On behalf of The Newfangled Four, thank you for your kind words and acknowledgment. This video was very well done, and we're honored to have such a spotlight cast on us.
i am THRILLED to discover you!!! thank you so much for what you do!! you make my heart happy, and make me want to sing again (pushing 70, lost music from my life so many years ago.....maybe it's not too late for me to sing again...)
@@wesselthecamper3862barbershop singing is probably the world's best kept secret but everyone deserves to know what it's like to sing barbershop. I've been singing for almost 25 years even though my membership card says I have been a member for probably 13 years. Financial problems had kept me from renewing each time due to others always "borrowing" and acting like it's a gift when I ask them to pay back.
Hahaha believe me, if I could have included all 6 minutes and 41 seconds of it, I would have -- one of the few performances that consistently gives me chills no matter how frequently I listen to it :)
I'm going to leave this comment to try and get this to blow up, and to show support, because for having 71 subscribers, and making a video essay with this much quality, is not something you see often. and also, you got hooked by the barbershop algorithm, if you couldn't already tell lmao.
So wonderful that The New Fangled Four medalled at International in Cleveland only yesterday! They seem very kind people which adds to how good a quartet they are.
Looking at the scores, I'm now patiently waiting for the TH-cam channel to upload their Piano Man parody, as that seems to have been their best performance of the competition.
My dad and his brothers sang barbershop and entertained our huge family at all our family reunions. It was always followed by all of us singing together. It just doesn’t get any better than that. All of us 21 cousins would agree.
I'm a 70 year old American man, a Native of Iowa. I saw The Music Man at a Drive In Movie Theater when I was about 6 or 7. It took place in a fictitious town on the Mississippi. Loved it . Sang in Middle School and High School Choirs and the Iowa Allstate Choir. Thanks for a great video. Bravo.
Been a Barbershopper for about 10 years now, competed in a few quartets at the District and International conventions. This video is everything I could have hoped it would be. The only thing I would add is a little spotlight on Barbershop choruses: many, MANY members of the BHS, SAI, and other Barbershop societies do not sing/compete in quartets but participate in chapter choruses. The choruses vary in size from less than 12 to over 150. They sing the same 4-part harmony that quartets do and BUDDY it is a spectacle to hear that many people ringing chords. Also, your timing is impeccable - this video released about a week before the 2024 BHS International convention in Cleveland, OH. Thank you!
@@crazygermn Most cool. I had never heard that. Jimi was right. (no surprise there!) I might comment that in their early, pre-psychedelic days they were practically pure barbershop with new lyrics. Did you notice their striped barbershop shirts too?
@@margaretpaschal6847 Yes, I see that now you point it out. All this reminds me of grade school singing classes, where we were divided into the four voices. I got into the bass group because I couldn't sing and didn't like music class. Besides, that was where the big guys were, real men, y'know!
@@johnnytoronto1066 For a couple of years I attended Sacred Harp (Shape Note) singing where singers sing in a hollow square of four parts: tenor, bass, alto and treble. I couldn't read the music, so I just sat with the altos and sang whatever the person next to me was sining.
Loved this well-put together programme. Great for explaining what I do. Potential for episode two and beyond. You didn't mention a) Ringmasters are Swedish b) barbershop is alive and well in UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand. c) Choruses... Oh and British barbershop is 50 this year
Couldn't agree more Chris! Emphasizing the international contributions to what are truly international conventions was a section I regrettably had to cut for time. There's a great video of the New Zealand delegation(?) performing a Maori Haka when the Musical Island Boys won gold in 2014. It was such a cool and touching moment that I believe perfectly demonstrated the cross-cultural impact that Barbershop has. Perhaps a part 2 is in order... thank you for your comment!
My dad is in the BHS, and goes to the convention/championship thing. Watching his quartet rehearse is so much fun - and I even got to sing the soprano counterpoint when they did a Music Man medley. It’s amazing how strict the rules on arrangements are for a song to be allowed in competition. Barbershop arrangers are poets!
60 years ago my brother and I walked into a church hall and heard a chorus singing and knew that was the music for us. We stayed members for the next 20 years. Signing barbershop on stage helped me develop presentation skills that assisted me in my business career.
This video is phenomenal! I've been into Barbershop for all my life (courtesy of my dad) and I've been active in the scene for 7 years but this was still a really enrichening experience! Funnily enough I met NF4 in person without ever having heard of them at BinG!'s (the German equivalent to BHS) 2018 convention where they were invited as a guest ensemble. I had only started actively singing Barbershop 6 months prior and it was my very first convention so I was kinda scared and didn't interact with them all that much but it was quite interesting seeing everyone around me melt in adoration whenever they were around. I'm now the 2024 BinG! Chorus Champion with my chorus so you could say I've come quite a way. For me the most important thing about Barbershop is the community. It truly is a family to everyone involved, you quickly get to know everyone and once you're settled in it quickly becomes a home. Even the 'celebrities' are just normal people at the end of the day and they're generally just as approachable as everyone else, 99.9% of people, no matter if they're first timers or Gold Champions, will say yes if you ask them to sing a tag. For example, I've sung tags with Midtown, the BHS 2023 International Champions (the guys who do the Spider-Man Theme) and we had a great time! Now, of course you can't put everything into a 30 minute video essay but I have to say that I would've like to see the tags and polecats mentioned, since they serve as a big gateway into singing together, no matter the experience or skill level. Also, it would be awesome to have a part 2 that talks more about choruses since they're basically the meat&potatoes to the quartets' heart&soul. They contribute a lot more to the overall membership numbers and they're just as (if not in some areas more) important as quartets are. Choruses are the number 1 biggest contributor to bringing new people into the hobby so it would be wonderful if you could talk about them in a future video.
