Eddie Howell receives Honorary Life Membership
Congratulations to Eddie Howell receiving Honorary Life Membership of Vale Harmony. At the age of (a very young) 88, Eddie has retired as a singing member of the chorus after 30 years of barbershop singing. Receiving his Life Membership certificate, Eddie said: “Barbershop has been my life for a very long time. I wish I could turn the clock back but I can’t. I would encourage any young man to sing… and sing Barbershop. It will give you so much joy.”
Chris Dobbins, the chorus chairman, said Eddie was a brilliant example of how singing as a hobby can transform your life. “Eddie has been an inspiration to so many over the years and so many charities have benefitted from his devotion.”
Long Service Awards
Doesn’t time fly… There have been more presentations … this time, long service pin badges to stalwarts of the chorus.
The badges are awarded by BABS, the British Association of Barbershop Singers, and are much treasured by the recipients.
Our Chairman, Chris Dobbins , has been singing with us for an amazing 40 years. (Below) Chris was presented with his 40 year badge by our Musical Director, Mike Gearey. Congratulations Chris !.
Chris’s 40 years badge(above) .. to go with his 10 year, 20 year, 25 year and 30 year pins.
Ten year pins went to Colin Pemberton and Dave Tresigne (below)
And beginning their Berbershop journey….. membership certificates were presented (below) to Leads singer Peter Petros and to Bass singer Henry Birch
Learn a Song... Love to Sing
A free event for men to come and join Vale Harmony on three consecutive Wednesday nights in April to learn a fresh song alongside us.
Give yourself a taste of what a cappella four-part harmony singing is like.
You don't need to read music, just have a love of singing. Come and harmonise with us.
Just come along to the St Andrew's Centre in Pershore (opposite the Abbey) at 7pm on Wednesday April 12, and 19th, with the third session a week later on the 26th.
If you would like more information please ring our PRO Colin Pemberton on 07766 524833 or email him at pro@valeharmony.co.uk
Love to see you... love to sing.
Singing for the Mayor of Pershore's Charity
The Mayor of Pershore, Matthew Winfield, was in the audience at the White Horse Inn in the town on 23rd February to hear us sing for his chosen charity, Brain Tumour Research.
The event was organised by Pershore resident Lesley Faulkner in memory of her husband Rob who died in February 2021 six weeks after being diagnosed with the aggressive brain cancer Glioblastoma.
"We were delighted to sing in memory of Rob and raise money for the Mayor's charity, "said PRO Colin Pemberton. "The organisation Brain Tumour Research says brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease."
Lesley Faulkner said : "it was amazing. It was a quickly arranged "pop-up" event and the A Cappella Fellas
were just brilliant".
Some of the proceeds went to our charity, St Richard's Hospice where Rob had received palliative care.
Above) Vale Harmony The A Cappella Fellas with Lesley Faulkner and the Mayor of Pershore. Below, the late Rob Faulkner.
Carolling at The Talbot, Worcester
Our last gig of the year was .Christmas Carolling at The Talbot pub in The Tything, Worcester on Tuesday 20th December.
We raised £68 which we're adding to the £235.86 we raised at the three pubs carolling in Pershore the week before making £303.86
Add to that another £235 that The Talbot themselves raised with a raffle and St Richard's Hospice has benefitted to the tune of £538.
We're very pleased with that and , in addition, a couple of guys who listened to us have expressed an interest in joining us !
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and joyful 2023... and if any guys out there are thinking of a New Year resolution to sing in a chorus, just get in touch with us. www.valeharmony.co.uk
Singing at Pubs in Pershore and Worcester
So many thanks to diners and drinkers at three pubs in Pershore who donated so generously to St Richard's Hospice during our Carolling last night(Dec 14th)
We had a great time at The Pickled Plum, The Angel Hotel and The White Horse hotel and raised £235 .
Our last carolling venue this year will be in Worcester at The Talbot pub in Barbourne Road on Tuesday Dec 20th . Do come and hear us, we're due on at 7pm... and raising money again for St Richard's.
Merry Christmas everyone...!
Song sheets will be available for anyone who wants to join in!
Vale Crematorium, Fladbury
Feeling privileged once again to be leading the singing at the Christmas Carol and Memorial Service at the Vale Crematorium at Fladbury last night. Some very emotional moments.
We're Supporting St Richards Hospice
We're very pleased to announce that our chosen charity for the coming year is St Richard's Hospice in Worcester.
Last year we raised £1,000 for Prostate Cancer UK but this year we're supporting a local charity.
We also have a new Chairman, John Franks.
John said: "I'm looking forward to a great year of entertaining the public and raising funds for St Richard's Hospice. Times may hard but I'm sure we can bring some joy and fun and support a good cause at the same time".
