Harmony Brigades are annual weekend events (usually known as a “rally”), in which barbershop quartet singers from all over come together to enjoy a weekend of quartet singing. Each brigade is a little different, but they all feature several common features. In general, participants are sent music for 10-12 songs in advance of the rally. They are expected to arrive at the rally having all the songs memorized, with the notes and words perfect. All participants coming prepared is the most important aspect of any brigade!

Once participants arrive, you will sing in quartets with as many combinations of singers as possible. Singers wear lanyards that are color coded to their voice part, so you can easily identify a quartet. Choose a song from the set you have learned, and you’re singing!

Every brigade has a quartet contest where singers are assigned to a random quartet and assigned a random song from that year’s package. The quartets are judged by the guest quartet, usually one of the Barbershop Harmony Society’s top international contenders. The top 10 quartets will then compete in a second round later in the weekend.

Brigades also put on a show for the community where they are located. This show will feature a chorus performance by all brigade participants, pick-up quartets selected from the brigade, and a headlining performance by the guest quartet.

After that is the afterglow, where we stay up until all hours singing songs and tags to our hearts’ content! Brigading is one of the best experiences you can have as a barbershopper short of winning International!

For more information, please visit:
– What is a Harmony Brigade at http://www.harmonybrigade.org/, from the Association of Extreme Quartetting Harmony Brigades (AXQHB)
History of the Brigades from the Lone Star Harmony Brigade (LSHB)