Concerts & Competitions!

What an action-packed start to 2025 it's been!  We've hit the ground running and we're already sensing big things ahead in this, our fifteenth anniversary year (keep your eyes peeled for celebrations happening later in the year - and for your chance to join in the fun!).

As always, we kicked off January with our AGM, at which our members get to put forward their ideas for the year ahead and vote on our annual "Barbershopper of The Year" award.  This year, the lucky recipient was bass superstar Alice!  As you can see, both she and MD Lesley were delighted with the result!  The winner of the Pauline Gobbitt Award for Musicality for 2025 was AMD/Lead section leader Emma, who was incredibly honoured to receive an award given in memory of our fabulous and much-missed founding member.

Our AGM is always a great chance for everyone to sit with a cuppa (and a biscuit or two!) and make plans.  It's really important to us that we're a member-led chorus, as it means that our singers have a say in how the group is run, what songs we sing and the direction we take.  As mentioned, this year is our fifteenth anniversary, so plans were put forward for a celebratory concert to mark the occasion!

One of our missions is to grow the chorus in 2025.  Whilst we think there's a lot to be said for being a small, tight-knit group, we are keen to boost our sound and welcome some new singers to the mix.  With that in mind, some members have been kind enough to change sections to ensure we keep things in balance  - one of our baris is now a bass and our tenor is now a bari!  A huge thank you to Sue P and Alison for making the moves and to MD Lesley for stepping back into the chorus to sing tenor for us - you are all sounding phenomenal in your new sections!  We've also been delighted to welcome a brand new member: Maddy is now officially a member of our bass section and has not only shown incredible dedication - learning songs in record-breaking time - but has already completed her first performance with us and is now about to enter her first competition!  Maddy, you're a superstar and we're so thrilled to have you on board.  

Wadebridge Festival of Music & Speech celebrates their centenary in 2025 and this year's festival both opens and closes with a concert.  We were thrilled to be asked to take part in the opening concert and performed our version of Everyday by Buddy Holly at the event.  This week (tomorrow night, at time of writing - eek!), we'll also be entering the small women's choir category with two more songs that we've been polishing over the last few weeks.  There's even some choreo involved, so hold onto your hats and wish us luck!

Our performance at the festival's opening concert was also a chance to show off our new navy trousers and blouses!  Whilst we love our casual look, wearing indigo jeans and tops in our chorus colours, several of our members requested a more formal look for special events (remember what we said about being member-run?!), so we sought out a costume grant and set about making ourselves look even snazzier than before!  A huge thank you to our treasurer Sue P, who has worked tirelessly to source sustainable costume for us, in line with our environmentally-conscious ethos.

So, as you can see it's been all go here at More Harmony HQ and we've got lots still to look forward to as the year progresses!  The best part?  You can join in!  If you're a woman aged 16 or over (we've not got an upper age limit!) and you love to sing, why not come along to Wadebridge Ambulance Hall on a Thursday night (we start at 7:15pm, doors open at 7) and give a cappella a try?!  You might think you need the safety net of a backing track, but our members range from performers who've sung at national competitions, to total novices who've only ever sung in the bath!  Both ends of the spectrum are equally valued at More Harmony.  We firmly believe that anyone can sing, given the right support - and with the enthusiasm to learn.  So, whether you're an experienced choir-goer or a complete newbie, we can guarantee the warmest of welcomes and the opportunity to truly let your voice shine!  Drop us a line at contact@moreharmony.co.uk to find out more. 

We hope to welcome you soon!