I loved the video! The New Fangled Four introduced me to the world of Barbershop during the pandemic and I started singing because of it. I learned a couple years ago that I go to the same college as Dan Wessler of After Hours attended. The style has truly changed my life for the better and I hope to sing in a chorus, if not a quartet, one day.
My father sang bass in a number of different quartets in the first half of the twentieth century. He retired from that aspect of his life in 1955 when I was five years of age. He still maintained a close friendship with one of the members of the last quartet he was a part of, I believe the gentleman sang tenor. He had a growing collection at the time of record albums of the annual quartet competitions in the 1950's that were put on by the S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A. and we would go to his house to visit and listen to them. It will always be an unforgettable part of my childhood and as I look back even though I listened to my Dad singing various songs with the quartet on recordings that he had made it sure would have been wonderful to have experienced it in real time! That's Life!
Interesting documentary. I didn't know Barbershop singing style is still so active. I also didn't know there are female quartets singing in Barbershop style.
Ohmygah I’m so glad I found this video-my dad was a devoted barbershopper all his life and this both takes me back and makes me so happy that this music is thriving today. Barbershop 💈 forever!!! 💈💈💈💈
I'm aware that there's no way EVERY notable quartet and barbershopper can get a nod in an under-30-minute video, but I'm pretty surprised at the lack of Vocal Spectrum and Tim Waurick. If you liked this video (which I absolutely did, wonderful job!), make sure you check them out, particularly VS's performance of "Go The Distance" from Disney's Hercules. Tim is STILL holding that post, I think.
I was hoping Da Vinci's Notebook would come up, but I guess they're not that big a deal... and my man Jaron Davis is unknown outside of youtube, but he does the good stuff all by himself.
I just watched your documentary and found it to be very interesting. I am a member of Sweet Adelines International, and while you did mention them, I believe it would have added value to your story if you included some of the top lady quartets. Nonetheless, I found it hard to stop watching! Great job!
Great piece here. Joined SPEBSQSA in college -1970’s -only because both bothers went to nationals. With a huge academic load I still found time for this. Some one said it, but it still rings true -“You cannot both sing and carry the weight of your troubles simultaneously.”
As a trumpet and trombone player, 1st tenor singer, and lifelong music lover (all genres), THANK YOU! This type of work helps raise awareness and teaches the uninformed to have a deeper appreciation for this American art form.
Thanks so much for the potted history of our great hobby. Worth mentioning that it is alive and well in many parts of the world, and especially here in New Zealand. Sing well and prosper!
I am so excited to partake in my first (and hopefully not only) international competing with a chorus. This video is super well done, great job!! I am so excited to be able to meet so many new people in Cleveland and bring back what I learn to all in my community back home. Thank you for this video ❤
So nice to watch this. Yes barbershop singing has evolved, but we singers move with it. If you live in a community, it's good if you're out there performing and making people happy. Contest's are important but friendship within the Society outweighs that by miles and if you're not a friendly group know one will sing with you and membership will continue to go down.
Ethan, thanks for a delightful and informative video! Glad to see that you did some research into the various aspects of barbershopping. I know your video focused on quartets, but perhaps a follow-up video could look at barbershop choruses; a LOT more members of BHS sing in choruses but not in quartet. Keep up the good work!
Back in 1975 our small coir which sang together for 4 years. Before our instructor would arrive we would worm up singing barbershop in our four groups. she happened to hear us and insisted that we never hear us doing it again. She even went to our Dean and he told us the she heard it again those doing it would get an F for the class. As most of us were about to graduate we stop but never preformed the best we could. Most of us stopped singing all together. I miss singing with those 20 guys.
I live in Florence SC and my dad startrd singing in a Barbershop Harmony Quartet in the 1980's with a local chapter group... he loved singing! I still have his vest and bow tie, music book of songs, and some music CD'S of just Barbershop Harmony music that i still listen to.... because i can't sing or carry a tune in a bucket... lol!
Looks like the barbershop algorithm picked up your video. I think you’ve done a great job at explaining barbershop at its core for the new and younger audience. Especially with the feature of The Newfangled four. My guess is that you yourself got introduced to barbershop from them. Nice way to pay tribute to them :)
Very nice job with the essay and production! I recently noticed the same stats you did about the Newfangled Four (most views/influence). Barbershop has been a huge influence on me and I would not take it back if I were given the option: For comment-readers, here's an important note on the membership decline - There were multiple factors at play that I both experienced and heard of: - Money/cost of membership - Changes in arrangements (to accommodate pop/show tunes) - Explicit emphasis on Diversity/Equity/Inclusion *(much more can be said on this)* - Opening the organization to "all people", which gave chorus members the (very real) concern of losing their all-male sound *(much more can be said on this)* - The "good ol' 2020 worldwide incident" And likely many more...That said, affiliate organizations around the world have brought this uniquely-American art form to their countries, which is something to be glad about! Membership overall may not be down as much as it may seem. Regardless, I'm glad that Barbershop is still around - I hope it never dies. An old guy I used to work with once said that Barbershop is the happiest style of music there is - I still agree with him.
I love this video! Its so true! I discovered barbershop through the NF4 and im forever grateful for them! I love their comedy! They will always be my favorite quartet! Always! 🤗.
Marvelous job. I have made major presentations on the history of barbershop to a variety of audiences, so I know how difficult it is to capture the scope of this subject in any given time frame. Ethan does a truly marvelous job in the 28 minutes of this video.
One of the nicest surprises I have had the opportunity to experience was one night when my wife and I were at a B.E. Restaurant and there was a group of Sweet Adelines. They asked those of us who were dining if it was okay if they gave a little performance. We of course said, "YES BY ALL MEANS!" We were blessed to hear some beautiful female 4 part harmony. Talk about a lift in your soul!
