There are not a lot of opportunities to listen to barbershop performances. It is close to becoming a lost art because, at the time of its development in the early 20th century, many people did not have access to the radio or records. Instead, they enjoyed their music live in any setting such as in musical halls, theatres and even at one’s local barbershop.
Mike Cating, the co-director and marketing manager of The Peninsulaires, a Bay Area barbershop choir that is based in Mountain View and rehearses in Sunnyvale, said that barbershop music ranges from the Great American Songbook which consists of Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Irving Berlin and many modern classics from Bruno Mars or Michael Jackson. Cating said people in the group have a range of talents: people who have never sung before, those who can’t read music or those who are trained professionals. Cating said the biggest requirement for the group is to produce interesting harmonic melodies.
“One of the most challenging things is to find the music that is entertaining to the audience, first and foremost, and that is also a good fit for our singers in terms of range and difficulty,” Cating said. “Ideally, it’s stretching us a little bit so that we’re continuing to use music to grow and pick songs people are going to love.”
Cating joined the group in Febuary 2020 and started right away as their director. His musical experience includes playing trumpet in fifth grade and then learning barbershop-style music in his choir more than 40 years ago. He said despite the remote practices and performances “during the pandemic, the band was able to stay afloat and maintain a consistent amount of members. As of this year, there are more than 38 members.
“What we do good for is the love of the music, and fundamentally to have a group of people come together with that much-shared purpose, shared goal is very rare,” Cating said. “The goal is the experience. People in the barbershop are some of the nicest most generous people I’ve ever met and there are no barriers.”
Cating said barbershops developed in the 1890s when music was a social experience. It grew out of the blues tradition of music that was developed in New Orleans and the Deep South. The barbershop started as a quartet of gentlemen that began as a social club and soon spread across the country. Cating said The Peninsulaires began in San Jose in 1948 to celebrate the tradition of barbershop tunes.
The Peninsulaires have annual concerts and smaller performances throughout the year. He said The Peninsulaire’s next large concert will be either in April or May and will be in the themes of villains, where the show will build up to a great heist. He said all their concerts consist of a little bit of acting.
“We want our shows to be an accessible show for all ages, and we want it to be a fun performance,” Cating said. “We think we put a lot of effort into kind of a musical theater angle to our performances. And, you know, we recently did a pirate and monster show.”
Cating said they will also be hosting a small performance at the Palo Alto Farmers’ Market on Feb. 1 and deliver personalized Valentine’s Day cards and sing traditional barbershop quartet songs for community members in the San Jose metro area on Feb. 14.
Cating said his favorite part of being a member is giving back to the community through educational outreach. He said many schools invite them to teach high school choir students about the history of their music style. Many teachers invite them to sing in their class as well.
To learn more about the group, visit thepeninsulaires.com.
