Harmony UK Podcast

Join the audience in Leicester for a special fundraising concert to mark the 50th anniversary year of the British Association of Barbershop Singers. The concert features the first performance in several years for the BABS Quartet Champions Chorus. You'll also hear from past quartet gold-medallists Limelight and Sound Hypothesis and from the talented mixed-voice chorus Lux A Cappella. If you'd like to donate please visit: https://www.singbarbershop.com/pages/donate

As British Barbershop celebrates 50 years as an organised movement we travel to Reading to visit one of the founding clubs. BABS acting chair Shanna Wells looks ahead to convention celebrations and explains why this year's Harmony College may have to move mostly online. And we meet the quartet at the heart of a cliffhanger in Britain's favourite TV soap.

Why do so many people spend time learning so many songs for a weekend of what's been described as quartet speed-dating? Come with us to visit the recent UK Harmony Brigade at Nottingham University and find out why so many are happy to go to extreme effort to join the fun.

Hot Ticket, the first ever LABBS mixed-quartet champions discuss a year of sometimes nail-biting competition, their own concert and an exciting new podcast in which they meet other young quartets from around the world.

In this 50th edition we check out the Barbershop Harmony scene in Norfolk and Suffolk, visiting the choruses Norwich Harmony, Fine City Chorus and the recently-formed East Coast Collective.

The decision of the BABS Board to unilaterally try to introduce open contests to British Barbershop has proved to be controversial. In this special Harmony UK podcast we hear from members of the Boards of BABS and LABBS who offer their perspectives on what's happening and what it means for the future.

In this edition - Barbershop singers as a resource; We hear from singer and educator Tony Colosimo about his keynote address to BABS Harmony College. We ask what attendees thought of the new-look faculty and streams. And we visit Leicester and the Heart of England Chorus, a club with a long history and a vintage set of risers.

The British Association of Barbershop Singers returned to Bournemouth in their 49th year. Hear from contest winners The Cottontown Chorus and Trailblazers Quartet, as well as many others who sang beside the sea.

Join us for an exciting weekend of song at Warwick as we hear from Gold medal -winning quartet Sound Central, Champions Lace City Chorus and International Queens of Harmony The Ladies. There may also be the odd sea-shanty in the mix.

Previews of two conventions in May from Region 31 and BABS and a look back to the Spanish Association of Barbershop Singers convention in April. Plus how four familiar faces came together in a brand new quartet.

The White Rosettes, Meantime Chorus, In House and Limelight Quartets were all gold-medal winners at LABBS and BABS in 2022. Listen as they appear together for the first time, along with Trailblazers Quartet, at a concert in West Yorkshire featuring some of the very best of British Barbershop, and raising funds to compete in future international BHS contests in Louisville and Cleveland. The concert was recorded at Pudsey Civic Hall on April 22nd 2023.

meet gold-medal-winners The White Rosettes Chorus and Limelight Quartet as they prepare for international Competition. And Scott Kitzmiller talks about the technique of resonance-matching and finding Barbershop on a bus.

We hear about change and challenge for 2023 - with London City Singers as they begin a new year as members of LABBS. With Meantime Chorus as they prepare for their first international chorus contest. And we'll hear the case for for a new group within British Barbershop for singers who identify as LGBTQ+

Listen to a spectacular concert featuring Bristol's seven Barbershop and close harmony choruses. The Big Bristol Barbershop Bonanza took place on November 19th 2022 and stands as a celebration in song as the choruses pick up the threads after the years of Covid restrictions. The choruses featured include Avon Harmony, Bristol Fashion. The Great Western Chorus, Fascinating Rhythm, Bristol A Cappella, Black Sheep Harmony and the Bristol Mix - along with a grand finale featuring a combined choir of 175 singers

Our third visit to Bristol to meet the members of the Fascinating Rhythm Chorus. We find out how they're looking to the future, and we meet the musical director of Black Sheep Harmony ahead of the Big Bristol Barbershop Bonanza Concert on November 19th.

