Today:
The Barbershop Harmony Club of Canberra Inc. performs
as the Canberra Chordsmen. Our current song list is being
updated to include more songs that are contemporary in an
attempt to attract new members. To this end, we are
purchasing barbershop arrangements of songs our public
can identify with. Although we have diverse backgrounds,
we come together and share our favorite hobby - singing.
Historically:
The Barbershop Harmony Club of Canberra Inc. was
started in October 1987 by a group of enthusiasts - men
and women - who wanted to sing songs in the "old
style" in 4-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, and (when we could) for
a fee. It was a lot of fun, and with the mixed chorus we
solved the problem of the shortage of male (top) 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 National
Australian convention (for men) would be held on 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...
We are registered with AAMBS, and through that
association we are affiliated with the Barbershop Harmony Society.