An outstanding product, Ethan! It's well researched, well produced, and highly informative. Thank you for shedding light not only on our treasured art form and Society, but on the ways that "singing in community" can enrich lives.
One thing that was touched on in the video: We barbershoppers don't sing just the old songs, we do songs by the Beatles, by Billy Joel, and quite a few others. If it's got a melody, we can probably sing it.
This is a wonderful video! Thanks for your hard work on this! The rooftop where the first meeting of SPEBSQSA took place is still standing today in Tulsa, OK, and the society’s founding chapter, the Founders Chorus, still meets every week.
Great video with musical historical perspective. Love, love love. Thank you. Hey! Let's campaign for Jimmy Fallon to feature Newfangled Four on the Tonight Show!! It's great to be a barber shopper. (Thank you, Papa for always singing to me as a kid.)
I always wanted the now-retired *James Corden* to invite the comedy quartet *FRED* (briefly shown in this video) onto his _The Late, Late Show with James Corden_ to do their _Jukebox Saturday Night_ medley, with him never having seen or heard it before, with a small oval picture-in-picture in sn upper corner to show his reaction live. It’d’ve been introduced as their take on his “Carpool Karaoke” concept, and he'd be informed that they debuted it a year _before_ he did his 1ˢᵗ Carpool Karaoke video.
I Love, love, love the Newfangled Four. I have followed them since before the pa...de...mic....and Jackson is one of the best lead singers around. This group is funny, and way talented. I love to listen to them....always.
Acapella in general is gaining popularity. People love to hear smooth harmony. The human voice is indeed a wonderful instrument. I've enjoyed barbershop ever since I was about seven. One thing I remember about Downtown Disneyland. That was a long time ago!
What an amazing resource, well done! Great use of that Main Street education video, I always show it to people I am trying to educate on barbershop, it is a beautifully simple yet effective bit of info!
Not being American, I discovered barbershop harmony trough TH-cam recommendation very recently. Thank you for that history presentation that answers most of my questions.
Wow, really great video! I had a very superficial understanding of barbershop quartets before this video, thanks for shedding light on an amazing movement like this, we definitely need more harmony and love in this world!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful video. Great description of our hobby and our passion. Even though I'm an older person, I love the fact that my primary quartet includes a 30 something and 40 something singer and that other of my choruses/quartets have men and women. I'm excited about our future.
A true American art form. Fantastic historical overview. It was the Buffalo Bills in the Music Man that I fell for this style. Human voices together are sublime.
The barbershop of my youth was a place of harmonious conversation, never debate. That this tone should have been consecrated through music is an archival success.
For sure, I have to admit NF4 is the reason I became a youtube paying member of BHS youtube channel, and a patreon of NF4, and general re-kindled interest in barbershop and the possibilities of the art form!
I would like to add a little to the history, as I recall it. My Father and a couple others formed a Barbershop Chorus in the late 1950's. He ate, drank and lived Barbershop singing for many years. It was always in our home, from chorus rehearsals in our basement to my Dads quartet that rehearsed in any place with acoustics. I joined the SPEBSQSA when I was 12 years old and was in the chorus and attended, as an audience member and as a member of the Chorus, in competitions as well as our yearly local show. I was told that I was the youngest member and frankly I didn't see any other 12 year old's anywhere else. The one competition I was in with the chorus was held in Montreal. We were told that we came in second, however, a bad thing happen, we were disqualified because we had an African American in our chorus. My dad led a local area protest involving a number of other choruses threatening to resign from SPEBSQSA unless the rules were changed and the "white men" only was dropped from the bylaws. And it was dropped. That was around 1960. In 1963 our family moved to another state and for some reason my Dad lost interest in belonging to an official group but did form an informal quartet from church choir members for a number of years. The Buffalo Bills were great and at the same time a problem for Barbershop choruses and that is when it got to an almost professional stage. It started out as an organization that included everyone with or without singing talent. As a chorus the good singers easily drowned out the bad ones but everyone had a good time, then it started to require auditions and choreography and that left out a lot of people that wanted to sing with a chorus and just enjoy it. Not everyone is a showman and many, like myself needed the support of other voices to give me the confidence to go up on stage for a show or a contest and feel good. I personally worshiped the Buffalo Bills and had an opportunity to be on the same stage with them in a local concert where they were the featured attraction. In the finale when every one was on stage and singing "Keep America Singing" I stood proudly next to Vern Reed, the tenor for the Buffalo Bills and he had his hand on my shoulder. What a trip. Anyway, Mr. Reed retired to the city that we lived in, bought his own store downtown and also displayed his products at the local fair grounds for many years during the State Fairs. I was much older then and I introduced myself to him and told him about my experience not only with listening to every record that they recorded, but that few minutes on stage. Every year I would stop by his booth and he would tell me stories about when they were at the top and what it was like to be in a movie, on radio and TV shows as well as the live concerts they did. By that time, only he and the baritone were still alive. I wish that had a happy ending but he died a few years later in an Alzheimer facility, where according to my wife, an RN that worked there, he had no real recollection of all those years of semi-fame and would occasionally have to be stopped as he headed toward the door because he had to meet the guys for rehearsal. Makes me sad just thinking about it. Anyway, thanks for creating this video, it brought back a lot of good memories.
