Harmonisieren Sie die Welt mit einem Lied!

I've been wanting to sing in a choir for ages and here in Perth I finally made it happen and reached out to a few choirs. It shouldn't be too far away, my singing opportunity, and should sound somewhat decent. It's pure coincidence that I ended up in the 'most awarded Barbershop chorus' in all of Australia. Barbershop?! If you're thinking more about hairdryers than tunes, you're not entirely wrong. In barbershops, the American hair salons, singing was not only about getting your hair combed or shaved, but also about singing. This is where the 4-part barbershop singing developed, which is probably most associated with the Comedian Harmonists ("Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus") here in Germany. Nowadays, not only quartets sing, but also sometimes huge choirs. About 40,000 singers worldwide belong to the 'Barbershop Harmony Society' (men's barbershop), and in the women's association 'Sweet Adelines International' (women's barbershop) there are approximately 27,000 singers - including Sofia and me ;o)

Our choir, the Perth Harmony Chorus (PHC), was founded about 35 years ago and is the most decorated barbershop chorus in all of Australia. With nine gold medals for best Australian choir, the PHC has been sent to international competitions in New Orleans, Hawaii, and Las Vegas, among others. Currently, about 80 singers between the ages of 13 (Sofia) and 80 (Margaret) sing in the choir.

Here are 10 fun facts about our choir:

1. At the PHC, the admission process usually takes months, and only when you have presented two songs, including choreography, to the satisfaction of the choir director, will you be officially admitted.

2. A big sister is assigned to you to accompany you through the audition phase, practice dance steps with you, and instruct you about the who's who in the music and management team.

3. During the admission ceremony, a very special song is sung and the new 'sister' is hugged by every singer - I'll never get so many hugs in my life again!

4. At the end of each choir rehearsal, the song 'Harmonize the world' is sung, everyone stands in a circle and holds hands.

5. Before you can perform a song, you have to pass an assessment. You record yourself singing during rehearsal and then send the recording to your 'listener', the listener who gives you feedback and hopefully marks your song as performance ready.

6. Before your first public performance, you will receive a several-hour makeup workshop - now I, too, know that there is such a thing as a primer! The extreme makeup is designed for the stage, dark red lips, dark eyebrows, so that they can be seen at all in the bright spotlight.

7. The costume officer meticulously determines for each performance which costume to wear, which eyeshadow, and which jewelry. The opacity of the tights is not left to chance, just like the color of the fingernails or whether false eyelashes are allowed or not. Before the concert, you have to present yourself to your makeup checker, who will apply a little blush if necessary or criticize the height of your heels - change clothes!

8. Each choir rehearsal lasts 2 ½ hours, during which time they work extremely concentrated, efficiently, and ambitiously on the repertoire. Regularly, external coaches come into play to support the choral growth.

9. According to our choir colleagues, the highlight of the Sweet Adelines' year are the competitions in which choirs compete against each other in different regions. The choir prepares intensively for at least six months for the six minutes on stage. Unfortunately, Sofia and I will miss this big event, because we won't be in Perth anymore in March...

10. The ladies from the PHC meet not only for the weekly rehearsal, but also for singing together - and even with coffee afterwards. And if you ever bruise your tailbone while sandboarding, someone from the PHC will come by and bring you arnica cream!