Introducing our Charity of the Year 2024 – OFF THE RECORD (OTR)

All young people deserve to receive timely mental health support that is relevant to their needs, gives them meaningful choices, and equips them with tools and skills that will last a lifetime. This has never been more relevant than in our communities today and is at the heart of what Off the Record aims to provide for young people aged 11-25 in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset. 

They offer a variety of projects to promote good mental health and well-being and empower young people to support themselves and their communities. However, they’re not just a charity providing mental health services – they’re a social movement mobilising to support, promote and defend young people’s mental health, rights and social position. OTR is free, confidential and self-referral – they give young people a choice and a voice.

We are delighted to support OTR this year and hope to hold several events throughout the year that will not only raise funds for this wonderful cause but also hope to use our skills and knowledge to add value to this organisation. Research reveals that group singing not only helps forge social bonds but also does so remarkably quickly, acting as an excellent icebreaker and helping those feeling isolated or anxious.  Community singing has also been shown to be effective for bonding large groups, making it an ideal behaviour to improve our broader social networks. This is particularly valuable in today’s often alienating world, where many young people’s social interactions are conducted remotely via Facebook and Twitter.

People feel more positive and uplifted after actively singing, and the improvement in mood comes, in part, from the release of positive neurochemicals such as β-endorphin, dopamine, and serotonin. 

For all these reasons, we hope to offer singing opportunities (workshops, performance opportunities, fun sessions) for staff and young people connected to OTR during the year. We hope this partnership allows us to share the benefits of group singing and teach skills that will be long-lasting and beneficial to all involved.

Fascinating Rhythms Charity of the Year

If you would like to make a donation, please head to our Just Giving page.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/fascinating-rhythm-support-otr

Reminders, Refreshers, and Revelations!

On 16^th March, Emma Beale, Su Roberts, and Julie Macnamara from Fascinating Rhythm attended the LABBS/BABBS Singing Education Day in Coventry. What a fabulous day it was. We couldn’t wait to get back to share what we learned with the rest of the Fascinating Rhythm Chorus. We’d also like to share it with you.

Let’s talk about those nifty SOVT exercises. Ever heard of them? They’re all about partially closing your mouth to create some back pressure. The fancy term for it is Semi Occluded Vocal Tract. Basically, it helps your vocal folds vibrate with less effort, so your voice doesn’t tire out as quickly.

Now, onto vocal pedagogy. Craig Kehoe gave us the lowdown on mouth shapes and breath management. Picture this: tongue behind your lower teeth, start your phrases with a forward position and keep that jaw relaxed. Oh, and remember, “Toned but not tense” is the name of the game.

Let’s not forget about alignment. Start from the ground up—literally. Think about aligning your body from your feet all the way to your ears, and watch out for tension creeping in! It’s all about finding that sweet spot for your best sound.

Next, we deeply explored stacking with Craig and how different arrangements affect chorus sounds. From random placements to arranging by resonance, it’s like a game of musical chairs but with voices. Finding your spot in the stack can make all the difference in how you feel and sound.

Barry Clinton took us on a musical journey through tuning. ‘Equal temperament’ versus ‘Just intonation’ is all very technical and scientific, so thank goodness Barry broke it down for us, showing how dropping pitch can be natural in certain intervals.

Then there’s vocal expression—they had us dive into the emotional side of singing, bringing lyrics to life, experimenting with different emotions, and really connecting with our audience.

Jen rounded things off with vocal flow. We learned all about breath control, legato singing, and maintaining pitch. Plus, we got to practice hissing like a pro. Who knew it could be so fun?

Finally, we peep behind the curtain and see how judges score performances with Alison Thompson. It’s all about consistency, fairness, and watching and listening to the best of the best to know what excellence sounds like.

So, there you have it, a whirlwind tour of vocal technique, performance enhancement, and judging criteria. Who knew singing could be so multifaceted? But that’s what makes it so fascinating!

Thank you to the LABBS/BABS Judges and Barberlicious Quartet for a wonderful day.

More Eisteddfod success for JFR in 2024!

Junior Fascinating Rhythm (Junior FR) is celebrating another successful year at the recent Thornbury Eisteddfod, part of the Thornbury Arts Festival 2024. This year, the Juniors and Seniors sang together in two-part harmony in the Under 14 class and gained a Distinction with 88 marks. They won their class and best-performing choir overall. Thirteen girls also competed with their solos, duets, and trio.

The girls aged between 7 and 16 competed first with Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.

The adjudicator commented.

“An imaginative and atmospheric opening and the choral sound was warm, rounded, and nicely blended. You sustained the line well with some effective legato singing, and this was shaped with some thoughtful use of tonal colour and some simple but effective choreography.”

For their second song, they sang Edelweiss from The Sound of Music.

“Again, a lovely blend here with the harmony of confidence and control.  You built well into the song, sharing a wide range of dynamic colours, and the line was expressively shaped and maintained with a warm legato and good clarity in the diction.”

Wendy Howse, Junior FR’s Musical Director, commented:

“I’m so glad that the adjudicator picked up on all the things we’ve been working on. I’m so proud and feel so blessed that we get to do this every Friday. It was so lovely to see so many parents there supporting us. I’m over the moon. A heartfelt thanks to the girls for working hard and to all the ladies who make JFR possible.”

Solo and Duet Performances

Thirteen of our Junior FR girls also performed exceptionally well in solo and duet categories at the music festival, and they all did exceptionally well with their confident singing. They featured in several categories:

Songs from the Shows

How Far I’ll Go from Moana (Beth), December (Caitlin), Slipping Through My Fingers from Mamma Mia (Amelie), and As Long As He Needs Me from Oliver (Evie).

Duets and Trios

Doh a Deer (Beth, Natalie, Elsie), Count on Me (Grace & Caitlin), Who Am I? (Anna & Izzy).

To Make You Feel My Love (Rosie & Jasmine) and True Colours (Lily & Amelie) came joint first in this category.

Traditional

Caitlin achieved the highest mark in the Traditional category with Crystal Spring.

Pop Songs.

Somewhere Only We Know (Natalie), When I Was Your Man (Lily), Born Without A Heart (Kiara), You’ve Got The Love (Grace). Evie came first with her performance of Lay Me Down by Sam Smith.

Another successful year! A Huge Well Done to all involved.

Fascinating Rhythm raise over £1200 for St Peter’s Hospice Bristol

On February 15, 2024, the ladies of Fascinating Rhythm warmly welcomed Nick Wilson, a Community Fundraiser for St Peter’s Hospice. Throughout 2023, the dedicated members of Fascinating Rhythm and RhythmMix (a smaller group of the Fascinating Rhythm chorus members) worked diligently to raise funds for St Peter’s Hospice through various activities, including singing at Yate Shopping Centre, Cribbs Causeway, and the walk to remember at Ashton Court. They also contributed to a Music with Mummy children’s event at Easter and provided refreshments and sang at Wotton Teas in the town hall in Wotton Under Edge.

Their hard work paid off, resulting in an impressive £1245.45 raised. During this special night, Fascinating Rhythm’s co-chair Anne-marie Collier presented a cheque to Nick Wilson. Nick highlighted the crucial role St Peter’s Hospice plays in providing palliative end-of-life care for patients and families dealing with cancer, lung, heart, and neurological diseases.

Covering a large area around Bristol and serving a population of 1.2 million people, St Peter’s Hospice supports 3000 patients annually, with 90% receiving care at home. The funds raised by Fascinating Rhythm equate to providing 60 therapy sessions for bereaved families and children, sustaining the 24-hour advice line for an additional 3 days, or covering the average cost of caring for a patient at home.

Expressing her pleasure in supporting the local hospice, Anne-marie stated,

“The ladies of Fascinating Rhythm truly worked hard to raise the money.” Nick emphasised the significance of local groups like Fascinating Rhythm, stating, “Having local support matters so much, it helps us ensure that care through the hospice is freely available for 3000 people a year.”

Nick stayed for the first half of the chorus rehearsal, praising Fascinating Rhythm’s talent and expressing gratitude for their efforts in fundraising for the hospice.

Fascinating Rhythm’s charity for 2024 is Off the Record a mental health social movement for young people aged 11-25.

Fascinating Rhythm rehearses every Thursday between 7 pm and 10 pm.  Contact us if you would like to join us.

Junior FR Shines at The Big Sing Fundraiser, Raising Over £990 for Christian Aid

On the 5th of December, the vibrant voices of Junior FR resonated through Zion Church in Frampton Cotterell as they took centre stage at The Big Sing. Organised by Alison Bray, the event marked a triumphant return after a hiatus due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alison expressed her appreciation for the performance, stating,

“It was lovely to see the girls perform, and thanks so much for your support. As always, Junior FR was amazing, and lots of people have said to me how impressed they were with the girls’ performance, so well done!”.

The evening featured a diverse lineup, including the Frampton Male Voice Choir, The Frampton Shanty Men, and Rhythmix, creating a musical tapestry that delighted the audience.

The event wasn’t just a celebration of music but also a heartfelt effort to contribute to a charitable cause. Christian Aid, an organisation dedicated to addressing global poverty and injustice, benefited greatly from the generosity of the attendees. The night witnessed an impressive £887.30 in direct donations, with an additional £105.33 expected through Gift Aid, bringing the total funds raised to a remarkable £992.63.

Junior Fascinating Rhythm Spreads Christmas Joy in Local Care Homes

This Christmas, Junior Fascinating Rhythm demonstrated the true spirit of the season by dedicating their regular Friday rehearsals to bringing joy to local care home residents. The young performers, with their infectious enthusiasm, took the stage at Cambrian Green Court in Yate and Westgreen House in Kingswood to spread festive cheer.