Our second of three visits to the city of Bristol to meet The celebrated Great Western Chorus who've been entertaining audiences for almost 50 years, and Bristol A cappella, who broke new ground almost a decade ago as as one of the UK's first mixed-voice Barbershop choruses.

With six choruses, some of them almost fifty years old, the city of Bristol has long been a powerhouse for barbershop Harmony in Britain. This is the first in a short series of podcasts in which we'll visit some of the Bristol Choruses as they prepare for one of their biggest concerts ever in November 2022.

During the Coronavirus Pandemic the Collective Virtual Choir became a lifeline for thousands of people around the world seeking to sing with others while confined at home. As well as producing a wealth of choral videos, the Collective offered companionship, inspiration and countless opportunities for joint rehearsal and coaching. In August 2022 more than 100 members met in person for the first time in Leicester, for a weekend of song led by the choir's founder, UK Barbershopper Simon Lubkowski. It's a continuing story, as we hear in this special edition.

The proposal to merge LABBS and BABS, the two largest of the three British-based barbershop organisations, would be the biggest change to the hobby since 1976 . Natalie Feddon and Alan Hughes, chairs of the two groups talk about the proposed merger and what it might mean.

A celebration of Barbershop Harmony and the first convention since the pandemic for Sweet Adelines Region 31. Hear from a range of participants including Fortuity Quartet, chorus champions Forth Valley and the surprise winners of the quartet contest, Muddy Stilettos

In this edition we travel to Helsingborg for the European Barbershop Convention with BABS mixed chorus EQ Rendezvous and their co-founders Delyth and Dick Knight. This is the story of their week amid talented friends from across The Continent.

More from BABS in Harrogate, their first convention in three years - with new men's quartet champions Limelight, Sound Hypothesis, Crown Derby, and international seniors champions One Foot In The Stave.

All the excitement of a return to singing at the first BABS Convention since the Pandemic. Hear from International guests Forefront, BABS Youth Quartet champs Hot Ticket, and choruses Meantime, MaleVox. Cottontown and Lux A Cappella. (First of 2 parts)

With music and chat live from Harrogate and BABS Sing22 Convention. Including BABS seniors quartet champions Crown Derby, Lux A Cappella Chorus, Members of Cottontown Chorus and Sound Hypothesis along with Tagline Lead James Gower-Smith.

Saturday at BABS 2022 Convention in Harrogate with live songs and chat from ForeFront and Hot Ticket, along with reaction to the results of the 2022 Male Chorus Contest

The first full-length in-person British Barbershop convention since 2019. Hear songs and words from International Seniors champions One Foot In The Stave and much more from excited participants from across the UK

Tagline Quartet are celebrating ten years of worldwide international success. The quartet talk about their time together, their decision to take a step back from performance for a while, and their own favourite songs.

Barbershop singers have been without their beloved conventions for three years, so we'll be looking ahead with anticipation to gatherings this spring hosted by BABS and SAI Region 31. We'll hear from Sound Hypothesis about an invitation to compete in July at the BHS international Quartet Contest, and we'll hear about a controversial, proposal regarding mixed-voice singing.

Midtown Quartet were BABS special guests in Sheffield for QuartetCon, the UK's first competitive barbershop in-person singing event since the pandemic. In this podcast we hear from Midtown and some of the other quartets who lit up the stage.

As the Barbershop World returns to in-person singing we hear about the experiences of three groups, Capital Connection, Spirit of Harmony and Aberdeen Chorus. And we look ahead to BABS QuartetCon, the first UK-wide quartet contest weekend to be staged since the pandemic.

They have fifteen BABS quartet Gold medals between them. Now seniors quartet One Foot In the Stave have added video laurels to their tally of awards, and the quartet are preparing for a second successive appearance on the international contest stage where they hope to improve on a silver medal in early 2020. We meet them during a regular Sunday rehearsal on zoom.

