About Us

What We Do. A typical performance features 30-40 of our members, along with one or more of our quartets. We sing songs people love to hear in the traditional style known as “barbershop.” We sing mostly familiar songs, many of them about fun and romance in “the good old days.” All are sung from memory and without accompaniment in the rich harmonies that are the barbershop tradition.

Our Director, Drew Fuller became our Director in January, 2016. He joined Harmony Heritage Singers in 2010, coming to us with a background of then 10 years with the prize-winning Alexandria Harmonizers (still sings with them) and member since 1989 of the Barbershop Harmony Society. He hold's a Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music eductation. Drew succeeded Bob Wachter, who directed us for more than 400 performances during the first 20 years of our existence (formed 1996). Bob continues to serve us, as Director Emeritus and Head Coach.

A Great AmericanTradition. As American as apple pie, barbershop singing originated in the late 1800’s in places like barbershops where men got together to socialize. They sang from memory without accompaniment and emphasized close harmony and improvisation. In that way barbershop is a bit like jazz, another distinctively American art form.

Now Worldwide. Our parent organization, the Barbershop Harmony Society, was formed in 1938 by a small group of devotees. Its legal and historical title is The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA). The Society now has affiliates around the world. In the United States there are some 25,000 members in over 800 chapters, including our own, the Mount Vernon, VA chapter.

Harmony Heritage Singers was formed in 1996 by members of the Alexandria Harmonizers whose schedules allowed them to rehearse and present performances during the day. Some of our current members "discovered" barbershop only recently, but most have sung this wonderful style of music for many years.

Typical Program

Our performances are usually 45 minutes to an hour in length. A typical program might go like this:

When the Saints Go Marching In

Back in the Old Routine

Top of the World

Fun in Just One Lifetime

   (Quartet)

Delta Dawn

Old Bones

Roll Out the Barrel

Amazing Grace

Barbara Ann

(Quartet)

Old Man Time

Take Me Home, Country Roads

Medley of American Songs

Recent Performances

Eastern Star, Mount Vernon Chapter, Alexandria, VA

Emmaus United Church of Christ, Vienna, VA

Fairfax County Seniors, Reston, VA

First Baptist Church of Alexandria, VA

Greenspring, Springfield, VA

Honor Flights, Reagan National Airport, VA

Korean War Veterans Annual Mtg, Crystal City, VA

Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC

Knollwood Military Retirement Residence, Wash, DC

Leisure World of Lansdowne, VA

Maplewood Park Place, Bethesda, MD

Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, Alexandria, VA

Mount Vernon Estate Annual Veterans Day Observance

National Constitution Day, Washington, DC

National Lutheran Home, Rockville, MD

NoVA Women’s Social Club, Vienna, VA

Salvation Army’s Camp Happyland, VA

Shepherd Center of Oakton-Vienna, VA

Southern Division Chorus Contest, Reston, VA

St. Louis Catholic Church, Alexandria, VA

Tall Oaks Retirement Community, Reston, VA

Walter Reed Armed Forces Medical Center, DC

Washington Industrial Roundtable, DC

To learn more, Visit Us. If you're a singer, consider Joining Us. And if you'd like us to perform for your organization, Book Us. We'd love to perform for you!

We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.