Thank you for this video! It’s so well done! Definitely subscribing and hoping for more barbershop lore. 😊 My first introduction to barbershop was when I found “a pitch pipe thingy” (as I excitedly called it) in a box that had belonged to a relative long passed. For some reason I’ve kept it all these years. Then one day I saw Ringmasters perform The Bells… on TH-cam. What an introduction! Then NF4 popped up and has become my favorite quartet. The comedy style feels like I’d love to just hang out and have some (morning) beers with some dudes my age. I also enjoy their (all too infrequent) behind the scenes videos. Also I feel like I was just tired of current music for a multitude of reasons, but that’s a whole ‘nother topic haha. As a female who sometimes feels excluded from all the cool stuff, I’d love a deep dive into the Sweet Adelines!
Don't forget that there are no longer gender restrictions within the Barbershop Harmony Society; The Ladies came 4th this year, GQ came 4th in 2022, and Stockholm City Voices came 6th in the chorus contest in 2023. But yes, definitely agree about a deep dive into Sweet Ads, being a BABS member, and interacting with LABBS more often, I don't know half of its history.
I think one great thing about The Newfangled Four and the comedy quartets is that they bring us back to the reality and relatability that never shied away from outrageousness and unprofessionality. The comedy has a great way of puncturing through barbershop's Old Guard, that other sidelined concepts of old Barbershop struggle to
Beautifully done video. A masterful tribute to the artform and to the essence of why people sing it, why people watch it, and why we all need this kind of spirit in our lives! Blessings onward.
Has to be quite a interesting topic to make a video essay with, very well presented, pretty great that you included the interview as well, overall a 9/10 video, great stuff!
Such an amazing video. You picked the perfect experts to comment and The New Fangled Four is such an amazing group to highlight. Thank you for putting this out there
Excellent job, young man. I think it would be interesting to see a documentary about Barbershop Singing and when the color barrier (especially in quartets) and, most recently, the gender barrier was broken. That would be a cool thing to watch.
My mother Elizabeth (Skidge)Heath was a charter member of Harmony Inc. A group of women that spun off from Sweet Adolines because they were closed to black women. So in the late 1950's they formed Harmony Incorporated that allowed any woman to join the group who had the desire to participate in Barbershop Singing. She was a member of The Harmonettes out of North Attleborough, Massachusetts under the Direction of Bob Turcott. They went on to win several International Championships. Skidge went on to be Chorus President and later International President of Harmony Inc. Being a Jewelry Designer for L.G. Balfour's she designed pins with a G-Cleff and Four Women. Later she designed the 50year Pins, but sadly she passed away just short of turning 91 and Celebrating her 50th year in Harmony Inc.
Awsome research! My uncle was tenor with a quartet during the S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A moniker (1971). He was also my choir teacher! I LOVE barbershop harmony, and especially large mens choirs such as the New Westminster Chorus. My wife retired after thirty-eight years as a choir teacher. We’ve gone to many ACDA local and National conventions. We absolutely love the sound of acapella voices. But……She HATES barbershop harmony! After all these years, I’m still speechless. A couple of years ago, I was listening to a Christmas song by, I think the Ambassadors of Harmony. I was between the speakers, and I had it turned up LOUD. After it ended, my wife entered our living room. I said “that made me cry”. Deadpanned, she said “me too”. Not divorce material, but….
This is so delightful and I will be sending this to everyone I know so they understand how I spend a…good deal of my time. Also please keep making videos like these!
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
On behalf of The Newfangled Four, thank you for your kind words and acknowledgment. This video was very well done, and we're honored to have such a spotlight cast on us.
Thanks so much! Best of luck in Cleveland, rooting for ya!
i am THRILLED to discover you!!! thank you so much for what you do!! you make my heart happy, and make me want to sing again (pushing 70, lost music from my life so many years ago.....maybe it's not too late for me to sing again...)
@@wesselthecamper3862barbershop singing is probably the world's best kept secret but everyone deserves to know what it's like to sing barbershop. I've been singing for almost 25 years even though my membership card says I have been a member for probably 13 years. Financial problems had kept me from renewing each time due to others always "borrowing" and acting like it's a gift when I ask them to pay back.
I just wanna tell you guys good luck...We're all counting on you.
@@MomIrregardless Keep MOVING! Yes! Sing and sing again!!! 🙏🏻❤️🦩💨
AMAZING VIDEO
Hey thanks so much Jason, love your content too!
I wish we could have dwelled on the Notre Dame Medley more! It is most definitely my favorite piece of music i've heard all my life
Hahaha believe me, if I could have included all 6 minutes and 41 seconds of it, I would have -- one of the few performances that consistently gives me chills no matter how frequently I listen to it :)
I listen to it at LEAST once a week, years later.
For another excellent Ringmasters performance, check out their recording with Voces8 of "Shall We Gather at the River."
@@johnwalters1341 Oh man, yeah! And the version of “Climb Every Mountain/You’ll Never Walk Alone” that Ringmasters recorded while they were there!
I'll never forget being in the hall in person for that performance. It changed my life.
I'm going to leave this comment to try and get this to blow up, and to show support, because for having 71 subscribers, and making a video essay with this much quality, is not something you see often. and also, you got hooked by the barbershop algorithm, if you couldn't already tell lmao.
So wonderful that The New Fangled Four medalled at International in Cleveland only yesterday! They seem very kind people which adds to how good a quartet they are.
Looking at the scores, I'm now patiently waiting for the TH-cam channel to upload their Piano Man parody, as that seems to have been their best performance of the competition.
My dad and his brothers sang barbershop and entertained our huge family at all our family reunions. It was always followed by all of us singing together. It just doesn’t get any better than that. All of us 21 cousins would agree.
I'm a 70 year old American man, a Native of Iowa. I saw The Music Man at a Drive In Movie Theater when I was about 6 or 7. It took place in a fictitious town on the Mississippi. Loved it . Sang in Middle School and High School Choirs and the Iowa Allstate Choir. Thanks for a great video. Bravo.
