FAQS

Who are “Brigaders”?

Brigaders are singers dedicated to singing high-quality barbershop arrangements. We coordinate music choices Brigade-to-Brigade so that Brigaders from anywhere have a large common repertoire with other Brigaders. We gather at annual Brigade Rallies to pursue Extreme Quartetting. We commit to, and fulfill, the preparation this activity requires.

What is a “Brigade Rally”?

Members of Brigades and prospective-member guests gather annually for Brigade Rally weekends. The 10 to 12-song repertoire for each Rally is selected roughly six months in advance. Sheet music and learning tracks are made available to assist with song learning.

How can I register for a Rally?

Brigade Rally attendance is by invitation only. A Brigade Member who knows both your quartetting ability and your preparation capacity may nominate you to be a guest. Brigade participation is not a woodshed activity, not an average chorus-member activity and not a ride-my-credentials activity. When it comes to Extreme Quartetting, full preparation is everything … and it’s the only way to Brigade Membership.

How are music arrangements selected?

Brigade music teams select combinations of new and old favorites, share their choices with the other Brigades and intentionally create overlapping repertoire. A cornerstone of the Brigade movement is that all Brigaders know a large and expanding number of arrangements in common and have plenty of opportunities to enjoy Extreme Quartetting anytime with any Brigaders.

How many Brigades are there?

Currently these are the Brigades dedicated to Extreme Quartetting:

  • North Carolina Harmony Brigade: North Carolina, January
  • Northern Pines Harmony Brigade: Minnesota, February
  • Lone Star Harmony Brigade: Texas, March
  • Great Lakes Harmony Brigade: Michigan, June
  • Atlantic Harmony Brigade: Delaware, August
  • High Sierra Harmony Brigade: Nevada, August
  • New England Harmony Brigade: Massachusetts, September
  • Indiana Harmony Brigade: Indiana, November

Do Brigade members have to reside in particular states, provinces or districts?

No. Brigades are named for their rally locations, not for territorial constraints.

Is this a good experience for my quartet?

While the brigade weekend is all about singing with many other guys who you have never sung with before, there is no doubt that your registered quartet participating within this framework will come away with not only a renewed set of skills for singing together but also with a instant new repertoire of 11 songs that you will be immediately be able to sing at a competition level.

Several chapters who have sent all four parts to a brigade who are not in an established quartet have found a high quality new quartet immediately in their midst and use them on shows singing at a far higher quality level than otherwise might have ever been expected.