Barbershop Harmony - which is very nicely defined by the Barbershop Harmony Society as: A Truly American Artform
It’s music in a very pure form created with nothing but human voices coming together to create a rich and satisfying texture that is pleasing to the ears and invigorating to the soul. Whether you’re an experienced musician or a brand new singer, barbershop levels the playing field and allows you to find your voice and be a part of creating something that is greater than the sum of its parts.
For over 80 years, the Barbershop Harmony Society has facilitated the establishment of male-only quartets and choruses and their development as performance artists. Sweet Adelines International and Harmony, Inc. have done the same for over 70 years for female-only ensembles. In the last decade or so, particularly in Europe, quartets composed of both male and female voices have become popular. In fact, there is now a recognized festival hosted every two years by BinG! (Barbershop in Germany) at which mixed-voice quartets and choruses compete and crown their world champion.
Up until 2014 when the Mixed Barbershop Harmony Association was formed, there had been no standing in North America for larger mixed-voice ensembles singing a cappella music, barbershop style. MBHA now provides support to groups like Full Circle as they develop their repertoire, polish their performance skills, and participate in festival opportunities. And in 2017, the BHS announced it was going coed, as well. Established in 2015, Full Circle is proud to be in the forefront of this movement, a singing circle dedicated to full harmony and exciting performances.
When the membership of Full Circle feels it is appropriate, we will discuss and decide whether we wish to join the world of choral competitions. As members of the Mixed Barbershop Harmony Association (MBHA), we are an affiliate of Harmony, Inc. which welcomes MBHA ensembles to compete at their Area conventions. For the meantime, we sing for the joy of our friendship and the 7th chords, and share this with our community in rockin', fun performances.
Nope, no auditions. If you sing in the shower, in your car, at your church, if you used to sing in high school or college or at the karaoke bar, you’ll be GREAT! If you love to sing, there is a home for you at Full Circle. We have an experienced cadre who will teach you the skills you need and help you develop your barbershop harmony skills over time.
We believe that, with proper training and support, we can forgo working longer and more often and work SMARTER instead. Full Circle is a “do your homework” type of chorus. You will be armed with the learning tools you need (and no, you don’t need to read music to be successful at Full Circle) to learn on your own and come to rehearsal prepared. At rehearsals, we work smart and leave plenty of time for fun.
Our rehearsal schedule calls for rehearsals every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. The chorus shares a Google calendar listing all rehearsals and performances.
Currently, Full Circle covers the cost of printed music and audio learning tracks from the proceeds of its performances. There are no dues or required out-of-pocket expenses. We meet at the Linwood Center in Ellicott City and hall rental is already covered. We strive to book at least two benefit performances per year to support Linwood Center's mission of creating the possibility of extraordinary lives for children and adults living with autism and related developmental disabilities. Members are asked to join the Mixed Barbershop Harmony Association which assesses a $20 annual fee.
We’re truly interested in welcoming singers of all ages. There is no minimum age requirement for joining Full Circle. So long as a young person has appropriate adult supervision at chorus events and has the ability to keep up with Full Circle rep and rehearsals, he/she is more than welcome to join our ranks!
Please feel free to reach out to the Full Circle leadership by emailing the director. We will be happy to answer your questions via email or set up a convenient time to talk on the phone.
We rehearse every Wednesday at the Linwood Center, 3421 Martha Bush Drive, Ellicott City, MD. Give us a call or drop us a line to let us know you're coming. A new friend will greet you at the door.
Full Circle friends, old and new, harmonize the chorus' motto.
Full Circle was the beneficiary of a full day's coaching in performance art at the Barbershop Harmony Society Mid-Atlantic District Harmony College East. Here's the performance of Under the Boardwalk on that evening's Showcasse.
Isolated at home, Full Circle performers nonetheless cooperated in crafting this virtual rendition of Bobby Darin's 1960s hit, Dream Lover. Enjoy!
Enjoy Full Circle's virtual take on the Beatles' ballad, Yesterday.
Full Circle is proud to have been selected as featured entertainment at Historic Savage Mill every holiday season since 2015.