As lockdown rules relax and singers begin to gather again in outdoor spaces we meet two quartets, Indigo League (pictured) and One Foot in the Stave, whose videos have been acclaimed. You can also find out about ambitious plans from the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers

In this edition we celebrate The Cambridge Chord Company's 30 years of creative achievement and contest success, following the sad news that the Chorus is to disband. Plus how innovation and Zoom has helped LABBS thrive through lockdown, and a lookahead to two forthcoming virtual Barbershop Conventions.

In this edition LABBS has become the first all-women's Barbershop organisation to sign an affiliation agreement with the Barbershop Harmony Society. Former LABBS chair Nancy Philbin discusses what it means for her 2200 members. And promoting diversity in British Barbershop - we speak to Laurence Hasson, vice-chairman of BABS about how he plans to make the organisation more inclusive.

The final part of he story considers the choices made by women's barbershop groups, how conventions have changed, and the growth of musical education among Barbershop singers. We also look head to an uncertain future.

1974 saw the creation of the first ever British Barbershop organisation. In this second podcast about the origins and history of UK Barbershop singing we trace the events of that year, including an inauguralConvention in Newcastle-On-Tyne

Harry Danser was an inspirational figure who introduced the Barbershop hobby to Great Britain. He and his sons, John and Tony, were instrumental in forming the first quartet, The Barbershop Four, and the first chorus, The Crawley Chordsmen. Harry's grand-daughter Jane Danser is pictured with "Harry the Bari", a giant teddy presented to her Grandpa, which became the Crawley Chordsmen's mascot.

The story of those passionate individuals who brought the love of Barbershop Harmony Singing to the UK, and founded the first singing groups., and the first Barbershop organisation.

Bob Walker is a founder member and former chairman of the British Association of Barbershop Singers. He played a major role in establishing the Guild of Judges. Bob sang lead in The Ringleaders, BABS first gold-medal-winning quartet and he's a former director of the Crawley Chordsmen, the first chorus outside of the US and Canada. In this podcast Bob describes his introduction to Barbershop in the US and how it began to take off in the UK more than 50 years ago.

In this edition as Barbershop moves online we look forward to a virtual Convention from LABBS, and online Harmony College from BABS. And three singers offer a perspective on the extraordinary worldwide success of The Collective virtual choir.

A compilation of archive features and interviews for the lockdown including Zac Booles on Convention packages, David Wright on arranging and Barbershop History, and members of Spinnaker chorus recalling their brush with Reality TV.

On the weekend when BABS members should have been gathering for their annual convention we revisit past conventions for interviews with Lemon Squeezy and Crossroads Quartets, and Sally McLean, MD of The White Rosettes Chorus.

Barbershop is thriving behind closed doors. In this edition we talk to Hilary Pinnock about Sweet Adelines Region 31 Virtual Convention. We hear from Tagline Quartet about the forthcoming BABSLive Convention show on YouTube,. We speak to Nancy Philbin about LABBS future plans, and we get the stories behind two awesome fundraising online videos from Avon Harmony and Cottontown Chorus.

As we battle on through lockdown here are some reminders of better times, including the arrival of Barbershop in Hull, a memorable weekend with Vocal Spectrum at BABS Harmony College, and a winning performance from Viva Acappella chorus.

Another Coronavirus lockdown diversion with archive recordings of Reckless Quartet getting emotional under glass, Vocal Dimension preparing for Convention in Las Vegas, and a visit to Bluewater for the LABBS Beacon of Harmony.

Looking back to those carefree days before the Coronavirus lockdown, and featuring archive contributions from Round Midnight Quartet, Heather Lane and the LABBS Bo-rap mass sing, plus Cheshire Chord, Cottontown and Heartbeat Choruses

A diversion intended for listening in lockdown. The second of our weekly trawls through the archives finds us rummaging in the file marked "humour" with contributions from Pastor Hannes Kör, Second City Sound and Footlights Quartet.

