Harmony UK Podcast

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...

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.