Been a Barbershopper for about 10 years now, competed in a few quartets at the District and International conventions. This video is everything I could have hoped it would be. The only thing I would add is a little spotlight on Barbershop choruses: many, MANY members of the BHS, SAI, and other Barbershop societies do not sing/compete in quartets but participate in chapter choruses. The choruses vary in size from less than 12 to over 150. They sing the same 4-part harmony that quartets do and BUDDY it is a spectacle to hear that many people ringing chords. Also, your timing is impeccable - this video released about a week before the 2024 BHS International convention in Cleveland, OH. Thank you!
An incredibly well made video essay. Thanks for representing our hobby so well.
Has anyone else out there besides me noticed that the Beach Boys had a great deal in common with Barbershop Quartets?
Jimi Hendrix famously called them "A psychedelic barbershop quartet".
@@crazygermn Most cool. I had never heard that. Jimi was right. (no surprise there!) I might comment that in their early, pre-psychedelic days they were practically pure barbershop with new lyrics. Did you notice their striped barbershop shirts too?
So do Southern Gospel Quartets!
@@margaretpaschal6847 Yes, I see that now you point it out. All this reminds me of grade school singing classes, where we were divided into the four voices. I got into the bass group because I couldn't sing and didn't like music class. Besides, that was where the big guys were, real men, y'know!
@@johnnytoronto1066 For a couple of years I attended Sacred Harp (Shape Note) singing where singers sing in a hollow square of four parts: tenor, bass, alto and treble. I couldn't read the music, so I just sat with the altos and sang whatever the person next to me was sining.
Loved this well-put together programme. Great for explaining what I do.
Potential for episode two and beyond.
You didn't mention a) Ringmasters are Swedish b) barbershop is alive and well in UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand. c) Choruses...
Oh and British barbershop is 50 this year
Couldn't agree more Chris! Emphasizing the international contributions to what are truly international conventions was a section I regrettably had to cut for time. There's a great video of the New Zealand delegation(?) performing a Maori Haka when the Musical Island Boys won gold in 2014. It was such a cool and touching moment that I believe perfectly demonstrated the cross-cultural impact that Barbershop has. Perhaps a part 2 is in order... thank you for your comment!
@@wesselthecamper3862 And Barbershop in Canada is 80 this year.
Wow, I didn't realize that COVID cut membership in half! It is great to see Fallon doing current songs on national TV.
Unfortunately singing is one of the worst ways of spreading Covid,so obviously there was no singing groups around during the pandemic.
It wasn't Covid as much as the mixing of other styles, diluting it.
My dad is in the BHS, and goes to the convention/championship thing. Watching his quartet rehearse is so much fun - and I even got to sing the soprano counterpoint when they did a Music Man medley. It’s amazing how strict the rules on arrangements are for a song to be allowed in competition. Barbershop arrangers are poets!
60 years ago my brother and I walked into a church hall and heard a chorus singing and knew that was the music for us. We stayed members for the next 20 years. Signing barbershop on stage helped me develop presentation skills that assisted me in my business career.
This video is phenomenal! I've been into Barbershop for all my life (courtesy of my dad) and I've been active in the scene for 7 years but this was still a really enrichening experience! Funnily enough I met NF4 in person without ever having heard of them at BinG!'s (the German equivalent to BHS) 2018 convention where they were invited as a guest ensemble. I had only started actively singing Barbershop 6 months prior and it was my very first convention so I was kinda scared and didn't interact with them all that much but it was quite interesting seeing everyone around me melt in adoration whenever they were around. I'm now the 2024 BinG! Chorus Champion with my chorus so you could say I've come quite a way. For me the most important thing about Barbershop is the community. It truly is a family to everyone involved, you quickly get to know everyone and once you're settled in it quickly becomes a home. Even the 'celebrities' are just normal people at the end of the day and they're generally just as approachable as everyone else, 99.9% of people, no matter if they're first timers or Gold Champions, will say yes if you ask them to sing a tag. For example, I've sung tags with Midtown, the BHS 2023 International Champions (the guys who do the Spider-Man Theme) and we had a great time!
Now, of course you can't put everything into a 30 minute video essay but I have to say that I would've like to see the tags and polecats mentioned, since they serve as a big gateway into singing together, no matter the experience or skill level. Also, it would be awesome to have a part 2 that talks more about choruses since they're basically the meat&potatoes to the quartets' heart&soul. They contribute a lot more to the overall membership numbers and they're just as (if not in some areas more) important as quartets are. Choruses are the number 1 biggest contributor to bringing new people into the hobby so it would be wonderful if you could talk about them in a future video.
Absolutely fantastic video, thank you for sharing our society and art form so well!
What an outstanding mini doc about Barbershop Harmony! So proud to be a Barbershopper!!
So fun to watch. Many good memories.
watched this all the way through about three times in a row. incredible work, thank you for bringing some attention to our hobby.
Awesome! Loved seeing snippets of familiar faces in competition as well as listening to Joe, an awesome coach and representation of the genre!
Love the Newfangled Four!❤
This is the best gateway to the art I’ve ever seen
Well done young'un well done!!
Now I really, REALLY need to know the meaning of Stonehenge.
I recognize the main street voice when I hear them, hahaha. really love how tony explained the parts
Wow, I loved Barbershop Quartets before and after your video, I love them more! 🤗🤗🤗
Thank you. 😊😊😊
I loved the video! The New Fangled Four introduced me to the world of Barbershop during the pandemic and I started singing because of it. I learned a couple years ago that I go to the same college as Dan Wessler of After Hours attended. The style has truly changed my life for the better and I hope to sing in a chorus, if not a quartet, one day.
