Would you like to be a White Rosette? We’re always on the lookout for dedicated singers to join us on the risers. You don’t need any musical training. You don’t need to be able to read music. What we do ask of you is dedication and commitment – we meet once a week, with occasional weekend rehearsals, and we need everyone there for as many rehearsals as possible. We’re sure that once you join, you’ll be hooked and motivation won’t be a problem, but if you have other commitments on Wednesday nights/weekends, you may need to think carefully about singing with us.
If you’d like to join us, please come along to a rehearsal, watch and listen, and at the end of the evening, take a voice test. That’s not as scary as it sounds – all we’ll ask you to do is huddle in a corner with our musical director, Sally McLean, and our four section leaders. You’ll be asked to sing Happy Birthday and then sing a scale going up as high as you can and down as low as you can. That’s it.
There are four voice parts in barbershop singing, and the music team will decide which one is appropriate for you.
Lead: Lead is the melody and is typically sung in the range between G below middle C, and E above C above middle C.
Tenor: Tenor is a harmony part sung consistently above the lead. Although tenor is the highest voice in barbershop harmony, it should not be confused with soprano of conventional singing groups. The tenor should have a light, sweet, pure tone that will compliment but not overpower the lead voice. The typical range is middle C to top G/A.
Baritone: Baritone covers approximately the same range as lead. The baritone harmony notes cross the lead notes; sometimes sung below and sometimes above. Baritones must constantly adjust their balance to accommodate their position in the chord. The typical range is F below middle C to C above middle C.
Bass: Bass singers should have a rich, mellow voice and the typical range is C below middle C to G above middle C. Basses should not be confused with the alto of conventional groups. Many altos can sing the bass part, but others are much better suited to lead or baritone, depending on range and vocal quality
Unfortunately, we can’t always recruit for every part – we need to make sure the balance of parts across the whole chorus is correct. If your voice is suited to a part that we are not currently recruiting, we can put you on a waiting list, and we will contact you when a spot becomes available.
