HEX. Are You Going to Harrogate with Central Standard Chorus? HARMONY EXPRESS MARCH ISSUE 336

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1 HEX MARCH ISSUE 336 The official publication of The British Association of Barbershop Singers HARMONY EXPRESS Are You Going to Harrogate with Central Standard Chorus?

2 Page 2 Harmony Express March 2018 HARMONY EXPRESS Published by the Marketing Department of the British Association of Barbershop Singers. All rights reserved. c Copyright Editorial Please send all articles and photographs to: harmonyexpress@singbarbershop.com Moving House? Change of ? membershipsecretary@singbarbershop.com The editor reserves the right to edit any material in the interest of clarity, accuracy or suitability to fit the space available, and the decision of the editor as to the publication of any material is final. Advertising in Harmony Express See costs on the Harmony Express page of the BABS web site or contact: harmonyexpress@singbarbershop.com Diary Dates th March BABS Board & Charity Trustees Meeting Coventry 18th March BABS AGM Coventry 5th - 8th April Spanish Barbershop Convention Benalmadena 11th - 13th May Sweet Adelines Region 31 Convention Gateshead 13th May Barbershop in Harmony Mixed Quartet Contest Gateshead 25th - 28th May BABS 44th Annual Convention Harrogate 8th June Guild of Judges Exec Meeting 23rd - 24th June BABS Board & Charity Trustees Meeting Coventry 1st - 8th July BHS International Convention Orlando 22nd - 29th July BHS Harmony University Nashville 28th - 29th July BABS Board & Charity Trustees Meeting Coventry 24th - 26th August BABS 40th Harmony College Nottingham 15th September BABS Board & Charity Trustees Meeting Coventry 16th September BABS Autumn Members Meeting Coventry 26th - 28th October LABBS Convention Harrogate 10th - 11th November BABS Quartet Prelims Manchester 24th November BABS Board & Charity Trustees Meeting Coventry nd - 27th January BHS Mid-Winter Convention Nashville 16th - 17th February Guild of Judges Seminar Walsall 24th - 27th May BABS 45th Annual Convention Bournemouth 30th June - 7th July BHS International Convention Salt Lake City th - 27th May BABS 46th Annual Convention Harrogate 28th June - 5th July BHS International Convention Los Angeles Next Issue: May Copy Date: 15 April Saturday 24th March - Walsall Town Hall Celebration Show and Afterglow Come and Join Us! Tickets 13 - Book now:

3 British Association of Barbershop Singers Page 3 Two Important Jobs Have You Got the Time and Skills?... or know someone that has! Administration Director DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 30TH JUNE 2018 The current Administration Director has indicated that he will not be seeking re-election for the year starting1st January 2019, and therefore the Board of Directors is seeking nominations from BABS' members interested in taking on this role. The Administration Director is responsible for the legal and administrative duties of the Association, mainly carried out by a team including officers such as the Company Secretary, Social Media Manager and quartet registrar. The Administration Director will also be expected to drive forward special projects, for example developments in communication techniques or improvements to the membership database. The successful candidate will be highly organised, driven, and passionate about making a difference to their Association. The position is voluntary and does not carry a salary or honorarium. Vice-Chairman DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 30TH JUNE 2018 The tenure of the current Vice-Chairman Martin Baglow comes to an end on 31st December 2018, therefore leaving a vacancy for a Vice-Chairman from this date. The role is very important as it is normal after two years in that position to progress to become the Chairman of BABS. Candidates interested in the role should have a good knowledge and understanding of the Association, ideally gained over a number of years as a member, and an officer at club level. Previous involvement in the Association at a senior level would be useful but not essential. The position is voluntary and does not carry a salary or honorarium. Candidates for the Administration Directors and Vice-Chairman will have to satisfy the requirements of being a company director and trustee, and references will be required. MORE INFORMATION For more details about these three vacancies or to register an interest, please contact: Ashley Baker BABS Administration Director administrationdirector@singbarbershop.com Tel: Correspondence will be treated in the strictest confidence.

4 Page 4 The British Association of Barbershop Singers Executive Directors & Charity Trustees Chairman Peter Cookson T: E: chairman@singbarbershop.com Vice Chairman Martin Baglow T: E: vicechairman@singbarbershop.com Finance Director Pippa Goodall T: E: financedirector@singbarbershop.com Marketing Director Laurie Whittle T: M: E: marketingdirector@singbarbershop.com Administration Director Ashley Baker T: E: administrationdirector@singbarbershop.com Music Services Director Alan Hughes T: E: musicservicesdirector@singbarbershop.com Membership Services Director Colin Roper T: M: E: membershipdirector@singbarbershop.com Special Events Director Derek Parmenter T: E: specialeventsdirector@singbarbershop.com The British Association of Barbershop Singers A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales. Registered Office: 6 Corunna Court, Corunna Road, Warwick, United Kingdom CV34 5HQ Registered Company No: Registered Charity Ref No: The British Association of Barbershop Singers is affiliated to the Barbershop Harmony Society in America. Members of Making Music and the Association of British Choral Directors in the UK. The Chairman Signs In Why be a Member of BABS? A question the Board is asked from time to time. The simple answer is it s the same as joining any organisation - you gain access to the collaborative efforts of others who share the same interests. The Board continually asks itself the same question, because we must ensure the Association is providing services which Clubs want. So what is currently available? Convention: Around 2500 people attend Convention. It is a wonderful opportunity for members (and their partners) to meet and share their hobby, whether they compete or not. Contests: Some 1200 members from 60% of Clubs compete each year. The chorus competition includes divisional awards to encourage choruses of all standards to take part and reward them for improvement. Harmony College: A stated objective for BABS, as a registered charity, is education in the barbershop style. We bring in top quality educators to offer a range of streams including chorus singing, quartet singing, chorus directing and personal development. There are discounted rates for members. Directors Academy: for developing and educating front line directors as these individuals can profoundly influence the success of a Club. Every Club s MD is entitled to a free place. Quartet Exploration Days: not only for those who want to try quartetting for the first time but for the experienced quartets as well. Regional Events: encouraging and supporting Clubs to get together for fun and networking in a non-competitive environment Supporting Learn to Sing: providing financial support, music, guides, publicity and marketing support for the running of recruitment courses to boost Club growth. Educational Grants: members can apply for financial support from BABS Harmony Foundation to take part in and run barbershop events. Help with Sourcing Music: help sourcing barbershop arrangements and obtaining copyright approval. Membership of the BHS: which gives 25% discount on all their products including sheet music, educational events and access to their online publications. Membership of Making Music: which provides a range of services ranging from public liability and asset insurance to education on different aspects of running clubs. Harmony Express March 2018 Peter Cookson BABS Chairman Membership of ABCD: which is devoted to supporting those leading choral music, both professional and amateur and can be a useful source for recruiting MDs as well as training courses at member rates. Not having access to these services may not immediately impact on a Club if it chose not to be part of BABS, but one day it may matter. By being a member of BABS, a Club can offer all these benefits to existing members and they help attract new members. BABS can reasonably claim it provides more for its members than any other amateur music organisation in the UK. BABS wouldn t exist if it didn t have the support and subscriptions from a significant number of Clubs (and a lot of help from a host of dedicated volunteers). To be a member of BABS costs 89p a week. The aggregated contributions enable us to provide all the above services. In addition, a substantial proportion of subscriptions allows BABS to claim around 20,000 in Gift Aid each year which is used to promote barbershop through Harmony Foundation grants. For 89p a week I would hope that what BABS does, makes it a charity worth supporting whether Clubs actively participate or not. Peter Cookson BABS Chairman

5 Meet the 2018 BABS Board of Directors Page 5 CORPORATE MATTERS Back Row: Martin Baglow, Laurie Whittle, Ashley Baker and Derek Parmenter Front Row: Pippa Goodall, Alan Hughes, Peter Cookson and Colin Roper. The Board of Directors and Charity Trustees were elected at the Autumn Members Meeting last September. The full list of directors and their contact details can be found on the opposite page. They are all volunteers and receive no remuneration for their post on the Board. As well as spending a substantial amount of time managing their respective areas of responsibility, the Board formally meets with a schedule of near bi-monthly meetings. During 2017 they met on 11 separate days, including two formal Company Members Meetings (the AGM and the Autumn Members Meeting) and a further 11 days at BABS hosted events. New! BABS University Workshop Initiative As an extension to the Young People in Harmony Programme, BABS are pursuing a new line of outreach - Universities! Pippa Goodall is organising this new and exciting University Workshop Initiative, aimed at university students and young people alike. The idea is to organise, over a number of years, a workshop at every UK university. YOUNG PEOPLE IN HARMONY Each workshop will be 3 hours long, and will educate the attendees about the Barbershop style by getting them singing! A shortened version of If I Didn t Have You (arr. Tom Gentry) will be used to demonstrate how easy it is to sing in the Barbershop style. There is also a video on the BABS YouTube channel available to share, and a free detailed how-to guide on setting up and running a chorus or Barbershop society. The workshops will be taken by Pippa and a team of Youth Regional Coordinators, and the first workshops will be happening later this year. More information on this exciting new project can be found on the BABS website: View the video for yourself at

