Barbergators Chorus to hold audition/guest night on January 21

Press release from Barbergators Chorus

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Twenty-six singers gather back on the risers after their 30-minute sectional. “Let’s try it from the beginning,” calls out the director. A starting pitch is blown on a pitch pipe. The singers take a breath together and sing, “Let’s sing a song. Let’s ring a song. Let harmony be true…” in 4-part harmony. This was the scene at a Barbergators Chorus guest night in September 2022, as they introduced ten guests and former members to the art of barbershop harmony. 

The Barbergators Chorus is hosting their first Audition/Guest Night of 2025, at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 21. The event will take place at Grace Presbyterian Church, 3146 NW 13th Ave, Gainesville. 

“We invite singers of all levels to join us on Tuesday and experience the joy of a cappella singing,“ said Dave Jacobs, president of the chorus. “The important thing is that singers love to sing and love harmony. All singers will have the opportunity to be voice profiled, so we can place people in the right sections. We like to keep things very interactive and participatory. Everyone will have a chance to sing.” 

“We formed way back in 1973 as a men’s chorus, but now we welcome singers of all genders,” said Jacobs. “If you love singing, we hope we can be the place for you to feel welcome.”  

“Many of our members sang in high school or college, or in a church choir, but haven’t sung for years. Others have been active singers but were looking for something new. Some had never done any organized singing but love to sing. They’ve all found a place with us.” 

The Barbergators Chorus was established over 50 years ago as the Gainesville chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, an international organization that promotes the art of barbershop quartet singing. Their mission is to bring people together through singing.  

Singers joining now can potentially participate in the chorus’s Singing Valentines program, our spring and summer performances, and Spring Convention. 

Barbershop is a style of arranging in close, four-part, a cappella harmony. The melody is in the second voice instead of the top voice. The melody inside of the chord is one thing that makes barbershop sound unique. 

>