British Association of Barbershop Singers

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The British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS) is a British organisation of male barbershop singers.^[1] It was formed in 1974 and is affiliated with the Barbershop Harmony Society.^[2][3] Since 2023, BABS and its female counterpart in the UK, the Ladies' Association of British Barbershop Singers, have been in talks to consider proposals to work more closely together.^[4]

Every year the association runs contests in parallel for barbershop choruses (male and mixed-gender) and quartets as part of the BABS Annual Convention. The British convention is the largest barbershop convention of its kind outside of North America. The chorus competitions are currently each held on a single day, while the quartet competition is spread over the convention weekend (with a preliminary round to eliminate all but the top 16 quartets usually held about 6 months prior to the semi-finals).

Concurrent with the national quartet contest, BABS holds an International Quartet Qualifying Contest, which past BABS gold medal quartets may also enter, to determine qualification for the next year's BHS International Quartet contest. In conjunction with the preliminary quartet contest, BABS also holds Seniors Quartet and Youth Quartet contests; BHS is asked to permit the respective winners to compete in the subsequent corresponding international contest, subject to a qualifying score.^[5]

National contest winners (in the categories of chorus and quartet) by year are as follows:^[6]

Year	Chorus[7]	Quartet[8][9]	Youth Quartet	Seniors Quartet	Mixed Chorus
2024	Meantime Chorus[10]	Fifth Element[10]	Ami Quartet[10]	Mixed Blessings[10]	Crucible Vocal Project[10]
2022–23	Cottontown Chorus	Trailblazers	The Breakfast Club[11]	Midnight Train[12]	Bristol A Cappella
2021–22	Meantime Chorus[13]	Limelight[14]	Hot Ticket[15]	Crown Derby[16]	The Bristol Mix
2020	No competition
2019	Hallmark of Harmony	Sound Hypothesis	Apollo II[17]	Bagatelle[18]	A Kind of Magic
2018	Cottontown Chorus	The Locksmiths	Northern Quarter[19]	One Foot in the Stave[20]	Momentum
2017	The Great Western Chorus of Bristol	Portobello Road	Sound Hypothesis	Three 'n' Easy[21]	EQMC
2016	Cottontown Chorus	Finest Hour	4 On Demand[21]	South Parade[22]	Strictly A Cappella
2015	The Great Western Chorus of Bristol	Tagline	Trailblazers[22]	The Grand Dads[23]
2014	Hallmark of Harmony	Park Street	Proper Sound[24][23]	Figaro[25]
2013	Cottontown Chorus	The Emerald Guard	Park Street[26]	Soundcheck[27]
2012	The Grand Central Chorus	iQ	Mach 4[28]	Just In Time[28]
2011	Cottontown Chorus	Crossfire	Mach 4[29]	Rockaholix[29]
2010	The Great Western Chorus of Bristol	Steel
2009	Cottontown Chorus	Evolution
2008	The Great Western Chorus of Bristol	Monkey Magic[note 1]
2007	Cottontown Chorus	Q.E.D.
2006	Cambridge Chord Company	Pitch Invasion
2005	Cottontown Chorus	The Works
2004	Cambridge Chord Company	Prime Time
2003	The Grand Central Chorus	Sound Crew
2002	Cambridge Chord Company	The Light Industrial Choral Society
2001	The Grand Central Chorus	Matrix
2000	Hallmark of Harmony	The Likely Lads
1999	Cambridge Chord Company	Shockwave
1998	Shannon Express	Chordial Exchange
1997	Hallmark of Harmony	Cambridge Blues
1996	Grand Central Chorus	Hooked On Harmony
1995	Shannon Express	Smilin' Thru
1994	Hallmark of Harmony	Sound Assembly
1993	Grand Central Chorus	Island Engagement
1992	Rainy City Chorus	Quattro
1991	Hallmark of Harmony	Talk Of The Town
1990	The Great Western Chorus of Bristol	Curtain Call
1989	Hallmark of Harmony	Quartz Precision
1988	The Great Western Chorus of Bristol	High Time
1987	Pilgrimaires	Times Square
1986	Hallmark of Harmony	Junction 33
1985	Pilgrimaires	Gilt Edge
1984	Crawley Chordsmen	On Spec
1983	The Great Western Chorus of Bristol	Mancunian Way
1982	Roker Peers	Limited Company
1981	The Great Western Chorus of Bristol	Regency Pride
1980	The Great Western Chorus of Bristol	Par Four
1979	No competition
1978	Crawley Chordsmen	Newtown Ringers
1977	The Great Western Chorus of Bristol	Fortunairs
1976	Crawley Chordsmen	The Barrytones
1975	Crawley Chordsmen	Five Bridge Four
1974	No competition	Ringleaders

• BABS website