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Below are the thoughts of three of our Convention first timers. Tom, Don & Stuart.

STUART BOLT

“How was my first convention?”, what can I say, it was a rollercoaster of emotions, hitting hard Friday morning walking into the auditorium, the rapid realisation of the task in hand and a quick mental note to check all possible toilet access routes…

Seeing the quartets on Friday helped get accustomed to the environment, watching our fellow Telfordaires take to the stage in various quartets, demonstrating exactly how it’s done. Being “encouraged” to sing in a quartet in a bar full of people from the convention, no pressure! All helped to steady the growing nerves.

Saturdays order of emotions started with nervous anticipation, chorus warmup and back to calm, nerves building again as you get changed and slowly make your way through the process, lined up, dry mouthed, ready to take to the stage… do not take a big swig of water just before going on, it doesn’t go anywhere, it just sits stubbornly right at the top… I’m sure something happened next that involved a stage, some bright lights and maybe some singing… Then you’re off, getting changed with a massive adrenaline buzz… As you take your first drink, the adrenaline slowly ebbs away, you relax and… But before you know it, we’re all in a pub sing off, culminating in a multi chorus finale, the people passing just didn’t know what had hit them, it’s a pretty special experience and would have been a great ending. For the Telfordaires to bring home two awards just made it that little bit more special. The shows were great as well!

In a contemplative 3.5 hours drive back to Telford on Sunday afternoon, the bottom line is that singing, ‘tis just one part, it’s a pretty key part, but the whole experience is so much more.

But you can’t do this without the rest of the Telfordaires! Not just at convention, but with the support, patience, guidance, direction, camaraderie, laughs and tolerance for really bad jokes… that you get from the whole Telfordaires family every week, it’s pretty damn great, I’m honoured to be part of the gang!

So, a more concise answer to the question, how was my first convention? Yeah, not bad thanks ?.

DON CLARKE

The only time I'd ever sung on stage was as a 12-year-old boy soprano in my school's production of The Mikado. My memory is a bit vague, but I do remember that I was just part of the chorus & was, for most of the night, obscured by the ample physique of the female star, a rather domineering middle-aged lady who'd been drafted in from somewhere & whose presence meant that my watching parents weren't even sure I was there!

Roll forward a few years to my days at university in Sheffield, & I tried out for the role of singer with some lads in my digs who were trying to record some post-punk type of track. I failed miserably, which was just as well, as they eventually became a band called Pulp, & a certain Jarvis Cocker brought joy to millions. Stardom was definitely not in my, er, stars.

And that was about it for my singing career. Until a few months ago, when someone told me about the Telfordaires. I'd been wondering about having a go at something such as a male voice choir, but hadn't thought of barbershop & was in complete ignorance of the group & the parent organisation, the British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS), as, I think, are many people. I was referred to the Chairman, Garry, & soon found myself standing among their ranks, nervously feeling my way through a couple of songs, & trying to remember what rudimentary music-reading skills I'd had back in my school days.

From the first practice evening, I've always felt some nerves, & have been unsure whether I can actually sing at all. But by the end of each night, when we've warmed up, done some exercises & worked on whichever songs are on the menu, virtually without exception, I go home feeling elated. And it's getting easier.

Somebody mentioned the annual convention, 'Sing 2024', which was to be the 50th, to be held in Harrogate, & I thought, "Why not go?" I'd thought I may learn something & enjoy, it, not realising that there was going to be a competitive element to it- and was there? Not half! Saturday's on stage performance was to be in front of several hundred in the Convention Centre auditorium, including 14 judges, & broadcast live to a worldwide Youtube audience; we were one of 40 choruses. I'd been quite relaxed about the whole thing until we met up for our Friday evening meal, when I think I caught nerves from others & started to realise that, at least in the barbershop world, this was quite a big deal.

I'm writing this a few days after our heady success, as winners of the 'Best Small Chorus' shield, the first time (I believe) the Telfordaires have won that or any other outright trophy. As a newbie to the group & to singing barbershop, I'm really grateful to Dale Kynaston whose expert tuition & leadership got us to a great place. He really knows how to get a group of singers to 'peak' for a performance, & we all have to be grateful to him. And gratitude to my fellow Telfordaires; a more welcoming & supportive group couldn't be wished for.