Listen to three features from the archives, all recorded at recent conventions with world-beating quartets Main Street and Classring, and Rasmus Krigström. director of the chorus Zero8..

How is the Barbershop community coping with the Coronavirus Lockdown? We hear from the director of an online virtual choir, the Chairman of BABS, and a singer from the Sweet Adelines chorus Singsational. There's also news of a brand new CD from LABBS gold medal quartet Avalon, and in a feature recorded before the pandemic hit the UK, we visit Birmingham to talk to members of MaleVox Chorus.

As concern grows over the spread of coronavirus the Barbershop world is having to consider whether it's possible to continue singing safely together. In this feature we talk to Ladies Chorus Cleeve Harmony about a recent coaching session and how they decided whether or not the day should go ahead.

Harmony UK Podcast takes to the road to sample Scotland's vibrant barbershop-harmony scene, with visits to Albacappella, The Rolling Hills Chorus, Silver City Singers and the internationally-renowned Forth Valley Chorus.

After 30 years singing with Edinburgh's Forth Valley Chorus and serving on the Region 31 management team, Elaine Hamilton is about to take up a post on the worldwide Management Board of Sweet Adelines International.

We hear about a new London-based production of Tom Brown's School Days and meet the musical director, Ralph Warman. Ralph is a former barbershop chorus singer who's been introducing both cast and audiences to the art-form.

Meet the New Generation of British Barbershop musical arrangers as they talk about their influences, their styles and their growing number of achievements. With contributions from Sam Hubbard, Hannah Briggs, Nick Bryant, Simon Arnott, James Whittick and Samuel Woolf.

Musical arranger Sam Hubbard talks about his inspiration, the songs he chooses and some of his highlights to date.

Listen to the members of Crossroads, one of the world's best-loved and most enduring and accomplished Barbershop quartets, as they coach fellow barbershoppers, talk about their own music, and perform "live" one of their most celebrated songs. Material recorded at the British Association of Barbershop Singers convention in Bournemouth, Sunday, May 26th 2019.

Listen to members of Scandinavian A Cappella legends The Real Group recorded at the British Association of Barbershop Singers convention - Bournemouth - May 2019.

Recorded July 2019 at Sweet Adelines IES in Manchester, and featuring interviews with ClassRing Quartet, Deke Sharon, Paula Davis, Nightfall Quartet and participants in the 2019 Rising Star Quartet contest.

We follow a group of barbershop singers as they work with delegates to promote singing in the workplace at a nationwide medical conference in Liverpool.

The first of a two-part podcast recorded at the British association of Barbershop Singers Convention, featuring 2019 chorus champions Hallmark of harmony, LABBS gold medal chorus Cheshire Chord Company and an interview with world-renowned a cappella stars The Real Group from Sweden.

Part 2 of a special edition from the British Association of Barbershop Singers Convention, featuring Crossroads Quartet, Sound Hypothesis, Silver Street and the mixed-voice chorus champions "A Kind of Magic"

The podcast travels to Hull to meet young Barbershop singers at the Fuse 2019 event, and Hilary Pinnock of Sweet Adelines Region 31 previews the Quartet of Nations 20th anniversary convention to be held in Cardiff in May.

The Podcast visits Bristol, and an event bringing together the LABBS Youth Choruses with gold-medal quartets Avalon and Fortuity. We also report on the thriving Barbershop Blogosphere, and speak to Dr Liz Garnett about her blog Helping You Harminise, and to the anonymous founder of the social media forum BarbershopmusicUK.

Elaine Hamilton, Team Coordinator of Sweet Adelines Region 31 discusses the changes at BABS regarding mixed choruses and women singers, and what they mean for the future of British Barbershop.

