We think there are plenty of great reasons to choose More Harmony if you're looking to join a choir here in Wadebridge!  To find out more, read on...

 

1. We are member-led

Despite us belonging to a national organisation, we are an independent chorus, led by our membership!  Our repertoire is chosen by our small music team, with suggestions from our singers always welcome.  We don't have to sing a particular song in a certain way just because another chorus in our organisation does it like that!  We're also free to decide on our overall look ourselves and to run  things our way, for the benefit of our members.  That means we're much more flexible than a large, national organisation might be!

Our chorus is run by a committee of members, giving up their time voluntarily.  We encourage anyone who'd like to be involved to take on a role!  The committee positions are voted on by our members at AGM each year, along with a number of other issues, such as subscription costs etc, so even if you're not on the committee yourself, you still get your say on how chorus is run - and you always will.

Our AGM is also an opportunity for our members to vote for our "Barbershopper of The Year" and for our MD to nominate someone for our annual Pauline Gobbitt Award For Musicality (dedicated in memory of our founder member).  This ensures that our members are always made to feel appreciated and are recognised for all they bring to More Harmony!

 

2. we encourage you to learn at your own speed!

Unlike some choirs, we encourage our singers to start learning a new song at home, before we start singing it at rehearsals.  This doesn't mean that everyone has to turn up note-perfect or knowing all the words on week one of a new song, but it means no single section is sat twiddling their thumbs for large portions of the evening, whilst another section is learning their part by rote (i.e. having a line sung to them and then having to sing it back).  We have section time as a regular part of our rehearsals, where groups go off to practise their parts and sometimes use rote learning if they have new singers joining that evening, but we aim to spend as much of our evening actually singing together as possible - after all, that's what people are there for!

This method of learning at home, via "teach tracks," means that newer members can learn at their own pace.  Some choose to focus solely on the one or two songs we're working on at rehearsals at any given time.  Others like the challenge of learning several songs in one go!  We will never curtail your learning or pressure you to do more than you feel is achievable for you.  Learning at home means you go at your own pace!



 

3. Opportunties way beyond singing!

Our members are encouraged to further their skills as much as they would like to (although nobody is ever pressured!).  

Thanks to our membership of LABBS, we have access to regular educational events, which can further our members' knowledge of singing and performing, as well as directing!  We also try to have coaching regularly, where experts come in and help us to hone our skills even further.

Being a member-led organisation means that our singers have the chance to be a part of our chorus committee, which can help them to forge skills in everything from communication and management, to fundraising and event organisation - all things that look fantastic on CVs or university applications!

 
 

 4. you're not just a backing singer - everyone has a chance to shine!

More Harmony is different to other choirs in as much as we don't have soloists.  That means you'll never feel like you're just part of a backing group for someone else to show off their talents!

In barbershop, although the main melody is often found in the "lead" section, most of our arrangements are written so that all four parts are singing together and all four parts are equally important.  You're very unlikely to find yourself hanging around silently, waiting for your moment to join in!  We also have some songs where the main melody travels from section to section, so everyone gets their moment in the spotlight!

Whilst nobody is ever under any pressure to take part, we sometimes offer our singers the chance to go through a song in a quartet, so those who wish to unleash their inner diva get an extra opportunity to dazzle their fellow members.

5. small is beautiful!

Whilst there's no doubt that choirs with 50+ members make an impressive sound, we believe that being small has a whole heap of benefits.

For a start, you'll never be intimidated by walking into a vast throng of strangers!  We've had people come to us from larger groups and tell us they didn't even know everyone's names at their old choir, due to the sheer size of it.  More Harmony are a close-knit, friendly bunch.  We're proud that everyone who sings with us is able to get to know one another and take part in social events without it having to be a challenge!  This is especially important for members who might be a little shy at first.  

Our size also means that nobody is ever left out of a performance they want to attend.  We don't limit numbers or cherry-pick the best singers.  We come as a whole and we're proud of it.  Oh, and in case you're wondering, despite not being the biggest chorus in the world, we still make one heck of a sound!