A Capella     Musical style where songs are sung with no musical accompaniment.

Barbershop music   Close harmony singing in four parts or sections - Bass, Baritone, Lead and Tenor. The harmonies are  characterised by a "cone-shaped" sound, with the melody being carried by the Lead section and Tenors harmonising above, and specific chord structures (arrangements).  It is enhanced by expressive delivery and interpretation of the melody and lyrics.

Learning Tape    Each part is recorded onto cassette tapes; chorus members learn by listening to their individual tape at home. By  following the notes on sheet music, even non-readers of music can quickly develop their skills and add to their enjoyment and understanding of the music and harmonies. 

Risers     A set of portable tiered steps (usually three/four rows) on which the chorus stand so that all members can be seen and the sound carries well.     

Riser tape    To make sure she is singing and blending correctly, each member records her own performance of individual songs while standing on the risers and while the whole chorus is singing.  

Choreo       Short for choreography, this refers to the simple but dynamic movements which emphasise the words or emotions of a particular song.  These are mainly upper body, hand or arm moves, but the front row of the chorus does get the opportunity to add more movement!