The event itself was large scale & slick. We met early, to warm up & practice for an hour or more, change into our outfits for our 'end of the wedding' theme, practice again for 30 mins in the warm-up room, then stay quiet for a few minutes as we were led through the labrynthine Convention Centre, to wait backstage for our call. And I think it's true to say that most of us were able to embrace our nerves & perform well.

Afterwards, relief & elation again. We met in an outdoor bar across the street, where, nerves over, we entertained ourselves & passers by with popular songs from our repertoire, whether they wanted to hear them or not! I'm sure we feature in the instagram posts of several tourists & there was a lot of laughter. Great fun.

We had plenty of nice compliments during the day, & more elation when the results were announced that evening. So, from an extremely tentative beginning a short time ago, I seem to be a 'champion' singer of sorts, & that has immediately given me the injection of confidence for my future singing- exactly what I needed. My family is going to have to tolerate hearing our repertoire on repeat, whether THEY want it or not!

I & others have already booked for next year's convention. See you there!?'
 

THOMAS HEGARTY

Being a member of the Telfordaires, or any chorus, group, or band, has a tendency to create a bond; people working towards a common goal, lifting each other high, and putting 110% into the work we do. At the Telfordaires I can safely say we are a band of brothers, a community of people that strive for the best of each other.

Going into a convention like SING you’re adding more bodies to the pool, and sometimes this can dilute these aspects that bring us together as a chorus; but it didn’t. What I was able to experience at BABS’ convention was a melting pot of people coming together, singing, laughing, and lifting each other up. The community that BABS has bred from this convention is astounding. All weekend everyone approached each other and did what they love to do; if you didn’t know a song it was taught with patience, if you couldn’t get a part correct someone was there to guide you, and all in all, this community holds one another high.

As for the competition portion, everyone from all groups just got up and enjoyed themselves and put on a spectacular show with each group of contestants. I am extremely proud of all my brothers here in the Telfordaires; we worked together like a unit and instilled the aspects I mentioned earlier from touchdown in Harrogate to takeoff on the way home. From my experience from joining the Telfordaires until now, I’m thankful to everyone who encourages me to keep going and make a wonderful sound together.

One thing that stuck with me was when CottonTown came onto the stage, and did a beautiful memorial for the people they, and the BABS community, had lost. It was a beautiful homage to these people and what their contributions stood for in the British Barbershop community; and that’s when I knew that I had found a community I can be proud of. The future's looking bright for us, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do next year in Bournemouth

A huge thanks to them for sharing it with us and it was a blast to have them on board. Heres to many,many more .

The Telfordaires are very excited to announce the appointment (and return) of our new Musical Director; Mr Dale Kynaston. 

Dale has a long history of singing in the Barbershop style, having originally started singing with Telford in 1984. In 1992 he took the helm to lead the chorus to several UK Conventions, including a sixth place in 2012 with 52 singers. 

In quartet, he has performed at International Convention in America and has several performance medals, including UK gold in 1990, 2003 and 2006 

He has played a major part on the faculty of The British Association of Barbershop Singers for several years and in May 2013, was inducted into the BABS Hall of fame for his services to the hobby. 

We are lucky we are to have him back and are looking forward to harnessing the immense talent and experience that he will bring to us.

I was asked to write something regarding my first Barber Shop Conference at Harrogate but before I begin, I have to state what preceded the conference - essentially: hardwork! Weeks and weeks - and then some - of practising our two songs When I Fall in Love, and Old Me Better.

We have worked on all aspects of the songs communicating the emotion, their light and shade, as well as noting the emphasis on certain words. Our movement (‘Dad Dancing!’) was another important aspect, minimising movement so it didn’t impede but rather enhanced performance. Our clothing was then considered - deciding on the shade of brown shoes we were to wear, and finally we looked to wrestling with the adrenalin of performance (that was a big beast!). What a journey! And that’s not to mention the actual journey - the 3 ½ hours to get to Harrogate; Simon Todd: thank you for the lifts and I’m sorry if I scarred you with my long chats! (Editor’s note: you really didn’t, Garry - you made the trip a lot more bearable! Todd).

