If you take a stroll past Grove Vale School in Great Barr at 7.30pm on a Tuesday evening, you might notice a little musical magic hanging in the air. The sweet sounds of harmonised voices drift out of the school as the members of Anvil Chorus go through their vocal paces, trying to achieve a kind of magic that only comes from singing in the barbershop style.
“There’s something about the way the barbershop style works that is quite magical,” explained member Colin Roper. “The way the different voice parts combine to form a chord is very distinctive and different from the way choirs or other vocal groups sing.
“It’s like there’s a ‘sweet spot’ you can hit, if you get the sound just right. We always say that if you can sing in a barbershop style, and we can get the hairs on your arms or back of your neck to stand up, we’ve got you!”
Anvil Chorus was established in 1977 in Sandwell but is now based in Hamstead, off the Newton Road. No one is completely sure where the group’s name comes from – some believe it may have originated from a pub, others that it may represent the metal industry that once dominated the locality.
But 42 years later the club is going strong, and its 35 members are among the 2,500 men and 3,500 women who regularly sing in barbershop groups across the UK today.
“We are one of 150-odd barbershop clubs across the country,” Colin explained, “and our official name is West Midlands Barbershop Harmony Club when it comes to entering contests.”
The group are regularly placed in the top ten of the 40 or so men’s choruses that compete at annual British Association of Barbershop Singers Conventions.
“There is a huge national network, and there are actually more women than men that sing barbershop in the UK,” Colin added.
The barbershop style began in America, in the early 20th century in enormous barber shops where men would go to be shaved daily. The shops quickly become a place to gather, drink coffee, smoke and socialise. As many Afro-Americans found jobs in them after the end of slavery, the musical style that developed in the barber shops where they worked was influenced by their traditional spiritual singing style, creating the harmonies that that can be heard in many other parts of the world including Europe, Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand.
But don’t expect the members of Anvil Chorus to fit the stereotypical view of the Barbershop Quartet.
“We do not wear straw boaters or striped blazers,” Colin laughs. “People still associate that old-fashioned costume with barbershop singing, but it’s not something that modern barbershop groups wear.”
What has been retained from the singing style’s early days is the legendary camaraderie found in barbershop groups.
“Everyone is welcome,” Colin said, “Just turn up and have a listen. We are very friendly.
“We want to encourage people to come and see what we do and then come back and sing with us.
“While the barbershop style is becoming popular among University singing groups, in the wider population it is an older person’s sport and we need to encourage younger people to become involved with our clubs.”
Colin is quite evangelical about the benefits of singing in a group too.
“The simple truth about singing is that it is good for you,” he said. “It has been proven that it gets your endorphins going, gets your brain working, is good for your breathing and your general well-being.
“Having to learn songs and be coordinated with other singers is very good for the brain, as it’s a challenge. It can seem a little daunting at first, but it’s the same as anything – once you get into it, it is extremely enjoyable.”
The pay-off for all that hard work is the buzz of singing in front of other people, at numerous engagements around the area.
“We do try to get out and sing to other people as much as we can,” Colin said. “You put the hard work in, and when you get on stage, it’s brilliant.
“Because it is acapella, and we don’t need instruments, we can perform anywhere, in any size group. As long as you have one each of the four voice parts, you have got a quartet. A lot of barbershop is based on quartets, but you can have as many in a group as you like, as long as you have a balanced sound.”
As usual, Anvil Chorus was busy in the run-up to Christmas with gigs in all sorts of places including Old Oscott Residential Village, Mere Green Memory Café and numerous fund-raising fayres.
Their huge repertoire takes in music from the start of the 20th Century up to the likes of the Beach Boys and Billy Joel, all performed in that barbershop style – while international barbershop rules state that there shouldn’t be any song that’s political, religious, or contentious in any way.
However, new members shouldn’t expect to find 21st Century chart-toppers on the set list. “That kind of material often doesn’t translate well into what we would call proper Barbershop Harmonies,” said Colin.
“If people come along and like it, and want to do it, it really doesn’t matter which songs you sing – it’s all about the singing and making it sound right that is the pull.”
The club covers a patch stretching across Walsall, Sandwell, Great Barr and Sutton but have a few long-standing members who travel from as far away as Worcester. They are hireable for events such as weddings, funerals, anniversaries and parties but will also offer their services for free to support fund-raising or community activities.
It’s all part of that friendly, social history that can be traced back to the barber shops of America.
After 42 years, the Anvil Chorus are still hitting that ‘sweet spot’ – and making the hair on the back of your neck stand up!
The Anvil Chorus meet at Grove Vale School in Great Barr, B43 6AL, on Tuesday nights at 7:30pm. Everyone welcome at any time to come and have a listen – and possibly join in.