THE BARBERSHOP SONGBOOK

124 Performances. 62 Songs. One Very Important Decision: Yours.

An E.J. Gold Musical Collection

Welcome to the biggest little barbershop quartet competition you ever attended!

Inside this extraordinary collection are 124 performances of 62 different songs, each presented in two distinct versions.

Why two different versions of each song?

Because we’re not going to tell you which one is better.

That’s your job. That’s the whole plan “A”.

Every song has been given two chances to win your affection. Two interpretations, two performances, two opportunities to discover something special.

One version might have a sweeter harmony. The other might have a livelier rhythm, a more convincing lead singer, a more interesting bass line, or just that mysterious something that makes you want to hear it again.

And here’s the important part: There are no wrong answers.

THE GREAT BARBERSHOP CHALLENGE

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is simple:

1. Listen to both versions of each song.
2. Decide which performance you prefer.
3. Add your favorite to your own personal playlist.
4. Continue until you’ve selected one version each of all 62 songs.

When you’re finished, you’ll have something nobody else can make for you: your very own edition of The Barbershop Songbook.

And don’t be surprised if your choices change over time.

A performance that didn’t impress you yesterday might suddenly become your favorite tomorrow. That’s one of the peculiar delights of music. It doesn’t always reveal its secrets on the first hearing.

THE QUARTET IS ONLY HALF THE STORY

Barbershop harmony is an extraordinary musical invention.

Four voices, working together, can produce an astonishing richness of sound. The melody, tenor, baritone, and bass interweave, creating those delicious ringing chords that seem to produce more music than four human beings should reasonably be able to make.

But there’s another instrument involved.

Your ears.

Actually, your attention. You bring your own musical history, preferences, memories, expectations, and instincts to every listening session.

You may love a version that someone else rejects. You may hear a subtle harmony that another listener overlooks. You may prefer a rougher, more energetic performance to a perfectly polished one.

That’s not a defect in musical judgment. That’s musical individuality.

4.6 QUINTILLION POSSIBILITIES

Here’s a rather startling fact.

With 62 songs and two possible selections for each, there are:

4,611,686,018,427,387,904 possible combinations.

That’s more than 4.6 quintillion different playlists!

Of course, you won’t need to listen to all those combinations.

You only need to discover one.

Your own.

DON’T JUST LISTEN. PARTICIPATE.

This collection is more than a musical archive. It’s an invitation to become an active participant in the creation of your own listening experience.

You’ll be making decisions that record producers, arrangers, and musical directors make every day.

Which performance communicates best?

Which interpretation has character?

Which one makes you smile?

Which one would you want to hear again?

And perhaps the most revealing question of all:

Why do you prefer one over the other?

You may discover something about your own musical tastes that you never suspected.

THE BIG CHALLENGE

Once you’ve assembled your personal 62-song playlist, try something interesting.

Invite a friend to do the same thing, independently.

Then get together on zoom to share and compare your selections.

How many did you agree on?

How many were completely different?

And can either of you persuade the other to change a choice?

You might discover that the most interesting music isn’t necessarily the performance everybody agrees is best.

It’s the performance that speaks directly to you.

So gather your favorites, build your playlist, and enjoy the wonderfully unpredictable business of musical discovery.

124 performances. 62 choices. One listener in charge.

And that listener is YOU.

The quartet has done its work. Now it’s your turn.

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Hooray, here’s the Bardo bus now!!!

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See You At The Top!!!

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