Barbershop Harmony Australia

Barbershop Harmony Australia (BHA) is a community of male and female singers from all over Australia who gather together to sing four-part harmonies in quartets and in choruses. There are groups in every major city across Australia.

History

The association was started in 1985 in Perth and was originally known as the Australian Association of Men Barbershop Singers (AAMBS). The change of identity to Barbershop Harmony Australia was made in 2012.

It was since 2012 with the name change that BHA made motions in order to remain relevant to a new generation of singers. BHA strives to be an inclusive and diverse organisation. Since 2015 they have included a mixed chorus and mixed quartet competition which rivals the men's division in scope and quality. This has particularly been championed by the Baden Street Singers in Perth, WA who in 2019 were the highest-scoring Australian Chorus regardless of category. In 2021, the organisation opened membership to anyone "who is in sympathy with the objects of the Association."^[1]

Governance

National Council
President	Secretary	Treasurer	VP Marketing & Development	VP Music Education	VP Events	VP Membership	VP Youth	VP Contest & Judging
Dan Millgate	Angus Edwards	Trevor Bruger	Ky McIntosh	Kelly Shepard	Richard Wadick	Paul Adams	Joanne Oosterhoff	Ian Mulholland

Contests

Each year, generally in September, BHA organises the National Barbershop Harmony Festival, which includes outreach events, a contest every year to find the best choruses and quartets in the nation, and a Harmony Academy. The body also advertises and supports the regional contests, which happen between March-June each year.

Details about the Harmony Festival for this year can be found on its website: BHA Barbershop Festival

Aiming every three years, BHA works with Barbershop Harmony New Zealand (BHNZ) to present the Pan-Pacific Convention (Pan-Pac), showcasing Barbershop Harmony across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South East Asia & the the Southwest Division of the Far Western District (Hawai’i), United States. On top of Pan-Pacific Prizes, BHA Festival contest medals are also awarded.