6 Page 6 Harmony Express March 2018 MEMBERSHIP MATTERS To Membership Secretaries At the time of writing we're well into the season for clubs to register all their members and pay BABS subs, so it's timely for me to ask everyone to spare a thought for the fella who makes this process work twice a year, that's Stuart Lines, our Membership Secretary. A number of important things stem from this exercise including providing BABS with the cash flow to finance bigspending projects like Harmony College, Convention and Directors Academy. often many months in advance. Likewise, maintaining the accuracy of the members database is essential to communication within BABS and allows us to analyse and monitor what we do to ensure we meet our members needs. Please do try then to make sure your club is among the majority of who don't delay subs payment or give insufficient attention to matching the number of declared members to the payment made or for no good reason refuse to use the paperwork that Stuart sends you for completion, all of which have happened this time and unnecessarily and unfairly give Stuart more work to do. And please do bear in mind that your clubs and members are not insured via BABS, if your particular process is not completed by the end of January and July respectively and that individuals not registered with BABS in the interim are not insured. Club Chairmen s Day At the second Chairmen's Day at Directors Academy, 42 of our club chairmen or their stand-ins accepted BABS invitation to attend and enjoyed a lively and interactive day of presentations, discussion and networking on the topics of Obtaining Copyright, Music, Organising Regional Events and using principally Facebook to promote your clubs. We were particularly happy to have Amy Rose, wife of Directors Academy Educator Don Rose, contributing to the discussion on Social Media as her experiences of managing the use of it in promoting the Barbershop Harmony Society in the U.S coupled with her proven simple guidelines and realistic enthusiasm left nobody with any reason to fear putting their club on Facebook. All attendees have received copies of notes or slides for all the presentations from BABS Vice Chair, Martin Baglow, and have hopefully shared the knowledge gained on the day with their club colleagues. If you need to know more then the contact details for those of us involved in the presentations - Peter Cookson, Martin Baglow and myself are shown on page 2 of this issue - and our Social Media Manager, Rob Haywood, is at SMM@singbarbeshop.com Making Music Resources Every BABS club already has an Making Music (MM) contact who receives your insurance documents, this is usually your Secretary, however we are all MM members and can register individually to receive updates and access the wealth of guidance and information available on their web site At Chairmen s Meeting the payment of PRS fees when performing copyright material was raised for which MM have all the answers, even the facility to pay through them. If you're not sure about PRS, take a look. Then click Events and see if one of their free of charge training, information and advice events, held regularly around the UK, might be worth attending. To assess the potential usefulness of these events to BABS clubs I've recently attended one in Reading on 'Helping your club to thrive' and later this month will be at 'Engaging with Young People' in Cardiff, don't you just love your Senior Rail Card! I'll just say at this stage that it was a Saturday well spent in rainy Reading. New Data Protection Legislation GDPR comes into force in May and our Admin Director Ashley Baker is currently finalising BABS position on this and will be providing all the details at our forthcoming AGM. Time to Sing Events Don't forget that in addition to the annual grant, free and subsidised leaflets, Acorn analysis and customised distribution services available from BABS, this year we will also provide free of charge the dots and tracks for 'You'll Never Walk Alone' if this is appropriate to your event. Let me have your applications as soon as possible. Look for the Time to Sing booklet in the Document Centre of the BABS web site Regards Colin Roper BABS Membership Services Director

7 The Telfordaires Appoints New Musical Director Meet our new MD Dr Liz Garnett! In August of 2017, our MD, Andy Funnell (yes, he of Reckless fame!), announced his retirement from The Telfordaires due to his work commitments. We wished him well and thanked him for his 4 years of leadership and guidance; now what do we do?! So began the search for a new MD and social media quickly played its part! Liz applied and was appointed in November to start her new role on Jan 3rd how lucky are we? Dr Liz Garnett is a musicologist, choral clinician and close-harmony arranger. Her research focuses on music and social values, and her publications include two books, The British Barbershopper: A Study in Socio-Musical Values (2005) and Choral Conducting and the Construction of Meaning: Gesture, Voice, Identity (2009). She was Head of Postgraduate Studies at the Birmingham Conservatoire until 2009, since when she has been working internationally as a performance coach with choirs, conductors and vocal ensembles. Liz has been involved in barbershop since She served 13 years as a Music Category Judge, and is now serving as Chorus Director Development Specialist for LABBS. The Sounds of the 60 and 70 s Featuring Motown De Luxe THE CONVENTION PARTY Page 7 Her arrangements are sung by barbershoppers all over the world. We look forward to many years of exciting developments with Liz as our MD - see you all at Convention in Harrogate! Derek Harris Chairman - The Telfordaires If you are looking for a great end to the weekend, then the Convention Party on Sunday evening is the place to be! Motown De Luxe, is a fantastic trio who will entertain you with some magnificent Motown and Soul! The girls in this trio have performed in West End shows such as The Lion King, We Will Rock You and Dancing In The Streets. Their performance will feature all time greats, from favourite Motown artists such as Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Temptations and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. This show is designed to get you on the dance floor and keep you there! Entry to the party is part of your Registration. So don t miss it! The Place to Be! Hall D - Sunday 22.45

