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Happy April 11th, not very widely known as Barbershop Quartet day, a day to pay tribute to this quintessentially American vocal tradition. Born in southern barbershops (surprise!), the tradition of tight, four-part vocal harmony is one of the ancestors of Doo-Wop, and was originally another form of “race music”, or black popular music. It achieved the summit of its popularity during the early days of sound recording, when engineers realized Barbershop Quartets were one of the only types of ensemble you could actually squeeze into a primitive sound studio.

It’s now undergoing something of revival these days, partly because it’s so corny/campy, and partly because the melodies are great and the harmonies are simple, strong, and satisfying.

Here, for your delectation, is a classic of the genre – the Buffalo Bills, performing “Lida Rose” in the immortal “Music Man” (which, by the way, turns fifty this year).