So, onto the actual day: After the long journey, I registered at the front desk, making sure to prove I didn’t have the dreaded Covid 19, helping to keep all participants, and spectators, safe. Then I received my lanyard and conference badge; at this point I knew I was a conference virgin, pinning my measly single badge to my lanyard, in stark contrast to many attendees who seemed to be weighed down with the thousands of badges they had acquired over the years! But what was nice was that we were made to feel no less welcome! This was the first post-Covid conference and I was aware that it was a big landmark moment for everyone attending.

The conference itself consisted of a range of barbershop performances over the three days (though I only attended 1 ½ days). It was a delight! I listened to an array of quartets on the Friday - what a joy! I gained new insights into barbershop and was able to add to my growing bank of barbershop vocabulary - ‘mic warmers’ and ‘mic coolers’, to name but a few. The ‘mic warmers’, even though not in the competition, gave a great performance of two songs, and I suddenly realised the high bar of performance - one that I was about to try and meet! The MC encouraged equal ovations for all participants, and the audience kindly obliged. The quality of singers was diverse, however each had very similar levels of enthusiasm and passion. There were old and contemporary styles of barbershop; an array of ages; some with great movement and some with too much movement (for me!); there was even a parody of The Adams family! My admiration went to groups who sang songs completely new to me, yet their performance engaged me to even liking the songs on a first listen. My sympathy went to the judges who listened all day to this range of voices, with fairness and equity.

The time for the chorus competition soon came: there were 4 levels to the risers and the choruses ranged from 12 to… a veritable army of what looked like 60 plus singers! Our 11am slot crept up on us on the Saturday morning and it was great fun performing to the crowd (and judges of course)! We sang our 2 competition numbers, but it was so, so quick. Perhaps what almost eclipsed it for me was our 3pm casual performance in a little corner of the convention centre where we sang 4 numbers; two things stood out for me: there was a security guard really enjoying us singing (whilst still looking authoritative!), and a seasoned barbershopper passed by and clearly stopped en route to listen to us! OK, and a third: a lady who heard us sing our little set, including “Dance with my father” had to leave as it was quite emotional for her! She came back and said it was lovely - I know what she meant: It’s got great emotional hooks that just occasionally pull at me too!

All in all it was a fantastic experience: I saw a range of barbershop choruses steeped in experience; I learnt a lot about ‘owning’ the stage and having an original style; I also learnt other performance-related tips around choreography and syncopation; and last but by no means least, I got to know my fellow Telfordaires chorus members better! 

So my first Sing Barbershop Conference 2022 came to a close. We came. We saw, and we sang. Can’t ask for more than that can we….? Well, maybe we'll get to conquer in the future!

Garry

It was a sunny morning on Saturday 20^th March as we gathered in the car park at Clayton Hall Academy in Newcastle under Lyme to take part in their annual Music & Drama Festival.

A chilly wind greeted us but spirts were high in anticipation of the competition to come.

There were to be four entrants in our category, which was more than the last time we sang there. The rehearsal went well - we all agreed that we were in fine voice as we took our places in the main hall. We were slightly disappointed however that two of the entrants had pulled out, leaving a chorus from Stafford Grammar School and ourselves, but we were there for the experience, not the prizes (but quietly pleased that the worse we could do was second place!).

We were first to sing; our practised walk-on was good, and we started with ‘When I fall in love’.

From my position at one end of the stack, it sounded as good as in the rehearsal room, which is not always the case! Our audience, which consisted mainly of the Stafford Grammar School Chorus, was appreciative. Our second song was ‘Old me better’ and this went down very well; I saw a number of the audience smiling, obviously enjoying the humour.

When finished, we sat down to be the audience for the Stafford Grammar School; they sounded good, although they sang from copies of the music and had a piano accompaniment and we thought that that might be reflected in their judges’ score.