8 Page 8 Harmony Express March 2018 MUSIC DIRECTORS ACADEMY BABS 2018 Directors Academy 50 front line directors get in the Swing! Advancing Skills - Developing Leaders Have you noticed that your director has a few new tricks up his sleeve over the last few weeks? Maybe you ve been introduced to droning the fifth, or a new way of using teach tracks? If so, that is probably because your director attended BABS Directors Academy On the weekend of the 27th-28th January 2018, 50 Music Directors descended upon the Jubilee Conference Centre in Nottingham, to learn from one of the very best. Donny Rose, director of Harmony University for the Barbershop Harmony Society, was our guest educator, alongside his wife Amy, who also works for the BHS. Under Donny and Amy s expert tutelage, our Directors covered a wide range of topics, including warm-ups, swing music, rehearsal concepts, directing concepts, learning styles, using coaches, engaging youth in barbershop, and lots more practical directing advice. The directors also took the time to meet in groups divided by region, which was a very useful opportunity for them to seek advice and help from others in their area, and one of the upshots of these sessions were the regional Facebook groups you may have spotted online. On their first visit to a BABS event, Donny and Amy were hugely impressed by the standard and dedication of our directors and the quality of the event. This is another upshot of our ever-growing and strengthening relationship with the Barbershop Harmony Society. The event was fully subsidised by BABS for every Club s Front-Line Director. Alan Hughes BABS Music Services Director

9 Donny Rose Leads the Directors Weekend in Nottingham Page 9

10 Page 10 Barbershoppers Favourite THE VENUE The Harrogate Convention Centre is a purpose built venue, with plenty of room for everyone. The large comfortable auditorium is cool and airy with floor and tiered seating giving good views of the stage. There are ample bars and plenty of food options. The Convention Centre is close to restaurants and shops and there is a wide choice of hotel accommodation from 4- star to friendly B&Bs. Harmony Express March 2018 THE TOWN Harrogate is one of the most beautiful towns in the UK, it is consistently voted as one of the best places in the UK to live. This former Spa town destination has wide leafy avenues, pavement cafes and boutique shops. Characteristic architecture, grand boulevards, immaculately maintained green spaces, A shoppers paradise; independent boutiques nestle alongside High Street names offering something for everyone. There is a world of food on to choose from, with restaurants offering the best choice from around the globe, plus of course, the famous Bettys. Many are within walking distance of the Harrogate Conference Centre. Harrogate is the home to the award-winning Turkish Baths and Health Spa. Restored to its original Edwardian glory, it offers the very latest in spa treatments as well as a traditional Turkish Bath experience - not to be missed. THE AREA Harrogate sits on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales and North Yorkshire Moors. There is much to visit in the area including Bolton Abbey, Fountains Abbey and Harrogate s RHS Garden Harlow Carr. Why not bring the family and consider extending your stay and enjoy the special North Yorkshire atmosphere. Start planning your visit soon! A Friendly and Welcoming Town

11 Page 11 Harrogate - The Place to be in 2018 The Place to be for Singing From Friday through to Monday morning. Whether you re competing, singing tags, quarteting, attending the massed sing or taking part in the afterglows, there ll be plenty of opportunity to sing and ring some chords. The Place to be for Entertainment Three brilliant shows with top quality barbershop acts, plus of course our International guests, Central Standard Chorus from Kansas City. Plus we have our legendary Convention Party on Sunday night with the chance to take a break from barbershop and dance the night away! The Place to be for Enjoyment Convention is more than just contests, there are plenty of events for you to attend. These include masterclasses, workshops, sing a tag, sing with the champs, church service and the massed sing. The Place to be for Competition An exciting prospect, with Quartet contests on Friday and Sunday, the Chorus contest on Saturday and the Mixed Chorus contest on Sunday. There will be over 1200 competitors on stage throughout the weekend. The Place to be for Friendship What makes our Conventions such a success is the interaction of everyone who comes. It s a great time to socialise, eat, drink, meet up with old friends and make new ones too. The Place to be for Exploring Harrogate is one of the most beautiful towns in the UK, with immaculately maintained green spaces. A shoppers paradise with independent boutiques alongside High Street names. The Place to be for a Party The ever popular Convention Party on Sunday night brings you the opportunity to chill out, dance or just take in the live music. This year we will have a Motown theme with all th e popular songs of that era! It s Your Convention - Be There There s something for everyone throughout the weekend. If you re not in the contests, then there are plenty of other activities and fringe events for you to participate in. Super Sunday should not be missed, it is an action packed day full of activities, masterclasses, workshops, a massed sing, contests, entertainment, partying and an afterglow. BABS SING 2018 HARMONISE HARROGATE 44th Annual BABS Convention 25th - 28th May hours of Singing, Participation, Entertainment and Fun! Register Now for Your Place in Harrogate! Visit the BABS Convention Web Site Come and Harmonise in Harrogate

