Founding

First meeting: April 11, 1938 at the Roof Garden of the Tulsa Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Official name is Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A., Inc.)

Barbershop Harmony Defined

Four-part, unaccompanied, close-harmony singing, with melody in the second voice, called the “lead.” Tenor (counter-tenor voice) harmonizes above the lead singer; bass sings the lowest harmonizing notes, and the baritone provides in-between notes, to form consonant, pleasing chords. Barbershop is a “melting pot” product of African-American musical devices, European hymn-singing culture, and an American tradition of recreational music. Melodies are in the vocal and skill range of the average singer, with lyrical emphasis on simple, heartfelt emotions.

A Brief History of the Dixie District

The Dixie District was organized in Birmingham, Alabama in February 23, 1948. It was comprised of nine southeastern states, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The District at that time had a total membership of 424 from the 10 chapters.

Today, The Dixie District is one of the 16 geographical districts of the Barbershop Harmony Society, formerly known as the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Incorporated (SPEBSQSA, Inc) throughout the United States and Canada. The Dixie District supports barbershop chapters and quartets in the southeastern states of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee.