wild cards.
New “sing-in” contest for quartets scoring between 78 and wild card qualifiers.
Target Scores for BHS International Chorus and Quartet Qualifications
The Barbershop Harmony Society International Competition features some of the very best quartets and choruses from around the world. In the 2025 contests in Denver, we experienced incredible singing, music, and performances from a diverse collection of ensembles, including:
An international champion quartet from Sweden (Lemon Squeezy)
A third place medalist chorus from New Zealand (Pacific Connection)
Participation of champions from five different Global Alliance organizations (BABS, LABBS, SNOBS, BHA, and BHNZ)
Top ten finishes in both contests featuring high, low, and all voices ensembles.
…all as part of a convention that brings together a unique opportunity to gather with friends from around our thriving, growing worldwide barbershop community.
The quality continues to improve every year. We experienced the highest scores ever for the 21st- and 11th-place mic tester quartets in the largest field of quartets ever (65). The 2025 quarterfinals could have featured 87 quartets if everyone who qualified had accepted the invitation. To ensure the International contest features the best of the best, and does so in a schedule which also allows for bonding with friends that we only see once a year, the following changes will be implemented related to International qualification:
Choruses:
Effective for preliminary contests which qualify choruses for the 2027 International in Minneapolis, the target qualification score will increase from 80 to 81—an A-level score. Any chorus that achieves the target score in any contest which meets the criteria as an International preliminary (BHS District or Alliance contest) will automatically receive an invitation to International. Every BHS District and global alliance will still receive at least one representative, provided they achieve the minimum qualification score, which remains at 74. As a frame of reference, applying these qualification criteria to the 2025 International preliminaries, 41 choruses would have automatically qualified (including Alliance representatives).
Note: for the 2026 International contest preliminaries, the target score for choruses will remain the same: 80.
Quartets:
Effective for preliminary contests which qualify quartets for the 2026 International in St. Louis, the target qualification score will increase from 78 to 81—an A-level score. Any quartet that achieves the target score in any contest which meets the criteria as an International preliminary (BHS District or Alliance contest) will automatically receive an invitation to International. Every BHS District and Global Alliance will still receive at least one representative, provided they achieve the minimum qualification score, which remains at 76. As a frame of reference, applying these qualification criteria to the 2025 International preliminaries, 42 quartets would have automatically qualified (including Alliance representatives).
There will still be opportunities for quartets averaging between a 78 and an 81 to participate in the 2026 BHS International contests and convention. New this year, the minimum number of quartets participating in the quarterfinals round will be set at 50. If fewer than 50 quartets (who qualify via target score and/or District/Alliance representation) accept the invitations to compete, BHS will extend wild card invitations to the next highest scoring quartets to increase the field to 50.
Also new this year is the introduction of a “sing-in” contest early in the convention week consisting of quartets that score at least a 78.0 in a preliminaries contest and do not receive a wild card invitation. This will be a single-session contest (also featuring some new, exciting changes). The top two quartets from this contest will advance to the quartet quarterfinals contest. These play-in tournament winners will be in addition to those that qualify as stated above. Further, any quartet that participates in this sing-in contest will have opportunities throughout to sing at different locales and events during the convention week.
For more information, please reach out to your District Representative of Contest and Judging, or reach out to SCJCchair@barbershop.org.