After both acts had sung, the judge stood up and gave her feedback; she had enjoyed both choruses but, predictably, commented on the Stafford Grammar School’s use of copies and piano accompaniment. She went on to reveal that there was one point separating both groups! And the winner was…..us! We had won a cheque for £120 and a huge shield trophy!

In celebratory mood, we then drove to Newcastle Ironmarket for our ‘sing out’, singing four songs including the first public performance of ‘Dance with my Father’ which went relatively well, considering. The sun shone, the shoppers enjoyed and the bucket was fed.

Finally we dispersed, some to find food others to rush home for the football but all having had an enjoyable morning.

Phil H

(I have been a member since 2020, so I am, you could say, a newbie!)
 

So, two years (or so) may appear a while but since I’ve become a member we’ve been under the long shadow of Covid 19: social distancing, singing in masks (still doing so!), singing with ventilation (for me this meant the greatest challenge: singing in the cold, despite wearing several layers and being somewhat cuddly!), and of course, online rehearsals!

Try singing together in harmony on Zoom with even the slightest delay - it’s just not possible! However, like everyone else these past couple of years, we adapted, finding new and creative ways to learn songs. Turn-taking and singing along while on mute worked surprisingly well, and I was amazed that I could learn new songs this way! We even managed to create harmonised pieces by editing individual voice recordings together, culminating in a collaboration with local female harmony group ‘Severn Harmony’ to produce a surprisingly good rendition of The Parting Glass!

And now, as we are back to live singing, those days seem a long way behind us. We a are back on the ‘risers’ and it’s finally warmer during rehearsals (yes!) as we shut the doors, but we are still having to think about safety and reducing risk by monitoring C02 levels and wearing masks still. However, fewer restrictions have meant that long-dormant musical plans can now begin to bud and flourish; a hint to spring. For me, they are buds of excitement: Bud One has seen my involvement in acquiring new shirts for the Telfordaires and developing the wardrobe; Bud Two has brought with it new additions to our repertoire, including Luther Vandross’s Dance with my Father. For me this is a special, emotional contemporary song articulating loss and fatherhood. The melody is engaging, especially in the barbershop style. It’s likely to be a surprise to our audiences. In a word, it’s fab!

More and yet more buds are still to come as we ready some exciting songs for more sing outs locally, and for a Barbershop Convention in Harrogate (where we are competing on April 30^th). Two beautiful yet contrasting songs I’m excited to perform are When I Fall in Love and Keb Mo’s Old Me Better. The former is a song of great emotion and harmony and the latter can only be described as a subtle contrast to the former (you’ve got to hear it!). I love Keb Mo: an American great of blues music!

We are currently practising these songs with a vengeance so that they will be diamonds for convention, and future sing outs. The work is demonstrating some key elements for me: how beautiful and dynamic Barbershop is, and how much hard work is put in to arrive at the point of being ready (we are not there yet!). The work on melody and musical performance is stretching us: we practise the songs at home, then rehearse and refine the songs when we are together. As our MD (Musical DIRECTOR) Liz says (at times!) to encourage us, “If you want to feel good about yourselves, now is the time.” So, we’re getting there…
And there are yet more exciting buds still to.... bud (Queen’s Don't Stop Me Now, to name one!). Oh yes, things are looking good with the Telfordaires!
 
Garry (Lead section minion)
 

After a short break over the Christmas period, we quickly got back into the swing of things to sing those January Blues away, and it was straight to work preparing a number of songs for an upcoming Barbershop Convention. ‘Old Me Better’ got a polish this month, as did ‘When I Fall in Love’. For us newbies, we were also tasked with wrapping our vocal chords around ‘Dance the Night Away’ for the first time – a tricky task for me as I found that the baritone line to be quite different from the melody etched into my mind by The Mavericks in the 1990s!

Later on in the month, we learnt of the Wrekin Rowers’ valiant efforts in rowing across the Atlantic, and their unfortunate run-in with a marlin fish which almost punctured their chances of completing their charity challenge! We decided to show our support the only way we knew how: by recording a sea-shanty to send over to will the boys on…  

It seemed to do the job, as the local lads completed their journey, raising just under £105,000 for Seven Hospice and RNIB!