Thank you so much for creating a masterful way to show people what it truly means to be a barber shopper.
My father sang bass in a number of different quartets in the first half of the twentieth century. He retired from that aspect of his life in 1955 when I was five years of age. He still maintained a close friendship with one of the members of the last quartet he was a part of, I believe the gentleman sang tenor. He had a growing collection at the time of record albums of the annual quartet competitions in the 1950's that were put on by the S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A. and we would go to his house to visit and listen to them. It will always be an unforgettable part of my childhood and as I look back even though I listened to my Dad singing various songs with the quartet on recordings that he had made it sure would have been wonderful to have experienced it in real time! That's Life!
One of the very few videos that everyone on the internet should be required to watch
Interesting documentary. I didn't know Barbershop singing style is still so active. I also didn't know there are female quartets singing in Barbershop style.
This is amazing!!! Finally something I can show to people that have no clue what barbershop is
Thank you Ethan :)
Ohmygah I’m so glad I found this video-my dad was a devoted barbershopper all his life and this both takes me back and makes me so happy that this music is thriving today. Barbershop 💈 forever!!! 💈💈💈💈
I'm aware that there's no way EVERY notable quartet and barbershopper can get a nod in an under-30-minute video, but I'm pretty surprised at the lack of Vocal Spectrum and Tim Waurick. If you liked this video (which I absolutely did, wonderful job!), make sure you check them out, particularly VS's performance of "Go The Distance" from Disney's Hercules. Tim is STILL holding that post, I think.
I was hoping Da Vinci's Notebook would come up, but I guess they're not that big a deal... and my man Jaron Davis is unknown outside of youtube, but he does the good stuff all by himself.
Bravo! I'll share this with my friends. I've tried to explain what I do, and why I do it. This video does it nicely. Thank you for making it happen.
Great video! I've had the pleasure of watching the New Fangled Four live over the years. They've always been my favorite quartet!
I love this society and I love this style, good luck to all the competitors next week❤️❤️❤️
I just watched your documentary and found it to be very interesting. I am a member of Sweet Adelines International, and while you did mention them, I believe it would have added value to your story if you included some of the top lady quartets. Nonetheless, I found it hard to stop watching! Great job!
Great piece here. Joined SPEBSQSA in college -1970’s -only because both bothers went to nationals. With a huge academic load I still found time for this. Some one said it, but it still rings true -“You cannot both sing and carry the weight of your troubles simultaneously.”
Thank you for shedding light on what is in my opinion the most important form of accapella singing there is to date. Incredibly well done.
As a trumpet and trombone player, 1st tenor singer, and lifelong music lover (all genres), THANK YOU! This type of work helps raise awareness and teaches the uninformed to have a deeper appreciation for this American art form.
Seeing Fred made me smile..
Thanks so much for the potted history of our great hobby. Worth mentioning that it is alive and well in many parts of the world, and especially here in New Zealand. Sing well and prosper!
Thanks so much for this really interesting and well put together video!!
I am so excited to partake in my first (and hopefully not only) international competing with a chorus. This video is super well done, great job!! I am so excited to be able to meet so many new people in Cleveland and bring back what I learn to all in my community back home. Thank you for this video ❤
How’d it go?!
So nice to watch this. Yes barbershop singing has evolved, but we singers move with it. If you live in a community, it's good if you're out there performing and making people happy. Contest's are important but friendship within the Society outweighs that by miles and if you're not a friendly group know one will sing with you and membership will continue to go down.
Ethan, thanks for a delightful and informative video! Glad to see that you did some research into the various aspects of barbershopping. I know your video focused on quartets, but perhaps a follow-up video could look at barbershop choruses; a LOT more members of BHS sing in choruses but not in quartet. Keep up the good work!
Back in 1975 our small coir which sang together for 4 years. Before our instructor would arrive we would worm up singing barbershop in our four groups. she happened to hear us and insisted that we never hear us doing it again. She even went to our Dean and he told us the she heard it again those doing it would get an F for the class. As most of us were about to graduate we stop but never preformed the best we could. Most of us stopped singing all together. I miss singing with those 20 guys.
well done video! what a great intro to barbershop i never knew i needed
Great video! Thanks for sharing!
A delightful, well-done video!
Great production value on an important subject!
I live in Florence SC and my dad startrd singing in a Barbershop Harmony Quartet in the 1980's with a local chapter group... he loved singing! I still have his vest and bow tie, music book of songs, and some music CD'S of just Barbershop Harmony music that i still listen to.... because i can't sing or carry a tune in a bucket... lol!
I've been following the Newfangled Four for about 5 years now. Love them!
Most excellent and well made video regarding the subject. Kudos to Wessel. Bright future for this young man.
Looks like the barbershop algorithm picked up your video. I think you’ve done a great job at explaining barbershop at its core for the new and younger audience. Especially with the feature of The Newfangled four. My guess is that you yourself got introduced to barbershop from them. Nice way to pay tribute to them :)
Very nice job with the essay and production! I recently noticed the same stats you did about the Newfangled Four (most views/influence). Barbershop has been a huge influence on me and I would not take it back if I were given the option:
For comment-readers, here's an important note on the membership decline - There were multiple factors at play that I both experienced and heard of:
- Money/cost of membership
- Changes in arrangements (to accommodate pop/show tunes)
- Explicit emphasis on Diversity/Equity/Inclusion *(much more can be said on this)*
- Opening the organization to "all people", which gave chorus members the (very real) concern of losing their all-male sound *(much more can be said on this)*
- The "good ol' 2020 worldwide incident"
And likely many more...That said, affiliate organizations around the world have brought this uniquely-American art form to their countries, which is something to be glad about! Membership overall may not be down as much as it may seem.
