A brief history
The Barbershop Harmony Club of Canberra Inc. was
started in October 1987 by a group of enthusiasts - men
and women - who wanted to sing in four-part harmony.
Because of our deep cultural links with a local
hostelry - we got free Guinness - our chorus was
originally called The George Harcourt Harmonaires, and we
happily sang free for charities. It was a lot of fun, and with the mixed chorus we solved the problem of the shortage of male tenors
and female basses. Our mixed chorus did raise a few
eyebrows among the purist single-sex Barbershop choruses
in Australia at the time...
In 1990, the Australian Association of Men Barbershop
Singers Inc (AAMBS) announced that the first men's national
convention in Australia would be held in the Gold
Coast the following year. This led us, early in 1991, to
decide to split into two single-sex choruses. The women
formed the Brindabella Chorus, which is
now fully chartered with Sweet Adelines, and the men
continued under the BHCC name, forming The Canberra
Chordsmen, which is now our main performing chorus.
Incidentally, we came fourth nationally at the Gold Coast
Convention, a club record we're still trying to better...
The club went through some tough times around 2005, eventually losing more than two-thirds of its membership within a few years. We are currently is small in numbers - although much younger than before and brimming with dedication and enthusiasm. There is a renewed sense of optimism in the club and its future, as reflected in the fast-growing popularity of barbershop singing among younger people around the world today.
We are registered with AAMBS, and through that
association, we are affiliated with the Barbershop Harmony Society.