Peter Cookson, out-going chairman of BABS, talks about why his organisation has decided to accept women as singers,. and change the rules of its mixed-voice chorus contests Interview recorded November 2018

Deborah Lamble talks about mixed-voice choruses, and the decision by BABS to accept women as singers into the organisation for the first time. Interview recorded November 2018

In this edition, the changing face of British Barbershop and the future of mixed-voice singing. Also, as barbershop comes to a major medical conference we ask whether it can improve the resilience of doctors. And if you fancy a winter cruise we find out about Harmony at sea.

The NHS Practitioner Health Progranme is a confidential service which offers support to doctors concerned about their own physical or mental health. The group's 10th anniversary conference took place in London recently and, for the first time, explored the benefits of singing together to promote good mental health. The suggestion came from Iwan Roberts, a radiologist at Sheffield Children's Hospital, who also sings with the city's men's barbershop chorus Hallmark of Harmony. He recruited a number of other singing medics to help him, along with Pippa Goodall, musical director of Capital Chorus in West London, who ran a workshop. Here you can listen to a brief audio snapshot of what happened. The full story will be told in the nest Harmony UK Podcast, edition 16, due to be published in November 2018. * As well as Iwan and Pippa, other voices include those of Jonathan Hobbs, Tom Ridge and Dr Clare Gerada, medical director of the Practitioner Health Programnme.

Helen Brown and Rod Butcher of Second City Sound Chorus talk about the art of parody and an award-winning comedy performance at LABBS 40th anniversary convention in 2016

Listen to a bumper edition featuring the quartets Vocal Spectrum and The Locksmiths, arranger David Wright, and Justin Miller, director of Westminster Chorus. This podcast was recorded in August 2018, during the 40th BABS Harmony College held at Nottingham University.

Why, after 80 years as a men-only singing group, has the Barbershop Harmony Society decided to welcome women into its ranks for the first time? CEO Marty Monson talks about the change and how it might impact Barbershop Harmony Singing around the world.

The story of an exciting Barbershop weekend with Sweet Adelines Region 31 recorded at The Sage, May 11-13 2018. Hear interviews and performance excerpts from Forth Valley Chorus, Viva A Cappella, London City singers, Footlights Quartet and much more.

Listen to Scramble recorded straight after they won Gold at the Barbershop-in-Harmony Mixed Quartet contest in Newcastle, May 13th 2018.

Finest Hour talk about their European Gold Medal, and how Johnny, their new Bass joined the quartet. Recorded at SAI Region 31 Convention in Gateshead on May 12th 2018

Sound Hypothesis discuss their move from contemporary a cappella to Barbershop quartet. Alan Hughes of BABS previews the 40th anniversary Harmony College, and Rob Mance, Director of Central Standard Chorus talks warm-ups, riser placings and why his singers would rather forego a better rehearsal venue.

Part 1 of a podcast recorded during an exciting weekend in Bournemouth at the European Barbershop Convention 2017, and featuring Potential Scandal, Doug Harrington, and Hanfris Quartet, with contributions from members of Fource Quartet, LinQ Quartet and the Ireland Unlimited Chorus.

The second part of a podcast recorded during an exciting weekend in Bournemouth at the European Barbershop Convention 2017. featuring Herrenbesuch, BinG, Cindy Hanson, Pastor Hannes Kor, Marty Monson, The White Rosettes and Zero8

The renowned performance coach was among those who attended the European barbershop Convention in Bournemouth in October 2017. Here she talks about her art, her life in barbershop and changes she'd like to see made to the performance stage.

A sneak preview of some of the highlights from the new podcast recorded at EBC17 in Bournemouth. the full 2-part podcast will be available from Monday afternoon, November 13th.

What does "Everyone on Harmony" the recently-published BHS vision for worldwide barbershop singing mean in practice? In an interview recorded at the 2017 LABBS and European Barbershop Convention in Bournemouth, Marty Monson talks about competition, gender, culture and the challenges of expanding the global barbershop-singing community.

