Membership

Welcome to the BHA Membership page!

Full membership in BHA is open to all who love to sing are is in sympathy with the objects of the Association. There are choruses and quartets in every capital city in Australia and numerous other cities and towns. Check through our online list to find your nearest club.

Why should I become a member?

With nearly 1,000 individuals making up over 30 clubs and over 70 quartets nationwide, membership in Australia’s own leading barbershop singing organisation provides many benefits: 

• News to keep members abreast of events and current developments.  
• Resources  to  better  run  your  chorus – access  to  music, marketing and membership development tools and how-to publications  
• Stay connected with the BHA National Council and Regional leadership; learn what’s happening before it happens!  
• Chorus and Quartet Information – find other quartets or choruses.  
• Contest and Judging Information  –  access contest rules, entry forms, scores and standing orders. 

• Music schools, training sessions, regular coaching tours and the highly successful Harmony Academy provide opportunities for leadership, musical, membership and performance development and a forum for the exchange of new ideas with the aim of helping members enjoy their hobby more, share that joy with others, and continually experience growth.    
• Encouraging vocal music in our schools and communities is a fundamental ideal of the organisation and keeps music and the arts more relevant in these times of diminished focus and funding.  
• Special courses and training for musical directors, administrators, arrangers, composers, music educators – and everyone else!

Publications

• BHAs monthly Harmony News e-newsletter is emailed out to all members, keeping everyone abreast of all of the Barbershop happenings across Australia!     

National Festivals 

• A week-long Festival, incorporating the National Contest and Harmony Academy, held in attractive locations throughout Australia, designed to bring barbershop harmony enthusiasts from around Australia and the world together in one place and to witness hundreds of contestants in the top choruses and quartets contests; participate in educational workshops and seminars; attend concerts, group meetings and a meeting of the BHA National Council and enjoy countless networking opportunities. 

Regional Conventions 

• Each of our 6 Regions hosts a weekend convention each year.  These weekends offer the opportunity for singing and socialising with singers from across the region, as well as group meetings and meetings of the regional leadership teams.  Contests are also held to determine Quartet and Chorus Champions as well as acting as qualifying events for the national contest. 

Assistance from National Council 

• Advice on events and shows  
• Advice on music arrangements  
• Advice on securing copyright clearances on sheet music, including securing permission to arrange a song  
• Interpretation of rules and regulations  
• Quartet registrations  
• Coaching visits to choruses and regions  
• Processing of chorus and national dues  
• Marketing and PR help  
• Harmony Academy
• Festivals
• Contests   
• Protection and use of the Name and Logo 

Other Benefits 

• Public liability insurance  
• Membership development assistance

What does annual membership cost?

The BHA membership year runs from 1 January to 31 December.

The BHA financial year runs from 1st October to 30th September

Annual membership fees are*:

• $95.00 per year for Full members (Over 25 at 1 January in the current BHA membership year)
• $47.50 per year for Youth members (25 and under at 1 January in the current BHA membership year)

New and returning members joining after 1 July in any BHA membership year pay 50% of the yearly fee.

Also, a Joining Fee of 50% of the relevant annual membership fee will be charged for any new member, or any member renewing after a 6-month cessation of membership.

Click here to go to the FORMS page, to apply or renew membership of BHA.

*As announced at the 2023 AGM, membership prices have been increased in line with a CPI-based calculation. Fees remained the same from Jan 2020 - Dec 2023 inclusive, making this the first increase in 4 years. Please note that this is not a COVID influenced increase, this increase is needed to fund our expanded activities, which are all firmly designed to provide the best membership value that we can. We pride ourselves on keeping our fees significantly lower than most other similar creative and arts organisations, and aim to keep our membership affordable.

Keeping your contact details up to date!    

All Clubs are responsible for updating their members' personal and contact details on the BHA Website. 

Members-at-Large need to notify the BHA Administration Officer at admin@barbershop.org.au of any changes to their personal/contact details.

This not only ensures that members are fully covered by the association’s insurance policies but also ensures that they continue to receive important messages from Barbershop Harmony Australia.