12 Page Harmony Express March 2018 An Unmissable Weekend Over 50 hours of Singing, Socialising, Entertainment & Fun! Conventions are a great time to socialise, meet up with old friends and more importantly make new ones. If you ve not been to convention before, or haven t been for a few years, we can promise you a weekend that will leave you with unforgettable memories. The weekend is packed full of events, contests, shows and afterglows. There s so much to do and so much to enjoy. We ve listed below the timing of some of the key events to help you plan your Convention visit. Outline Timetable (A more detailed version will be posted when finalised) Friday 25th May 0930 BABS Reception Open Warm up for the Weekend (Body & Vocal) Polecat Singing for All Quartet Semi-Final Contest Friday Show - Harmonise Harrogate After Glow with food service Plus Two Harmony College Sessions in the afternoon. Times to be confirmed Saturday 26th May BABS Reception Open Chorus Finals Saturday Show - Standard Entertainment After Glow with food service Plus Two Harmony College Sessions and Sing with the Champs. Times to be confirmed. Sunday 27th May BABS Reception Open Convention - Early Bird Priority Sales Interdenominational Church Service Combined Central Standard Masterclass with Massed Sing Club Chairmens Meeting Mixed Chorus Contest Quartet Finals Sunday Show - Show of Champions Convention Party with Motown De Luxe (Bar Service) After Glow (Bar closes at 01.30) Plus Fringe Events and Workshops. Timings to be confirmed. Monday 28th May On screen viewing of 2018 Medal Winners Tea & Coffee Lounge Vocal Warm-ups, Polecats and Let s Get Together Again Plus Last chance to buy photographs from Event Photos Events and timings subject to change. Come and Harmonise in Harrogate

13 Registration & Shows It s cheaper to Buy in Advance Book Now! Online or by Telephone Venue Cymru, based in Llandudno, have done a superb job for us since 2011, and we have appointed them to act as our booking office for SING2018. They will handle sales and despatch of all registrations and show tickets bought up to the 9th May. After that, the BABS Box Office at Venue Cymru will close. Registrations and show tickets will then be on sale at Convention from the BABS Registration desk, which is open from 9.30 on Friday 25th May Registration Options (Shows not included) Full Weekend: Friday through to Monday. Access to all contests and events. Two-Day: Saturday & Sunday. Access to all contests and events One-Day: Either Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Access to all contests and events on the chosen day Book Now! The Box Office will be open Monday to Friday for telephone orders (Online bookings open 24 hours, 7days a week). All payments will be processed by Venue Cymru. Please provide actual name and chorus/quartet title for each person, this will be used on the Registration Badge. If you use Ditto, then Ditto will appear! Corrections or amendments will be subject to an admin charge. So take care! Bookings for 10 People or Less You can purchase your registrations and show tickets as follows: * On line at * By telephone: (Weekday office hours only) Once payment for your registration and tickets has been made, you will be contacted by the team at Venue Cymru to provide the name details for each attendee along with the club, chorus or quartet name. Bookings for Groups over 10 People For group bookings you can place your order for registrations and show tickets directly with Rachel at Venue Cymru who will be looking after registrations: * By telephone: (Weekday office hours only) * By BABSRegistrations@venuecymru.co.uk You will be sent an electronic form for you to list the delegate names. This should be returned quickly to complete the booking and full payment taken. Please note that only when the form is returned and payment is made, that Registrations and Show Tickets will be reserved. So get your form back as soon as possible. Not Registered? Do it Now! BOUGHT BEFORE 9th MAY Registration Prices 1 Day Registration 2 Day Registration BUYING AT CONVENTION Registration Prices Show Ticket Prices Super Sunday Page 13 Full Registration Adult Under Junior (5-16 yrs) Under 5 s Free Free Free Friday Evening Saturday Evening Sunday Evening Adult Under Junior (5-16 yrs) Show Ticket Prices Friday Evening Saturday Evening Sunday Evening Adult Under Junior (5-16 yrs) Day Registration 2 Day Registration Full Registration Adult Under Junior (5-16 yrs) Under 5 s Free Free Free Everyone attending, or wanting to enter the convention centre, must either register and pay a registration fee or purchase a separate show ticket as appropriate. The purchase of a show ticket gives limited access for a period of 30 minutes prior to and immediately after a show for the selected show only. Access to any other event(s) or activity is not permitted. Registrations up to 9th May 2018 The Box Office will sell these and Show Tickets up to 5.30pm on the 9th May These will be posted direct to you by Venue Cymru. After that Registrations and Show tickets can only be bought at convention. Payments processed by Venue Cymru. Registration at Convention Available for purchase from BABS Registration Desk. Show tickets will also be on sale. Payment at Convention Credit/Debit Card - processed by BABS Cheques - make payable to BABS An Action Packed Day 17 hours full of activities, contests, entertainment, partying and afterglow. Don t Miss It! Harrogate - The Place to be in 2018