If you're a singer and you'd like to help us in this endeavour, please call or text 07766 524833. If you've never sung a cappella before and enjoyed the pure sound of just men's voices singing with no musical accompaniment, now is the time to try.
Visit www.valeharmony.co.uk for more info or just call or text 07766 524833
"YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL TO ME"
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" goes the saying and it was never more true than at one of our rehearsals recently.
We're competing in a quirky nationwide contest to demonstrate the best use of props in a song. We chose an excerpt from a song, called "You Are So Beautiful To Me", where we expressed our undying love to anything from a garden hoe, to a pair of skis, a bird in a gilded cage, a trowel, a toilet roll and even a mirror!
Our Chairman, Chris Franey, said: "We take our singing seriously but we do like to have a laugh and a bit of fun. I love skiing so what better object of my desire could there be than my skis!"
Colin Pemberton, who sings in our Lead section said: "The hoe is a gardener's best friend. It a classic fusion of design and purpose that has stood the test of time. I truly love my hoe; it is ' so beautiful to me' ".
The competition is being run by the British Association of Barbershop Singers which is encouraging all its affiliated choruses to send in a video of their tune. The winner will be the most original, or shows the best use of costumes and props, or the one which has the most likes and shares on social media. If you want to help us win, please go to our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/1048435538511499/, listen to the video and give us a "like".
Our Chorus Director, Mike Gearey, said: "I don't know whether we will win but it made for a really amusing rehearsal."
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CHRIST CHURCH MALVERN CONCERT
We topped the bill at a lovely concert on 9th July at Christ Church Malvern , launching their summer and autumn programme of musical events.
It was a 30 year reunion for Sheila Collis , a member of the PCC at the church, who invited us to sing after remembering the day in the 1990s when Vale Harmony performed in her garden at her home in Shelsley Beauchamp in one of series of fundraisers called "Glyndebourne in the Shelsleys" .
Sheila said we were as good as ever, adding: "It was a joy to hear them again singing their beautiful harmonious music. The audience were very appreciative too and gave Vale Harmony an excellent reception."
SENSATIONAL SPRING SING AT PERSHORE ABBEY
What a brilliant night at Pershore Abbey on Saturday 7th May !
The Abbey was a perfect venue for us, singing here under our Musical Director Mike Gearey
To hear an excerpt from our opening number," When I'm Sixty Four", please click on this link:- https://youtu.be/WilMcNANFKM
Many thanks to Great Western Chorus of Bristol for joining us again.. our third joint concert at the Abbey(below). Uncanny how our two walk-out uniforms formed the colours of Ukraine!
Great Western's quartet called Bagatelle also performed . Have a listen to them by clicking on these links.
https://youtu.be/__rbiBtnudU
https://youtu.be/MVkvsALlU9A
Thanks to everyone who came to the concert and said such lovely things about the night.
We're proud to be supporting Prostate Cancer UK
HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, MALVERN
What a lovely night at Holy Trinity Church in Malvern as guests of the Powick Community Choir. A full house giving huge applause for our trophy-winning songs, Georgia, Breaking up is Hard to Do, Nevertheless and My Girl... and a rousing piece of audience participation with an encore of Amarillo. What a memory! A particular "well-done" to our tenor Derek Styles who was singing for us and for Powick Community Choir!
DOUBLE TROPHY WIN AT DUDLEY FESTIVAL
What a great boost for us..winning two trophies for the second consecutive time.. at the Dudley Festival of Music, Drama and Dance on 5th March 2022.
To win the Barbershop Trophy we started with our new upbeat number "My Girl" followed by an old favourite "Nevertheless".
The judge remarked :
1. On My Girl that it was "fun and engaging", with "everyone 100% committed and a real team effort". She said it was "varied and full of surprises and the humour was effective and drew the audience in".
2. On Nevertheless: "A lovely contrast to the first song. Diction was particularly good. Ensemble was very good , too. Rhythm is your strength"
Her overall assessment was " a very effective and enjoyable performance"
and she gave us a Commended with a mark of 83 out of 100.
To win the Eva P{reece Cup in class of Singing for Pleasure, we presented the lovely ballad ,Georgia,and ended with our new upbeat song, "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.
1. On Georgia, the judge said we made " a lovely warm sound with breathing very managed indeed".
2. Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, she said , was " a rhythmic and energetic performance with a good blend of sound. All parts were well balanced and there was great forward momentum throughout."
For these, the judge gave us a High Merit with a mark of 84 saying :
"Fantastic - keep up the good work!"
We're thrilled to be back in competitions again with such great comments after two years absence courtesy of Covid 19 .
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1) Chorus chairman Chris Franey(left) with the Best Barbershop Chorus Trophy and Musical Director Mike Gearey with the Eva Preece Cup.
2) Pleased with the first win and waiting for the second performance..