Speaking of Severn Hospice, The Telfordaires are also supporting this fabulous local organisation this year, collecting donations for them at various ‘sing-outs’. It was great to welcome Matthew – Area Fundraiser at Severn Hospice – to rehearsal this month, to hear how the money raised for the hospice was spent.

Early February brought with it a new song does its to learn – ‘Dance with my Father’ – a melodic ballad that really pulls at the heart strings (it usually brings a tear to my eye when I practise in the car on my way home from work!). We’ll be back soon to update you on the song’s progress!

We’ve had 3 brilliant 'sing outs' (barbershop-speak for community performances) over the summer what a pleasure it’s been performing again in person!

The ‘Sounds in the Square’ event returned to Wellington and we were delighted to be asked along to add some harmony (including some never-before-performed-live (by us at least) material!) to Wellington town centre. Smiles were dutifully put onto faces and over £60 was dutifully put into the charity bucket to raise money for Severn Hospice.

Next up was the Shrewsbury Food Festival. We went from beer tent to bandstand and received much warm applause for our performances. We even brought a former barbershopper out of retirement when he came up to perform ‘Heart of my Heart’ with us.

Finally, our very own John Ellis welcomed us to The Crown in Oakengates for yet another fantastic ‘Dog-day afternoon’. Punters were entertained in the name of this brilliant fund-raising event that raised money for the Royal British Legion. There wasn’t an empty charity bucket in the place by the time we’d sang our final note (although there were many empty pint glasses)!

From Oakengates to Las Vegas with Telfordaires' tenor, Woollster. 

Q: What's your role in the Telfordaires? 
Andy: I am currently Tenor Section leader and also Membership Secretary.

Q: When you’re not singing with the Telfordaires, what other music-making are you involved in?
Andy: I sing with John Ellis (one of our basses) and a few friends in a House Band called "Accidentally Acoustic".  And also with some friends in a three piece: "Skins, Wires and Combs", performing at Open Mic nights at The Crown, Oakengates. 

Q: What three records would you take to your desert island?
Andy: Difficult task that!  I think I would take ELO's Greatest Hits, Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells and Ultravox Greatest Hits. lol

Q: What else do you like to do to relax?
Andy:  I enjoy watching and playing football, watching Ice Hockey, I love gardening, walking and birdwatching.

Q: It’s your birthday dinner - what’s on the menu?  
Andy: Chinese buffet or take away meal 

Q: If your house was on fire, what one item/ object would you run in to save?
Andy: My Fender Catalina Guitar 

Q: Many barbershoppers are self-taught musicians - are you?
Andy:  I'm not, as I had guitar lessons at school and music lessons with a tutor. 

Q: When did you first get into barbershop? 
Andy: I attended a Learn to Sing course with The Telfordaires, originally just to give my Dad some moral support but was immediately hooked! I had my audition after the course and the rest, they say, is history!

Q: What’s been your most memorable barbershop experience or performance? 
Andy: With The Telfordaires it has to be our Old Man Sketch (at the BABs annual convention) - that was such good fun!  With the Cottontown Chorus it would have to be singing in Las Vegas at International Convention and my first gold medal.

Q: Which barbershop singer, quartet or chorus do you most admire? Who has influenced you most? 
Andy: I would have to say "Reckless Quartet",  as all the lads have given me so much encouragement since I have started singing chorus and quartet, especially Dale and the two Andys - Fun and Foz.

Q: And finally, what do you love most about the Telfordaires?
Andy: I think it would have to be the camaraderie we have within the chorus and that I have made some very good friends there and also been fortunate to sing with some great musical directors. 

Phil Smith marks 10 years with the Telfordaires on 1st April 2021.  As he’s nobody’s fool (!) we decided to ask him to sit in our Hot Seat, proudly sporting his Long Service Award Pin. Since 2011 Phil has served eight years as club treasurer and five years as Tenor section leader.  We asked him a few questions....

Q: When you’re not singing with the Telfordaires, what do you like to do to relax?