14 Networking and Communicating an Important Strategy 42 BABS Clubs Represented in Nottingham Meeting Page 14 Harmony Express March 2018 At the second Chairmen's Day at Directors Academy, 42 of our club chairmen or their stand-ins accepted the invitation to attend and enjoyed a lively and interactive day of presentations, discussion and networking. This meeting is one element of the BABS Board s strategy to improve communication with Clubs and between Clubs. From the reaction on the day, it appears to be working! The timetable for the event ran as follows: 10:00: Welcome and explanation of BABS initiatives 10:30: Organising Regional Events 11:30: Networking by Region 12:15: Sourcing music and copyright 13:00: Lunch 14:00: Engaging Youth in Barbershop 15:00: Social Media 16:00: Closing remarks and wrap up. We were particularly happy to have Amy Rose, wife of Directors Academy Educator Donny Rose, contributing to the discussion on Social Media, as her experiences of managing the use of it in promoting the Barbershop Harmony Society in the America, coupled with her proven simple guidelines and realistic enthusiasm, left nobody with any reason to fear putting their club on Facebook. The session on Youth led by Donny Rose, the Director of Harmony University at BHS, was engaging and thought provoking. This particular session was also attended by your frontline directors, who were attending their two-day Directors Academy event. Andy Vaughan from Ouse Valley, and Harry Ambler from the White Rose Chorus, presented the outcomes of their respective Regional Days, held last year, both of which were successful events and hopefully motivated more clubs to take up running an event in their region. All attendees have received copies of the notes or slides for all the presentations and have hopefully shared the knowledge and experience gained on the day with their club colleagues. It was an informative and enjoyable day, and the BABS Board of Directors sincerely thank the Club Chairmen or their representatives who took time out to attend. CLUB CHAIRMEN MEETING Enhancing Engagement and Communication Peter Cookson (BABS Chairman), Colin Roper (Membership Director) and Martin Baglow (BABS Vice-Chairman) leading the morning session. Club Chairmen and Representatives in session Martin Baglow BABS Vice-Chairman vicechairman@singbarbershop.com Andy Vaughan of Ouse Valley Chorus presenting the outcome of their Regional Day held last September,

15 Page 15 East Kent Chorus win Battle of Hastings Singers from the Ashford based East Kent Chorus won two prizes at the Hastings International Music Festival on Friday 9th March. Five members of the chorus combined with partners and friends to win the A Cappela class as an octet called Wayward Harmonies. This recently formed group have been honing their craft at open mic sessions across the county and were delighted to win the class on the their debut appearance in the competition. The group delighted the judges and audience with their balanced harmony singing of Wonderful World and Take Me Home Country Roads. The big prize of the night (both in terms of prestige and the size of the trophy), the Adult Choir class, was highly competitive with 7 choirs entering the competition. East Kent Chorus, under the musical directorship of Lindley Gram, sang first and wowed the judges with a version of Uncle Kraker s Follow Me, following this with their interpretation of Leonard Cohen s Hallelujah. The adjudicator's notes praised the chorus s fervent and committed performance as a real celebration of singing. The chairman of the chorus, Paul Moran stated This win is the culmination of a lot of hard work by the chorus. Many of the guys on stage on Friday had not sung in public before they joined the chorus, it is gratifying to see their progress and talent rewarded. Save the Date August 2018 The East Kent Chorus are based in Ashford and draw singers from the surrounding areas. The group was formed in January 2010 following a Learn to Sing course organised by BABS. The chorus regularly appears at events and festivals across Kent and has staged two sold out shows at Singleton Village Hall. For more news on the chorus, visit our website or the chorus Facebook page. Paul Moran East Kent Chorus Join the College Chorus at Harmony College Provides the opportunity to experience singing in a large chorus, learning new songs and receiving top class coaching. Ideal for beginners and those who wish to enjoy the camaraderie of being with a large group. Chorus led by BABS Gold Medal Quartet - The Emerald Guard Prospectus Due Out in the April! BABS 40th Harmony College, Jubilee Campus - Nottingham

16 Page 16 Harmony Express March 2018 Be Part of the Big Celebration Bigger, better and more exciting, the BABS 40th Harmony College is one not to be missed! Harmony College YEARS Prospectus and Booking Details available 4th April Look out for full details on the BABS Harmony College web site: Harmony College August 2018 Jubilee Campus Nottingham University BABS Member Non-BABS A Thursday - Sunday** B Friday - Sunday C Saturday - Sunday D Thursday - Sunday** n/a E Friday - Sunday n/a F Thursday - Sunday** n/a G Friday - Sunday n/a Under 26 Years Residential - Newark Hall - Jubilee Campus Student Accommodation Single Rooms - Full Board Residential - Jubilee Conference Centre 3* Hotel Standard Accommodation Single Rooms - Full Board Twin/Double Rooms - Full Board (per person) Non-Residential H Friday - Sunday J Friday Only K Saturday Only Prices ( ) Th Friday Saturday Sun Coffee Breakfast Bed Dinner Tea Lunch Coffee Breakfast Bed Dinner Tea Lunch Coffee Breakfast Bed ** This option does not include dinner on Thursday evening, but a meal may be purchased on the day from the College restaurant.

