What is A Cappella, What is Barbershop



A Cappella  means simply singing without any instrumental accompaniment.

In an A Cappella chorus the sound we create is purely the power and beauty of voices singing together in harmony

It can be moving, emotional, delicate, strong.

Barbershop is style of a cappella and we've been singing Barbershop at Vale Harmony since we formed in 1978.  The simplest definition of Barbershop harmony is four-part vocal music characterized by the melody and two or more harmony parts moving in a common rhythm, producing chords that are pleasing to the ear.

We sing Barbershop but we also sing other songs a cappella. What they all have in common is that we sing in four part harmony.

The four parts are (in order of the highest voice range): 
Tenor: singing the highest notes
Lead:  singing the melody line of a song
Bass:  the lowest notes
Baritone: singing between Bass and lead to create the full harmony.

Singing a cappella is what sets Vale Harmony apart from other choruses. It's why we proudly call ourselves the A Cappella Fellas


We also don't sing from songbooks. There is no visual barrier between us and the audience. You don't have to read music to become part of our chorus.


We learn the songs from audio teach tracks and by continual rehearsal.  Examples of our teach tracks are available on the Have a Listen page of this website. (Please scroll down to Heart of My Heart and My Wild Irish Rose.)


If you sing with other choruses and you'd like to try something different.. come and sing a cappella with us.

If you don't sing in any chorus but you've always thought you'd like to, come and sing a cappella with us.

You won't regret it.