Celebrating A Living Legend

By Kitty Davies

On the 6th February 2025, Fascinating Rhythm celebrated the end of a very enjoyable and successful 5-week Sing Happy in Harmony workshop, with a performance to an appreciative audience made up of our delegates’ family and friends.  In the audience were also some very special former Fascinating Rhythm members who had joined us to say farewell to our very precious MD, Jo Thorn.   

 

Jo has made the huge decision to step away from barbershop singing after a lifetime (so far!) of commitment and involvement. We want to share her story with you to highlight and applaud all she has achieved both personally and as a hugely valued part of Fascinating Rhythm.

Joanna Taylor was born into a family steeped in UK barbershop pedigree.  Her maternal grandparents, Irene and Jim Northeast, were landlords in Braintree, Essex, during the 1950s and came into contact with US servicemen who liked nothing better, after a pint or two, than breaking into classic barbershop singing around the bar.  Irene and Jim loved the sound so much that they soon became hooked. Both eventually went on to become barbershop chorus directors, as did Jo’s uncle,  Alan, who directed a BABS chorus for many years.  Jim and Irene’s daughter, Linda (Taylor), also became involved in their hobby, so it had definitely become a family tradition by the time her daughter was born.

The young Jo Taylor sang in her grandmother’s chorus (Shades of Harmony) in Weston-Super-Mare and in an octet called Cameo with both her mum and grandmother. At the tender age of 12, she performed with Cameo at such prestigious venues as The Weston Playhouse.  All three generations joined Bristol Fashion in 1993, where they competed together in their first LABBS convention, and Jo remained with them for a decade. 

Jo’s first quartet was called No Strings and then in 2002 she got together with Linda Corcoran, Ali Jack and Donna Hicks to form the very successful Havoc. Havoc competed and won gold at IABBS in 2003, achieved a bronze medal at LABBS in 2005, a silver medal in 2006, and finally became champions in 2007. 

 

By 2005, Jo (Dean) had transferred her membership from Bristol Fashion to Fascinating Rhythm, and in 2008, the membership chose her to fill the position of Musical Director. Family tradition had come full circle. This was a huge new challenge for Jo in the same year that Havoc was representing LABBS at the International Convention in Anaheim. Fascinating Rhythm was also facing the massive challenge of two consecutive workshops, which resulted in the chorus almost doubling in size!

 So began Jo’s 16-year journey as Fascinating Rhythm’s MD – a journey that has made her name synonymous with the chorus (although her name may have changed again along the way!).  It is difficult to put into words the huge impact that Jo has had on our chorus, as we are unrecognisable from the small chorus she inherited in 2008.  Her leadership has always been characterised by confidence, dynamism and a drive to improve (both personally and as a chorus).  I joined the chorus during the second workshop held in 2008 and only discovered months later that Jo was, in fact, in her first few weeks of leading a chorus.  I had no idea, such was the knowledge, assuredness and skill she already possessed.  During these 16 years, Jo has committed huge amounts of time and energy to adding to this armoury of skills; selflessly taking every opportunity to learn and develop as a director, often, bravely,  ‘under glass’, to ensure that she added as much as possible to the chorus moving forwards. And move forward, we certainly did – from placing 22nd at LABBS in 2008 to 12th in 2009 and peaking five times at 5th in 2013, 2015-18.

 LABBS Convention, Bournemouth 2017

Every year, we had new goals, external coaches and new targets to challenge us, but most of all, we had a director who valued the friendships and support that members of Fascinating Rhythm have in abundance.  Our logo straplines (usually inspired by Jo) have been ‘a singer driven chorus’ and, more recently, ‘so much more than singing’, and these demonstrate the environment of camaraderie and mutual support that Jo was determined to engender and protect within Fascinating Rhythm.

 We celebrated Jo’s 20-year membership of Fascinating Rhythm at our AGM in January. When asked what her highlights of that time were, Jo reaffirmed that, for her, we are her family, and she has revelled in watching us all develop as singers and close friends.  She mentioned our sharing her wedding celebrations (to Steve Thorn) and also reminisced about our hugely enjoyable and successful collaboration with the charity she works for (Ups and Downs Southwest) when we made a professional video of This is Me to celebrate World Down Syndrome Awareness Day in 2019.

For us, there are too many fabulous memories to mention – retreats, performances, after-glow laughter and of course, getting through the lockdown year and beyond – with Jo playing a massive part in keeping us all connected, supported and intact during those challenging months. Fascinating Rhythm not only survived but also came through stronger than ever, bound by her positivity, can-do attitude, and resilience.

 So, on February 6th, it was time for a fond farewell. Her time as MD was bookended by successful workshops and an abundance of new members.

We were able to present a final gift from LABBS—recognition of Jo’s 40-year dedication and contribution to the society as a youth member, adult member, quartet champion, musical director, and coach. What an inspiration and living legend.

 

We love you, Jo, and you will always be in our hearts and part of the Fascinating Rhythm family.  We still have a further celebration to organise with you, along with Fascinating Rhythm’s 30th anniversary later this year. Watch this space!

 And so, an exciting next chapter for Fascinating Rhythm begins! We have a fantastic bunch of new members from the workshop, and we are moving forward with our MD recruitment process, which is in the capable hands of our committee, music team, and assistant director, Wendy Howse. We are looking forward to the next part of our journey: the new challenges, the new tools in our singing toolbox, enjoying performances and competitions, and most of all, just being together.