17 Grand Central Chorus - Y Viva L Espana! Grand Central Chorus are extremely excited to be returning to the En Armonia Spanish Association of Barbershop Singers (SABS) Convention in Malaga in early April with over 50 singing members signed up for the trip, together with wives, partners and families. The Chorus first went to the SABS Convention back in 2011 as the guest chorus from BABS (as at that time there wasn t an International Chorus contest). It was a fantastic few days of singing and sunshine and directed by John Grant, we acted both as mic warmers and mic coolers for the Spanish Chorus Competition and appeared on the Saturday evening show. The SABS organisation and audiences made us feel so welcome it was a trip that all of us who went remember very fondly. Nobody who was there will forget our rendition of He Ain t Heavy He s My Brother which, with Rob Parnham singing the lead solo, brought both a standing ovation and apparently reduced at least one of the contest judges to tears (and for the right reasons we believe!). The Chorus has come a long way since that time, both in numbers on the risers - we now have 65 singing members - and in contest performances having finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd (three times) in the six BABS Chorus competitions in which we have competed since then. Following on from our very successful visit to the Irish Convention (IABS) in Cork back in October 2016, the chorus were therefore keen to travel outside the UK again in 2018 and following a unanimous vote to go to SABS Convention in April 2018, a small team including Peter Tatham, Alan Goldsmith, George McKie and Mike McWhinney have been working hard for the past few months to finalise various elements of the trip, including registration, accommodation and polo shirts. Now that most, if not all, members have sorted out their travel arrangements and following the chorus and quartet competition draw in early February, everything now seems Page 17 very real! We sing 5th out of 11 choruses in the International contest. Competition is going to be tough - other entries include the amazing Amersham A Cappella who after winning gold at the 2016 LABBS contest, finished in silver medal position at the 2017 European Barbershop Championships in Bournemouth last October! Grand Central Chorus will also be well represented in the International Quartet Contest the day before. There are a total of 16 members involved with Platform 4 (Ralph Keenan, Peter White, Rob Parnham and Peter Sayer) acting as mic warmers, Special Selection (Mark Soave, Mick Barnacle, Eddie Williams and Peter Tatham) as mic coolers. In the main contest, Hector Jaumandreu is singing with his mixed quartet Nuevos Horizontes, and Kevan Liebling with his mixed quartet Spanish Whine. Crown Derby, consisting of Paul Searson and Dick Knight together with their wives are also competing as well as Central Locking (Bill Lumley, Bryan Smith, Mike Flint and Nelson Blackley). We ll reflect on the trip in the next issue of HEX as well as our Together in Harmony Show on April 28th in Nottingham, where our special guests will be Lace City Chorus, the medal winning Sweet Adelines chorus from Nottingham and who are the current SAI Region 31 champions. Finest Hour, the 2016 BABS Quartet champions and the 2017 European Barbershop Quartet champions will also be performing, as well as Chaos Quartet and Crown Derby Mixed Quartet. It should be a great evening of barbershop singing and ticket details are on our website Nelson Blackley PRO Grand Central Chorus Advertising at Convention Reach over 2,500 Barbershop Singers Advertise Your Club - Advertise Your Quartet - Advertise Your Business Convention Programme The programme is A5 in size, printed in full colour throughout. Free to delegates Full Page Half Page Quarter Page For further information marketingdirector@singbarbershop.com Trade Stands There are a small number of display areas available Full Weekend Saturday & Sunday One Day For further information marketingdirector@singbarbershop.com

