The tidelanders
Harmony Group Singers
The Houston Tidelanders are an all male, 4 part (Tenor, Lead, Baritone, Bass) performing chorus. We actively perform at our own paid shows and routinely perform for the benefit of other non-profits in the Houston area. We are harmony group singers specializing in the barbershop style of music. We perform many genres of music including love songs, love songs, love songs, show tunes, country, pop, religious, and holiday. Our music is sometimes arranged by one of the performers in the Houston Tidelanders. Read how Barbershop harmony is different from Choir.
You can find more on our About page.
Harmony
Singing in harmony means that the notes are being sung simultaneously using a musical texture. A music texture is how the different materials of a musical composition determine the quality of sound. Typical materials may include specific harmonics like chords, tempo, and melody. Musical textures can be described by their density or range between the highest and lowest pitches.
Polyphony
Polyphony is where multiple independent voices perform the melody. This texture is also known as contrapuntal or counterpoint.
Homophony
The textures in our style of music are most closely associated with homophony. Homophony is where multiple voices move together at the same pace. That being said, homophony has one clear melodic line that draws people’s attention to the musical piece being performed. This is the most common music texture found in Western music. This texture is where the melody stands out prominently from the rest of the other musical parts. Music with a homophonic texture can temporarily become polyphonic when a countermelody is performed.
Barbershop Singing
Barbershop is a particular style of singing that uses various musical devices to set itself apart from other genres. It also uses the homophonic musical texture Characterized by ringing chords, echoes, slides, and other musical techniques. The barbershop style of singing is also known as “harmony” or “close harmony” singing. The range of barbershop music is typically sung in much greater highs and lows than typical music genres. You can read The Basics of Barbershopping Explained to learn more about our hobby.
Barbershop singing is also characterized by the use of specific pitches. Typically barbershop singers attempt to hit the exact center of a pitch without being above the note (sharp) or being below it (flat). You can read concepts related to pitch matching and harmonizing in Relative Pitch and the follow up article Relative Pitch Part Two: Relative vs. Perfect Pitch .
Another concept associated with harmony group singers is known as overtones. This is when frequencies sung match and combine to produce an effect where listeners hear notes not being sung by the performers. The harmonics associated with the different frequencies being sung produce these unique and distinctive sounds.
History of Barbershop Singing
Starting in the 1800s, African American freedmen and slaves danced and sang with and without instruments to give them a break from their normal lives. They performed for their friends, family, and of course for their own enjoyment. You can learn more history of the barbershop hobby in our article on Barbershop in Popular Culture.