The podcast visits the North West of England to meet some of the UK's most successful and vibrant barbershop choruses, as well as some British barbershop pioneers. Among those taking part; The Cheshire Chord Company, Cottontown Chorus, Heartbeat Chorus, The Manchester University Barbershop Singers and Rainy City Chorus. You'll also hear about the way Barbershoppers are finding common ground with other singing styles from director and coach Doug Harrington, and ethno-musicologist Professor Caroline Bithell.

Duncan Whinyates, Andy Funnell, Dale Kynaston and Andy Foster discuss an emotional session being coached under glass at BABS Harmony College 2015 by jack Pinto and Steve Tramack

Top Swedish quartet Lemon Squeezy talk about their plans and tell us why they're taking a break from international competition. We look ahead to the 2017 European Barbershop Convention which comes to the UK in October. We hear of a new initiative using tags to introduce more people to close harmony singing, and how BABS' newest chorus found success.

The story of The Great British Barbershop Boys, a quartet which became an overnight sensation in 2010 with a major record deal, while still holding down their day jobs. Zac Booles who sang lead talks about their success and its impact, along with clips from the time.

We visit Hull to find out how Student Barbershop is taking off in the UK City of Culture. We also look ahead to two big UK Barbershop conventions, and Zac Booles, director of the Grand Central Chorus relates the story of an epic contest performance which spanned not one, but two years.

A podcast celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers and recorded at their Ruby Convention in Harrogate in October 2016. featuring interviews with gold medal chorus Amersham Acappella, champion quartet Tone-Acity and guests from the US, OC Times.

Listen to the voices of 2000 women at the 2016 convention of the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers, and hear arranger Heather Lane talking about the year of preparation which led to the moment they celebrated in song to mark LABBS Ruby Anniversary. Recorded in Harrogate - October 29th, 2016

As LABBS prepares to mark 40 years of Ladies' Barbershop in Britain with a special convention, listen to Sally McLean, musical director of gold medalists The White Rosettes discuss what makes a champion chorus and hear extracts from two songs, "Skyfall" and "Joshua fit the Battle of Jericho". This item was first recorded for Harmony UK Podcast at BABS Convention - May 2016.

Alan Goldsmith, BABS music services director, and Joe Cerutti, director of Outreach for the Barbershop Harmony Society, talk about musical directors, the present shortage in the Barbershop world, and how to attract the best for the future. This is a longer, unedited version of a feature included in edition 6 of Harmony UK podcast

Hear the members of Round Midnight talk about the things quartets need to know. Preview the exciting events planned for LABBS 40th anniversary convention. Listen to Alan Goldsmith and Joe Cerutti discuss the future for chorus musical directors, and find out about the birth of a new barbershop movement in France.

Finest Hour, BABS gold medal quartet for 2016 talk about how they came together, the songs they love and that big win at Convention in Harrogate.

Vocal Dimension prepare for world-class competition at Sweet Adelines International Convention in Las Vegas. David Sangster, MD with Forth Valley Chorus talks about gold medals, stage-fright and Christmas, and Sean Bui, new director of The Royal Harmonics gives us his first impressions of the Barbershop Harmony style.

The spirit and atmosphere of BABS Harmony college captured on a first visit in August 2015

Main Street Quartet talk to Harmony UK Podcast at BABS2016 by Podcast about British Barbershop harmony singing

News from the world of British Barbershop Harmony Singing including interviews with gold medal quartets Finest Hour and Acoustix, and Sally McLean, Musical Director of The White Rosettes chorus.

News, views and interviews from the annual convention of the British Association of Barbershop Singers, featuring gold medalists The Cottontown Chorus, Main Street Quartet and Strictly Barbershop, winners of the UK's first mixed-voice barbershop chorus contest.

News and views from the exciting world of UK Barbershop harmony singing.

The changing world of Barbershop harmony judging as discussed by three catagory directors.

A half-hour of news and views from the exciting world of British Barbershop Harmony singing