Regardless, I'm glad that Barbershop is still around - I hope it never dies.
An old guy I used to work with once said that Barbershop is the happiest style of music there is - I still agree with him.
Looking forward to having TNF on our show this month! What fun, wrapped up in talent!
I love this video! Its so true! I discovered barbershop through the NF4 and im forever grateful for them! I love their comedy! They will always be my favorite quartet! Always! 🤗.
I like their Legend of Zelda medley, esp. the Gerudo Valley part. And their recent short of Dirt Man!
Marvelous job. I have made major presentations on the history of barbershop to a variety of audiences, so I know how difficult it is to capture the scope of this subject in any given time frame. Ethan does a truly marvelous job in the 28 minutes of this video.
One of the nicest surprises I have had the opportunity to experience was one night when my wife and I were at a B.E. Restaurant and there was a group of Sweet Adelines. They asked those of us who were dining if it was okay if they gave a little performance. We of course said, "YES BY ALL MEANS!" We were blessed to hear some beautiful female 4 part harmony. Talk about a lift in your soul!
An outstanding product, Ethan! It's well researched, well produced, and highly informative. Thank you for shedding light not only on our treasured art form and Society, but on the ways that "singing in community" can enrich lives.
Such a lovely overview! I can only add one of the mottoes of the Society: We do this for Fun, Fellowship, and Harmony!🥰😊
What a brilliant video. Thank you
Southern Gospel quartet guy here. Great, informative video about. Thank you for this!
Not only informative but incredibly well made! I’m gonna start sending this to people that ask what barbershop is
One thing that was touched on in the video: We barbershoppers don't sing just the old songs, we do songs by the Beatles, by Billy Joel, and quite a few others. If it's got a melody, we can probably sing it.
I'm reminded of that Mister Show sketch "Rap: the Musical" which included a barbershop rendition of "Gonna Get my Gat Gonna Bust a Cap"
This is a wonderful video! Thanks for your hard work on this!
The rooftop where the first meeting of SPEBSQSA took place is still standing today in Tulsa, OK, and the society’s founding chapter, the Founders Chorus, still meets every week.
Great video with musical historical perspective. Love, love love. Thank you. Hey! Let's campaign for Jimmy Fallon to feature Newfangled Four on the Tonight Show!! It's great to be a barber shopper. (Thank you, Papa for always singing to me as a kid.)
I always wanted the now-retired *James Corden* to invite the comedy quartet *FRED* (briefly shown in this video) onto his _The Late, Late Show with James Corden_ to do their _Jukebox Saturday Night_ medley, with him never having seen or heard it before, with a small oval picture-in-picture in sn upper corner to show his reaction live.
It’d’ve been introduced as their take on his “Carpool Karaoke” concept, and he'd be informed that they debuted it a year _before_ he did his 1ˢᵗ Carpool Karaoke video.
Nicely done. I've been around and singing barbershop for over 50 years and this is a very cool overview. Thanks!
I Love, love, love the Newfangled Four. I have followed them since before the pa...de...mic....and Jackson is one of the best lead singers around. This group is funny, and way talented. I love to listen to them....always.
Acapella in general is gaining popularity. People love to hear smooth harmony. The human voice is indeed a wonderful instrument. I've enjoyed barbershop ever since I was about seven. One thing I remember about Downtown Disneyland. That was a long time ago!
Greatest video on the platform ever
What an amazing resource, well done! Great use of that Main Street education video, I always show it to people I am trying to educate on barbershop, it is a beautifully simple yet effective bit of info!
Not being American, I discovered barbershop harmony trough TH-cam recommendation very recently. Thank you for that history presentation that answers most of my questions.
Wow, really great video! I had a very superficial understanding of barbershop quartets before this video, thanks for shedding light on an amazing movement like this, we definitely need more harmony and love in this world!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful video. Great description of our hobby and our passion. Even though I'm an older person, I love the fact that my primary quartet includes a 30 something and 40 something singer and that other of my choruses/quartets have men and women. I'm excited about our future.
I started watching barbershop a year ago because of the newfangled four.
A true American art form. Fantastic historical overview. It was the Buffalo Bills in the Music Man that I fell for this style. Human voices together are sublime.
Someone else mentioned it in the comments already, but its crazy that you only have 90 subs! This is some super high quality content!
239 subs as of 9 days after the video was posted
The barbershop of my youth was a place of harmonious conversation, never debate. That this tone should have been consecrated through music is an archival success.
For sure, I have to admit NF4 is the reason I became a youtube paying member of BHS youtube channel, and a patreon of NF4, and general re-kindled interest in barbershop and the possibilities of the art form!
I would like to add a little to the history, as I recall it. My Father and a couple others formed a Barbershop Chorus in the late 1950's. He ate, drank and lived Barbershop singing for many years. It was always in our home, from chorus rehearsals in our basement to my Dads quartet that rehearsed in any place with acoustics. I joined the SPEBSQSA when I was 12 years old and was in the chorus and attended, as an audience member and as a member of the Chorus, in competitions as well as our yearly local show. I was told that I was the youngest member and frankly I didn't see any other 12 year old's anywhere else.
The one competition I was in with the chorus was held in Montreal. We were told that we came in second, however, a bad thing happen, we were disqualified because we had an African American in our chorus. My dad led a local area protest involving a number of other choruses threatening to resign from SPEBSQSA unless the rules were changed and the "white men" only was dropped from the bylaws. And it was dropped. That was around 1960. In 1963 our family moved to another state and for some reason my Dad lost interest in belonging to an official group but did form an informal quartet from church choir members for a number of years.