Phil: I enjoy Formula 1 and also watching any team game in which our national team are playing.

Q: What non-barbershop music do you love?

Phil: On occasion I sing in my church choir, but other than that, I don't really listen to other music. 

Q: It’s your birthday dinner - what’s on the menu?  

Phil:  Steak and peppercorn sauce. 

Q: If your house was on fire, what one item/ object would you run in to save?

Phil:  My phone, it has all my insurance details on it.

Q: Many barbershoppers are self taught musicians - are you?

Phil: I started singing in junior school choir and have been in choirs all my life. I guess I've had many directors who have coached me over 50 years

Q: When did you first get into barbershop?

Phil: I first sang Barbershop with Stockport in the 1990's but only for three weeks as I could not committ the time due to having a young family. I joined the Telfordaires in April 2011, following an invitation from Walter Marston.

Q: What is so special about the barbershop community?

Phil: Everyone is an equal. No matter what your background is like, if you can sing, we want to sing harmony with you.

Q: What’s been your most memorable barbershop experience or performance? 

Phil: Winning a Silver Medal with my former quartet 'Wrekin Havoc' at the Irish Association of Barbershop Singers Convention in 2017.

Q: Which barbershop singer, quartet or chorus do you most admire? Who has influenced you most?

Phil: That would be my first director at Telfordaires, Dale Kynaston. His ability to direct the chorus and have us understand what he wants from the risers was inspiring. 

Q: And finally, what do you love most about the Telfordaires?

Phil: The camaraderie we share at rehearsals and wherever we go for a sing out. I have made so many new friends that I could not count them all.

The world of barbershop is saying a very sad goodbye to former Telfordaire, Ron Braid, who sadly passed away on Monday 22nd March aged 73. 

Former Telfordaire MD Dale Kynaston recalls:

“Ron was.... a Barbershop nut! He attended every event going, including several international conventions in the States. I had the privilege to have known Ron since 1984, when he was singing with... the Telfordaires. Ron went on to hold several committee positions including Chairman for over 10 years and I had the honour of being the Musical Director of the chorus at the time. I also had great joy in being able to sing in a quartet with Ron called “Rapport”, with Wal Marsden and Noel Whinyates. We became well know for our light hearted and comedic performances, made all the stronger by Ron’s infectious charisma as our front man. Ron was known by many in the hobby for his humour and joyous nature."

Brian Forster (Telfordaire Lead) added: 

“When I joined the chorus 25 years ago,  Ron was already a long established member and was always most welcoming and helpful to everyone.  He was instrumental in much of the choreography and comedy routines that the Telfordaires were well known for. He left the chorus around 2010 to join Grand  Central chorus (Nottingham) with whom he sang for many years, while retaining his membership and close contact with us.   He rarely missed a Convention where he always made a point of joining us for a sing in the bar. He will be sadly missed by the Barbershop community in general.”

And a few words from Andy Woolley (Telfordaire Tenor Section lead and Membership Secretary);

“Ron was a fellow tenor and a bloody good one too. Always encouraging and complimentary of my performances in quartet.  RIP, Ron, you will be missed”

From a Parting Glass - current Telfordaire repertoire: 

So fill to me the parting glass
And drink a health whate'er befalls
Then gently rise and softly call
Good night and joy be to you all

"It's the music that brings us together, but it’s the friendships that make us stay”

What makes a fabulous party? 

Well, friends old and new, of course, and some great music. And, some would say, plenty of beer!  

Well, two out of three ain’t bad!  On Wednesday 17th March, the Telfordaires were proud to host our second Polecat Party. Our normal ranks were swelled by THREE TIMES as we welcomed barbershop chorus members from Aberdeen to Plymouth, with attendance peaking at 62. 

MD Liz got us in the mood with a classic warm up routine mixing physical and vocal gymnastics and then, thanks to the magic of Zoom, we were allocated to breakout rooms to sing along in small groups to a range of familiar Polecat favourites including “Heart of my Heart”, “Down our Way”, “My Wild Irish Rose” and what is fast becoming a lockdown favourite, “It’s the Music that Brings us Together”. 

