Contest and Judging

BHNZ has a judging community. Alongside Barbershop Harmony Australia, the two organisations have trained members that belong to the Australiasian Judging Guild.

Listed below are the BHNZ Members who are judges.

Member Category Location
David Brooks Musicality Judge Lower Hutt
Will Lynch Musicality Judge Christchurch
Liam O'Shanassy Musicality Judge Porirua
Charlotte Murray Performance Judge Wellington
Trent Taylor Performance Judge  
Liam Whitney Performance Judge Auckland
Henrietta Hunkin Singing Judge  
Kevin Day Administrative Judge Lower Hutt
Angie Schonegger Administrative Judge Wellington
Jess Warren Administrative Judge  

Identified members of the Barbershop Harmony New Zealand are also members of the Australasian Guild of Barbershop Judges. This covers the 3 judging categories in men's barbershop:

• Singing
• Musicality
• Performance

Scores are given for each song for each category of up to 100 points. For most competitions, competitors can receive feedback from the judges following the contest.

Singing

Judges in this category evaluate the degree to which the performer achieves good singing in the barbershop style.
This involves the production of a consistent resonant sound created by good individual vocal techniques free from apparent effort, and by the quartet or chorus singing as a unit.

Singing judges listen for

  • precise tuning – melodic line (lead part) and harmonically
  • a feeling of fullness or expansion of sound
  • a high degree of vocal skill
  • a high level of vocal unity and consistency throughout the performance
  • a freedom from apparent effort that allows the full communication of the lyric and song.

Musicality

Judges in this category assess the extent to which the musical performance displays the hallmarks of the barbershop style, and the degree to which the musical performance demonstrates an artistic sensitivity to the music's primary theme. Judges in this category assess the musical elements in the performance:

  • melody,
  • harmony,
  • range and tessitura,
  • tempo
  • rhythm and meter,
  • construction and form
  • embellishments.

Performance

These judges evaluate how effectively a performer brings the song to life. They respond to both the visual and vocal aspects of the peformance, to evaluate the interaction of these aspects in creating the image of the song, as well as everything about the performance that contributes to emotional impact upon the audience.

A performance judge will be asking if the musical and visual delivery of the song is from the heart, believable, and sensitive to the song and its arrangement throughout.

To contact the above people, either click on their name, or use the Contact Us page.

Contest Rules

Contest rules can be found here.