The Buffalo Bills were great and at the same time a problem for Barbershop choruses and that is when it got to an almost professional stage. It started out as an organization that included everyone with or without singing talent. As a chorus the good singers easily drowned out the bad ones but everyone had a good time, then it started to require auditions and choreography and that left out a lot of people that wanted to sing with a chorus and just enjoy it. Not everyone is a showman and many, like myself needed the support of other voices to give me the confidence to go up on stage for a show or a contest and feel good.
I personally worshiped the Buffalo Bills and had an opportunity to be on the same stage with them in a local concert where they were the featured attraction. In the finale when every one was on stage and singing "Keep America Singing" I stood proudly next to Vern Reed, the tenor for the Buffalo Bills and he had his hand on my shoulder. What a trip. Anyway, Mr. Reed retired to the city that we lived in, bought his own store downtown and also displayed his products at the local fair grounds for many years during the State Fairs. I was much older then and I introduced myself to him and told him about my experience not only with listening to every record that they recorded, but that few minutes on stage. Every year I would stop by his booth and he would tell me stories about when they were at the top and what it was like to be in a movie, on radio and TV shows as well as the live concerts they did. By that time, only he and the baritone were still alive. I wish that had a happy ending but he died a few years later in an Alzheimer facility, where according to my wife, an RN that worked there, he had no real recollection of all those years of semi-fame and would occasionally have to be stopped as he headed toward the door because he had to meet the guys for rehearsal. Makes me sad just thinking about it.
Anyway, thanks for creating this video, it brought back a lot of good memories.
Incredible, thanks for sharing :)
Thank you for sharing such great stories with us!
Thank you for this video! It’s so well done! Definitely subscribing and hoping for more barbershop lore. 😊
My first introduction to barbershop was when I found “a pitch pipe thingy” (as I excitedly called it) in a box that had belonged to a relative long passed. For some reason I’ve kept it all these years.
Then one day I saw Ringmasters perform The Bells… on TH-cam. What an introduction! Then NF4 popped up and has become my favorite quartet. The comedy style feels like I’d love to just hang out and have some (morning) beers with some dudes my age. I also enjoy their (all too infrequent) behind the scenes videos.
Also I feel like I was just tired of current music for a multitude of reasons, but that’s a whole ‘nother topic haha.
As a female who sometimes feels excluded from all the cool stuff, I’d love a deep dive into the Sweet Adelines!
Don't forget that there are no longer gender restrictions within the Barbershop Harmony Society; The Ladies came 4th this year, GQ came 4th in 2022, and Stockholm City Voices came 6th in the chorus contest in 2023.
But yes, definitely agree about a deep dive into Sweet Ads, being a BABS member, and interacting with LABBS more often, I don't know half of its history.
🎉 thank you for this! An amazing overview of a hobby/art form that thousands of people love so dearly. We welcome you all! It’s very fun 🤩
I think one great thing about The Newfangled Four and the comedy quartets is that they bring us back to the reality and relatability that never shied away from outrageousness and unprofessionality. The comedy has a great way of puncturing through barbershop's Old Guard, that other sidelined concepts of old Barbershop struggle to
Beautifully done video. A masterful tribute to the artform and to the essence of why people sing it, why people watch it, and why we all need this kind of spirit in our lives! Blessings onward.
This video was so well made!! You should do a whole series of this! The quality of this content can’t be beat, well done!
Very well done!
This is so well done! This is a great FYI about our Society. Thank you!
Has to be quite a interesting topic to make a video essay with, very well presented, pretty great that you included the interview as well, overall a 9/10 video, great stuff!
Such an amazing video. You picked the perfect experts to comment and The New Fangled Four is such an amazing group to highlight. Thank you for putting this out there
What a homage to all that is barber shop! Well done!
Awesome video! It's so great to see the NF4 following in the comedic BBS footsteps of quartets like Chordiac Arrest, FRED and Storm Front!
this is my very favorite video essay/documentary-type video uploaded to this website. thank you for your work in putting this together
Really cool video!
Excellent job, young man. I think it would be interesting to see a documentary about Barbershop Singing and when the color barrier (especially in quartets) and, most recently, the gender barrier was broken. That would be a cool thing to watch.
My mother Elizabeth (Skidge)Heath was a charter member of Harmony Inc. A group of women that spun off from Sweet Adolines because they were closed to black women. So in the late 1950's they formed Harmony Incorporated that allowed any woman to join the group who had the desire to participate in Barbershop Singing. She was a member of The Harmonettes out of North Attleborough, Massachusetts under the Direction of Bob Turcott. They went on to win several International Championships. Skidge went on to be Chorus President and later International President of Harmony Inc.
Being a Jewelry Designer for L.G. Balfour's she designed pins with a G-Cleff and Four Women. Later she designed the 50year Pins, but sadly she passed away just short of turning 91 and Celebrating her 50th year in Harmony Inc.
Awsome research! My uncle was tenor with a quartet during the S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A moniker (1971). He was also my choir teacher! I LOVE barbershop harmony, and especially large mens choirs such as the New Westminster Chorus.
My wife retired after thirty-eight years as a choir teacher. We’ve gone to many ACDA local and National conventions. We absolutely love the sound of acapella voices. But……She HATES barbershop harmony! After all these years, I’m still speechless.
A couple of years ago, I was listening to a Christmas song by, I think the Ambassadors of Harmony. I was between the speakers, and I had it turned up LOUD. After it ended, my wife entered our living room. I said “that made me cry”. Deadpanned, she said “me too”.
Not divorce material, but….
This is so delightful and I will be sending this to everyone I know so they understand how I spend a…good deal of my time. Also please keep making videos like these!
Outstanding job! Many thanks for the hours, research, and effort you put into this.