We were also set a fun task: change song titles by one word and see what "damage" we can cause.  For example in our group “Let me call you Sweetheart” became “Let me call you... a cab”.   :-)

And of course there was plenty of banter and chat as we shared stories about how different choruses have been adapting during lock down and our emerging plans for a return to the risers. 

Many thanks as always to our MD Liz Garnet for hosting the session and to representatives from the following chorus for joining in the fun with the Telfordaires:

• Vale Harmony, Pershore
• Granite City, Aberdeen
• Ocean City, Plymouth
• Ouse Valley, Huntington
• Heart of England, Leicester
• Rolling Hills, Edinburgh
• Cottontown Chorus, Bolton

Who knows, maybe such virtual meets might become a regular feature in the future? 

Telfordaires Secretary and past Chair, Derek Harris came late to singing and barbershop.  In the latest in our occasional series putting members of the Telfordaires in the Hot Seat, “Dek” tells us about "Bonnie" the dog and singing in Las Vegas.  

(Archive photo)
 

Q: When you’re not singing with the Telfordaires, what do you like to do to relax? 

Derek: Walk our dog, Bonnie! Play golf. Cryptic crosswords and other puzzles.

Q: What non-barbershop music do you love? 

Derek: Songs from many musicals and northern soul (harking back to my youth!)

Q: It’s your birthday dinner - what’s on the menu? 

Derek: I love food so it could be anything from rib-eye steak, through pork belly to sea bass!

Q: If your house was on fire, what one item/ object would you run in to save?

Derek: My birthday wristwatches!

Q: Many barbershoppers are self taught musicians - are you? 

Derek: Yes! I knew nothing about music, especially sheet music, until I joined The Telfordaires!

Q: What part do you sing? 

Derek: Baritone

Q: When did you first get into barbershop? 

Derek: August 2010. I went to a "Free 6 Weeks - Learn to Sing" course hosted by the Telfordaires

Q: What is so special about the barbershop community? 

Derek: It's really warm, welcoming and accepting.

Q: What’s been your most memorable barbershop experience or performance? 

Derek: I've been fortunate to sing with both the Telfordaires and the Cottontown Chorus in Bolton over the last few years and competed in the International Contest with Cottontown in Las Vegas - twice! The MGM Grand stage was awesome!

Q: Which barbershop singer, quartet or chorus do you most admire? Who have influenced you most? 

Derek: I have to say that during my first few weeks at Telford, my biggest influence came from Dale Kynaston, the MD at that time. He was encouraging and helpful and inspired me to improve in every way I could!

Q: In an ideal, post COVID world, where would you like to perform one day?

Derek: Royal Albert Hall would be nice!

Q: And finally, what do you love most about the Telfordaires? 

Derek: The cameraderie is wonderful!

 

As part of “Musical Director Appreciation Week”, we thought we’d ask our MD,  Dr Liz Garnett, a few questions. 

Q: When you’re not singing, coaching or arranging, what do you like to do to relax?

Liz: I like to cook - I'll read a bunch of different recipes, then put them all aside and go play in the kitchen. The results are always nutritious and usually edible.

Q: What non-barbershop music do you love?

Liz: I feel like I became a musician (as opposed to just someone who happened to be learning the piano) when I discovered Debussy, and Stravinky's Rite of Spring remains endlessly fascinating.

Q: You have an impressive range of footwear - where does that come from?

Liz: I like to quip that it's to distract people from looking at my face. 

Q: Many barbershoppers are self taught musicians - are you?

Liz: No, quite the opposite in my case. One of the adventures in discovering barbershop soon after completing my PhD in Music was finding out just which bits of that training would be relevant to this new (to me) musical world, and which bits I'd need to learn all over from scratch!

Q: So when did you first get into barbershop?

In 1996. I went with my partner, Jonathan, to the BABS Convention when he had joined a chorus, and have not yet come up for air.

Q: What is so special about the barbershop community?

Liz: It's like a kind of parallel universe. There are people you see only a couple of times a year, but each time you see them you just pick up where you left off. And it's a universe in which the cool kids and nerds really like each other.

