The Barberettes

The Barberettes Reading Choir – England

International Choir Competition & Festival in Provence 2025

As The Barberettes we are a a lively and entertaining acapella chorus which sings in the barbershop style – ie the melody (or tune) is in the middle of the arrangement. We were founded in 1976 and are conducted by our very talented Music Director, Emma Lelliott. We rehearse weekly in Earley, near Reading, and perform regularly around Berkshire and beyond. Our repertoire spans 100 years of popular music and is constantly evolving.

The Barberettes began life singing as female Barbershoppers. Barbershop singing is four-part unaccompanied close harmony with three of the voices harmonising with the melody. It’s unique sound is created by using a predominance of specific chords in the arrangements, which are usually of popular songs from throughout the 20th century. Barbershop singing is one of the trickiest yet most rewarding accomplishments of a vocal ensemble – you are singing a song as a Lead with three other harmonizing sections and as each section hits the perfect pitch the audience hears a wonderful overtone vibration – a resonant ring creating a different sound than any one tone being sung by any one singer! Although the voice parts in women’s barbershop harmony have different names and functions than they do in other SATB or SSAA vocal styles, the foundation is the same—beautiful music, stunning chords and a passion to create a moving piece of music.

Artistic references :

– Winning Let’s Sing Reading competition for the third time in 2023 as well as in 2016 and 2017
– Performing on stage at the Tonhalle in Dusseldorf for the City’s 725th anniversary celebrations at the request of the Mayor of Reading.
– Competing at the the Spanish Association of Barbershop Singers (SABS) 2015 Convention
– Singing in the beautiful Caversham Court Gardens at the annual garden party of the Friends of Caversham Court Gardens

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