History

The Barbershop Harmony Society (aka Society for The Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America) began with a meeting in Tulsa on April 11, 1938. The Schenectady Chapter of BHS (aka Electric City Chorus) began in 1944, and has been singing ever since. On May 14, 1944, a small group of men met at the home of Art Merrill to discuss the formation of a barbershop quartet. At a later meeting (photo above) on August 9, 1944, the Chapter was formally organized. Within two weeks membership had grown to 30 men, and the Chapter was chartered the following month.  Schenectady was the 5th chapter to be organized in what was to become the Northeastern District in 1946, two years later.


From The Harmonizer - June 1955

See more Schenectady Chapter/ECC history in the PHOTOS section!


Barbershop Through the Years (A Brief History of Barbershop Presentation):

https://youtu.be/x7FenBwxG_U