We are a chorus of 60 men, many of who sing in quartets as well. Our oldest singer is about 80 and the youngest is in their 20s. We come from all walks of life. About half the men are working and the rest are retired. But we don’t talk about jobs when we rehearse; we talk about barbershop singing and music. Together, we sing four-part close harmony in the barbershop style. We sing a range of songs, many from the great era of show business, such as my favourite, The Way You Look Tonight by Jerome Kern.

The Melbournaires recently celebrated its 20th birthday. I joined the chorus about five years ago, after seeing them perform at an event. To join our group, men need to audition, but we give plenty of help in the process.

Barbershop singing is a team sport or craft. You’ve got to blend in. What makes a good barbershop singer is a man whose voice can carry a tune or note. There are four parts to barbershop singing; bass, baritone, lead and tenor. Lead is usually the melody line, and that’s what I sing. On top of that is the tenor line, which is a higher voice, often sung in falsetto.

Before men join the chorus, the first thing they want to know is what part best suits them. It becomes very clear, whether they have a lighter lead or a bass or baritone voice.

Women can’t join a male barbershop chorus, for obvious reasons, but they can join similar female groups which are active around Melbourne.

We perform about 40 times a year, all over Melbourne, often for free, and sometimes for a fee, for mainly corporate events. We also run a concert every year. When people think of barbershop, they often think of straw boaters and crazy red-and-green striped outfits, but that look went out years ago. We dress in a dinner suit with appropriate ties.

I think people enjoy barbershop singing because it’s a very nice sound. You can hear and understand all the words and it’s great entertainment when it’s done well.

If people can recall the TV show Australia’s Got Talent, there was a Queensland barbershop quartet called Benchmark that made it into the final 10. Their popularity has given barbershop a boost. Since the show, we’ve received around six or seven calls from men wanting to find out about what we do.

We rehearse every Monday night from 7.30pm at Doncaster East Uniting Church, 152 Anderson’s Creek Road, Doncaster East. We are always seeking new members.

For enquiries and further information, call Peter on 9815 0961 or Roger Archman on 9898 6014.