Chorus Comments

I have always enjoyed singing from an early age and have sung in choirs, operatic societies and village groups, but always quite liked the idea of Barbershop singing. When I saw an advert in our local paper for a Barbershop workshop I went along. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening; everyone was so friendly and made me feel very welcome. I went to practice the following week and now I look forward to Tuesday evenings so much.
Margaret Rowe

 

I joined a barbershop chorus because I love to sing - I stayed because my needs and expectations were met.

Our chorus rehearsals are very friendly, the girls warm, caring and fun, but at the same time we learn how to put the art of barbershop singing together. We laugh a lot, but that doesn't stop us from learning to sing correctly. There is good feeling about rehearsals and other events.

I have now been singing barbershop for 23 years and am the bass section leader, sharing my love of harmony, that means so much to me, with others.
Fay

 

Learn to sing in Harmony!!! This caught my eye in a night school prospectus and I attended a 10 week course. As soon as I heard the Phoenix Quartet "Blue Velvet" sing, I was captured. The sound was marvellous and I loved it right away. I wanted to sing like that. Although I had been a Salvation Army Songster years before and enjoyed formal choral singing, this sound was different and thrilling.

I eventually attended the rehearsals the Chorus holds on a Tuesday evening to train and help you sing in "barbershop style". After passing an audition to prove to the Musical Director (and myself) that I could hold my tune and sing in close harmony, I joined the Phoenix Cornwall Harmony Chorus.

Since then, although it is extremely hard work, I have thoroughly enjoyed singing Barbershop and wish I had discovered it years ago. The friendship and enthusiasm of our ladies is second to none and we all enjoy our practice evenings which lead to "sing outs" at different venues. The challenges keep coming and I can recommend it wholeheartedly if you enjoy singing, a challenge, and are prepared to work hard. We have a marvellous Musical Director who guides us through, and an efficient Committee made up of our members, to keep us on track.

Why not come and spend an evening with us one Tuesday to see if you would enjoy Barbershop too?
Ruth Pullen

 

I joined the chorus in October 1999. I had originally sung with Redruth Choral and a couple of other mixed choirs, but my heart had always yearned to sing Barbershop! I love the comradeship it brings, I love the sound it makes and the acting and choreography it entails. I have a fantastic singing teacher, who has brought the best out of my voice; her name is Madge Moyse and she is our conductor and director. She says everyone has a voice - it is just a matter of finding it! We sing at private and charity functions and are about 25 in number at the moment.
Rosemarie Hayward

 

I've always enjoyed singing, and a couple of years ago, I made a New Year's resolution to join a choir or singing group. By coincidence, I saw an article in the local paper about Phoenix Ladies' Barbershop. They were looking for new members, and it seemed like a good idea to give it a try. At the first practice I attended, a lot of other people were there for the first time too. We all had a voice test, to find out which range we would be singing in. This took place in the ladies' toilets, as there were no other rooms free, and the acoustics were great! To begin with, it was very difficult, as there were so many songs in the group's repertoire that we were expected to learn right away. I would learn my part at home, from tape, and think I knew it well, but when I stood up to sing with the group I hadn't got a clue how to fit what I was singing in with the rest of it! Two years later, it's getting easier, and I'm so glad I stuck with it. Best bit so far: the group went for a river trip the year before last. Towards the upper reaches of the river as darkness fell, the boat's skipper turned off the engines, and we drifted along singing in harmony, with just the lapping of the water as accompaniment.
Gwen Jenkins