About the Baylander Chorus

The Baylander Chorus is the Green Bay, Wisconsin chapter of SPEBSQSA. Since 1945, members of the Green Bay chapter have entertained tens of thousands of people with our barbershop-style singing.

We have more than 70 active members, ranging in age from 19 to more than 80. Our members include men from various occupations - we even have a barber! Most of our members live in and around the Green Bay area, but we also have members who drive in for rehearsals every week from outlying points such as Shawano, Sturgeon Bay, Poland, Manitowoc, Crivitz, Lena and Oconto Falls.

We put on several performances each year, including a cabaret show each autumn, a benefit Christmas show to support local food pantries in December, and our annual Harmony Jubilee in April. We also deliver Singing Valentines throughout the Green Bay area in February, as well as "package" shows in our part of Wisconsin. All of this activity helps us to raise money to cover our chorus expenses (sheet music, uniforms, vocal training, etc.). But we are most proud of our ability to make financial contributions each year to many area organizations. Since 1995, we have donated more than $60,000 to such causes!

Many of our members have formed their own quartets, and are available for private performances.

Baylander Chorus Mission Statement

Our Purpose:

1. To provide our members with the opportunity to share their love of music and fellowship.
2. To enhance our members' enjoyment of music and singing.
3. To help our members improve their ability to sing and perform.
4. To provide our audiences with top quality, family entertainment.

1. To attract new members.
2. To improve the quality of our performances.
3. To develop a strong sense of organizational pride.

About SPEBSQSA

The initials stand for the "Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America". We have recently adopted the new identity, "The Barbershop Harmony Society". Our international headquarters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was moved in September, to Nashville, Tennessee.  The relocation was needed to accomodate the need for more room for presnt and for future growth.

The Society saw its beginning in 1938. During the 30s, the increased popularity of radio resulted in a trend toward practically eliminating self-produced harmony. One man rebelled against this trend, and in doing so, he brought about a marked change in the music pattern of North America. This man was Owen Clifton Cash, a tax attorney in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Cash, a true partisan of quartet singing, decided to attempt to preserve an American tradition. He found a supporter in Rupert I. Hall, an investment man also from Tulsa.

26 men attended the first meeting of the "Society for the Perservation and Propagation of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in the United States." (This name was changed to its present form shortly afterward.) This historic song-fest was held on the roof garden of the Tulsa Club in the Alvin Hotel at 6:30pm on Monday, April 11, 1938.

The Society now boasts more than 800 chapters with over 40,000 members, the largest organized all-male singing society in the world.

About Barbershop Harmony

Barbershop harmony is a style of unaccompanied male singing with three voices harmonizing to the melody. The voice parts are called tenor, lead, baritone and bass. Characteristically, the lead sings the melody and the tenor harmonizes above.

Barbershop quartets and choruses are dedicated to preserving the music that is in the style of the "old songs" and the style is further identified by chords that are harmonious. Tuning is as nearly perfect as is vocally possible. The style is distinguished by uniformity of word sounds and a special emphasis on close harmony.