About Us
A men's barbershop chorus serving greater Portland since 2025
Who We Are
Portland DayTime Singers — PDT Singers — is a men's barbershop chorus based in Portland, Oregon. We sing a cappella harmonies in the classic American barbershop tradition: four-part, close harmony, ringing chords. We rehearse on Monday mornings, bring the joy of barbershop harmony to community events, senior centers, and independent and assisted living communities throughout greater Portland, and welcome any man who loves to sing.
We are Lodge #18 of the Worldwide Barbershop Quartet Association (WBQA), chartered at the WBQA's 2026 Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas. We are not affiliated with the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) — we have warm collegial relationships with BHS chapters in the region, but PDT Singers is an independent WBQA lodge.
Our Mission
We bring men together during the daytime to make music, build friendships, and share the gift of barbershop harmony with our community. We are a Level B singing group under WBQA guidelines — serious about singing well, but never at the expense of fellowship and fun. As our tagline says: Music, Fellowship & Fun.
If you'd like to have us sing at your event, we'd love to hear from you. Drop us a line at info@pdtsingers.org.
Our Story
PDT Singers was co-founded by director Chris Gabel and Kevin Bier. The idea was simple: Portland had no daytime men's chorus. Men who love to sing — retired, semi-retired, or with flexible schedules — had nowhere to go. We decided to fix that.
Our first gathering was March 24, 2025, at Cedar Hills Baptist Church in Beaverton — a handful of singers and a shared conviction that barbershop harmony, sung well and sung joyfully, is worth preserving. By February 2026 we were doing sing-outs. By March 2026 we were a permanent WBQA Lodge. We're just getting started.
Our Director
Chris Gabel has been singing and directing barbershop for decades. His approach: a great choral organization produces great performances — not the other way around. That means building real bonds with every singer, running rehearsals that are creative and fun, and creating an environment where every voice matters. Chris brings patient, skilled, deeply musical leadership to every Monday morning.
Where and When