Q: Which barbershop singer, quartet or chorus do you most admire? Who have influenced you most?

Liz: At a personal level, special mentions to Tom Gentry for his support early on in my barbershop career, and the late Roger Payne for pushing me to put myself out there as an arranger at a time when I had almost given up through discouragement. At a more global level I'd say the architects of modern barbershop are the triumverate of Jim Clancy, David Wright and Cindy Hansen. A lot of the innovations we see these days would not have been possible without their work to pave the way.

Q: As well as singer and MD you have also acted as judge in music competitions.  What makes a really great performance? 

Liz: Sometimes a group simply outperforms themselves: something in their relationship with their music, with their skillset, with each other, and with the occasion lights them up and sets their performance on fire. 

Q: You’re known internationally as a vocal arranger - what have been your most popular arrangements?

Liz: Over the years, my most widely sung chart has been Happy Together, which was published by the Barbershop Harmony Society in 2005. My current biggest seller is Mr Blue Sky, originally commissioned by the Telfordaires. I mostly work by commission, so I never really know what's coming up, and I rather like that element of surprise.

Q: You also offer vocal coaching to groups and individuals.  Do you enjoy teaching? 

Liz: It is immensely satisfying to help people become more confident and skilled at doing something they love. And instructive - I learn so much from the people I work with.

Q: You have put enormous effort into sustaining Telfordaires rehearsals through an extended period when, because of COVID, we haven’t been able to meet on the risers.  What have been the biggest challenges? And what the biggest successes? 

Liz: Reimagining the rehearsal process when the technology prevents simultaneous singing as a group has been the fundamental challenge: how do we still connect with each other musically? 

Overall, the biggest success is the way the club has pulled together to make this work. The Music Team has been awesome - there's been a lot of extra work behind the scenes, made harder by having to do it all remotely - but the whole club has been great at taking initiative and making things happen. At an artistic level, my heart glows when despite it all we can still celebrate moments of beauty, of artistry, of increased technical control, of individual expressiveness. In a bleak year, we can still create genuine musical experiences for each other.

Q: And finally, what do you love most about the Telfordaires?

Liz: The chorus culture. So friendly and supportive and always willing to laugh. I love that we can all care deeply about making the music as good as we can without having to take ourselves too seriously.

If you’d like to find out more about Liz and her work as a professional coach and arranger, and to read her regularly updated blog,  then do visit her website www.helpingyouharmonise.com

Liz has been studying the reports on "How we can get sing together" for some time, following the advice on aerosol production and how we can keep safe.

Singing together in the same space has not happened since March.

Today we had the first tryout of a new model of rehearsing. The chorus was queried for their availability for a weekend rehearsal, and lots were draw. Actual inclusion was by invitation.

We met in the garden of The Elephant & Castle, which is run by John, one of our new members. Plastic plates marked the points in the stack, each one socially distanced from each member's neighbouring singers. You can see how far we were from each other in the photos.

Our singers (and indeed conductor, Liz) were masked up to limit the production of aerosols.

We warmed up. In many ways it was like exercises we'd done before to encourage us to "listen louder". We sang, and could see Liz's eyes light up as we had real chords, and overtones being formed. We started with "Heart of my Heart" as most of us knew it well. Then a break after 20 minutes to allow the wind to change the air in the vicinity. Then we sung the song we've been learning in lockdown - and it worked. There were a few times where "brains were dropped on the floor", but they were picked up, our learning was advanced and we moved on. The mark 2 version was better.

The same pattern followed with "Old me better", and "My Girl" - 20 minutes of singing, followed by a 5 minute break. We worked on parts of the songs that warranted the extra attention, before finishing on our new song.

(At this point - I'm not going to announce "our new song", as it'd be a spoiler for a future post :))

So after about an hour our first "together" rehearsal finished, and I believe we were all thrilled to be back singing together. We're not back to normal. It's still not the same as the Wednesday evening rehearsals at Old Hall School, but it was great. It was even interrupted by a proper downpour, but it didn't stop us.

The other half of the Telfordaires team get to do it next week. I hope they have as much fun as we did, and better weather.