18 Page 18 World Harmony Council Coordinating barbershop groups around the globe Over 57,000 male and female singers around the globe join in barbershop singing in choruses and quartets. They belong to 14 separate barbershop organisations, and their leaders join together to form the World Harmony Council. The World Harmony Council is committed to encouraging and supporting barbershop harmony singing for its member organisations, and to fostering an appreciation of barbershop style music in the world community. The aims are to encourage and support: * the perpetuation of the four-part a cappella barbershop style of singing; * the formation and development of barbershop harmony singing organisations; * the development and exchange of new ideas and initiatives relative to the barbershop harmony singing art; * providing international liaison and information exchange among barbershop harmony singing organisations. Time to Sing Grants Available for 2018 Time to Sing is designed to provide support to clubs with their recruitment campaigns. You can choose the title and length of your course, be it one day, two weeks or six weeks. Financial support from BABS is available along with 1,000 free A5 double-sided leaflets. Extra copies of the leaflets are on offer at very substantial discounts. Learn to Sing remains the most effective approach, but this is just one of the options available. The wider choice of course headings are designed to provide flexibility and allows you to choose which is more relevant to your club. Some of the leaflet options are shown below. TIME TO SING Learn to Sing 6 week singing course for Men The xxxxxxx Chorus in conjunction with Harmony Foundation, part of a national music charity, is encouraging more men to sing. Aimed at both newcomers and those who may not have sung for a while. Just six nights spread across six weeks will help you get started. So make some time to sing, by signing up for this FREE course today! Course Starts Date & Time Venue Location and Postcoode Reserve your FREE place Now! Tel: or learntosing@singbarbershop.com TIME TO SING Come and Sing 6 week singing course for Men The xxxxxxx Chorus in conjunction with Harmony Foundation, part of a national music charity, is encouraging more men to sing. Aimed at both newcomers and those who may not have sung for a while. Just six nights spread across six weeks will help you get started. So make some time to sing, by signing up for this FREE course today! Course Starts Date & Time Venue Location and Postcoode Reserve your FREE place Now! Tel: or learntosing@singbarbershop.com Harmony Express March 2018 World Harmony Jamboree The World Harmony Jamboree is changing its name to World Harmony Showcase! Every year at the annual International Convention the absolute best choruses and quartets from literally around the world put on an amazing show in an intimate setting. The audience is treated, up close and personal, to current Gold Medallists performing the best barbershop available anywhere, with an international flavour. Known for over 20 years as the World Harmony Jamboree, this single performance absolutely showcases the ultimate in our artform. We want to pack the house for next July s Showcase in Orlando, so if you are going to International in 2018, please make sure to buy a ticket to see the best of harmony from around the world. Mike Donnelly President, World Harmony Council TIME TO SING Choice of Course Titles Learn to Sing Learn to Sing in Harmony Learn to Sing Barbershop Come and Sing Come and Sing Barbershop Harmony For more details contact Colin Roper BABS Membership Services Director membershipservicesdirector@singbarbershop.com QUARTET PRELIMS Advanced Notice 2018 Prelims 10th & 11th November Royal Northern College of Music - Manchester Featuring Youth Quartet Contest Seniors Quartet Contest National Quartet Prelims

19 OBITUARY BRIAN WAINWRIGHT It is with great sadness I have to inform you that a very long standing member of the Plymouth Barbershop Harmony Club, Brian Wainwright has passed away. Brian had been fighting cancer and the onset of dementia for the last eighteen months and was in end of life care. His funeral was held in Plymouth on the 21st. December. Brian was very active in the Pilgrimaires chorus, indeed he was the club chairman from 1978 to1984, and again from 1985 to 1989 and again from 1991 to In addition to this, he was also the chairman of BABS in As BABS chairman he had the honour of presenting his own chorus and quartet, who won the convention chorus and quartet competition that year, with their gold medals. Brian was always a leading member of the chorus and although he left the Pilgrimaires for a time and became a member of Western Approach chorus for a number of years, he re-joined the Pilgrimaires and was part of us when we amalgamated to become Ocean City Sound. He made many friends both in and outside of the barbershop fraternity and will be sadly missed by everyone. Our thoughts are with his wife Glen and their family. OBITUARY JOHN TORRIBLE The Great Western Chorus is sad to announce the passing of John Torrible, one of its staunch past members. John was the Chairman of our Club during 1986/7 and was also a member of the BABS Executive for the period , acting as it's Secretary. He designed and supplied the insurance cover package for BABS choruses and quartets in the pre-making Music era. John faithfully acted as 5th ear/coach and roadie to many South West based quartets including Bristol Creme (LABBS quartet Gold Medallist: his wife Di was the Lead) and the long-standing BABS quartet the Quarterjacks (his son Mathew was one of the founder members). John and his family are steeped in Barbershop. So many wonderful memories were created in his company. He will be sadly missed by all. OBITUARY BOB WOOD Give a Gift to Barbershop in your Will Page 19 Bob was a member of Essex Chordsmen until he died on the 11th January 2018 after a long period of ill health. He joined the chorus, which in those days was called Chelmsford Star Harmony in 1995 as a good and reliable lead voice. He became a lifelong member when he was unable to join the chorus for regular rehearsals and singouts. As an ex-ford Motor Company man he left in 1960 to start his own business as a heating engineer. He was a keen landscape painter and a member of the Billericay Art Club for many years. Bob was a quiet man but in spite of health problems in later life he always remained cheerful and ready to chat about old times. In his younger days he spent much of his spare time cycling, and knew the roads and byways of Essex extremely well. He will be sadly missed by his fellow artists and fellow barbershoppers. This was written by his neighbour and close friend Mike Geiger who is also a member of Essex Chordsmen as a bass. John Forster Membership secretary - Essex Chordsmen for further details contact BABS Harmony Foundation Secretary administrationdirector@singbarbershop.com RIP John. Colin Barley The Great Western Chorus of Bristol

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