Harmony UK Podcast

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.