The heartwarming connection between Junior FR and the care home residents added a special touch to the performances; two of the care home residents were grandparents of 2 Junior FR sisters, and another care home resident was the father of a previous Junior FR helper.

One of the care home staff commented:

“Thankyou so so much for yesterday! I was completely awestruck by you
all….so talented. I’ve never seen the residents so immersed in a
performance. You are welcome back as often as you like”

The repertoire included a delightful mix of Christmas songs and carols, creating a festive atmosphere that resonated with the warmth of the season. The performance not only showcased the talents of the Junior FR girls but also served as a reminder of the power of music to connect generations and foster a sense of community.

In these challenging times, gestures like these highlight the importance of bringing joy and companionship to those who may be feeling isolated. Junior Fascinating Rhythm’s dedication to spreading holiday happiness serves as an inspiring example of how small acts of kindness can make a significant impact in creating a more compassionate and connected community.

Nailing it in Nailsea!

On Saturday, 25th November, Fascinating Rhythm took part in the Nailsea Festival of Music, a very successful musical event that has been running since 2005 thanks to a team of local volunteers.  Despite being an open event with various classes, this year’s singing competition felt like a mini barbershop convention with many friends and familiar faces from West Country choruses and quartets.  There were jokes and comments made about the many interconnections between groups, but it made for a full auditorium which was warm, supportive and good humoured. 

The Barbershop Open class was supported by Fascinating Rhythm; The Great Western Chorus, with new director Craig Kehoe out front for his debut directing gig; quartet Off the Record (who formed from GWC); Avon Harmony A Capella Chorus and quartet Specs Appeal (who originally formed from Fascinating Rhythm).  The songs chosen varied from barbershop classics to adaptations of show songs and beautiful ballads.  Fascinating Rhythm performed two of its newest songs.

The first was an up-tune, with lyrics adapted by Tom Gentry, Jo Thorn and Kitty Davies, to make it more accessible to modern audiences. The adjudicator, Anne Marshall, particularly enjoyed the confident start, clear rhythm and amusing gestures that highlighted the lyrics.  She also commented on the crisp diction, lovely balance and blend of voices and the way every member focused and gave engaging facial expressions. She also mentioned that she very much enjoyed the variety of the director, Jo Thorn, moving between directing and singing in each section.

Fascinating Rhythm’s second song in this class was another Tom Gentry arrangement of a ballad, originally written in French.  This was Fascinating Rhythm’s first public performance of the song, and they were delighted with the adjudicator’s comments, showing that the hard work that had been put in to demonstrate the beautiful chording, harmonies and rhythms had all been successful and very much appreciated.  Fascinating Rhythm were given a score of 87, which reflects an excellent performance both technically and artistically.  They were pipped into first place (by one mark!) by the very great, Great Western Chorus!

The second class Fascinating Rhythm entered was entitled Choral Open, but the only non-Barbershop entry was the very cute, talented and accomplished Portishead Youth Choir.  They were joined by Fascinating Rhythm, Waves of Harmony from Weston, Avon Harmony and The Great Western Chorus.  This class had a huge variety of performances, from pop classics and country songs to show tunes.

Fascinating Rhythm performed one of its repertoire favourites, Billy Joel’s ‘And So It Goes’, which is ever-evolving with the chorus as it brings new vocal skills and performance techniques into play.  The adjudicator praised the way the words were treated with care and expression; the phrasing was beautiful, and the performance was moving and expressive.  The audience literally held its breath at the end. 

Fascinating Rhythm’s second song was (just a few verses of) the epic piece by Leonard Cohen, Hallelujah.  The adjudicator called it a performance that “packed an emotional punch”, appreciating the sustained phrasing in the harmony parts and the controlled, quiet singing.  This time, she gave an even better score of 88 (but those pesky GWC men pipped us again with 89!).

Our thanks go to all those volunteers who worked so hard to make the day a success: those from the Nailsea Festival of Music, the adjudicator Anne Marshall, those from our own chorus for organising us and arranging warm-up spaces, and all those from other choruses who made the day so inclusive and supportive. Overall, doing what we all love at a highly well-organised event was a most enjoyable day. 

Harmony Unleashed: A Night of Musical Splendour with Avon Harmony, Black Sheep Harmony, Bristol Fashion, and Fascinating Rhythm.

Hosting the LABBS Bristol choruses meetup on Thursday, 9th November, at the Greenfield Centre in Winterbourne, our rehearsal home, was an absolute pleasure.

We welcomed local choruses Avon Harmony,  Bristol Fashion, and Black Sheep Harmony and were delighted to give Natalie Feddon, the immediate past chair of Labbs, the opportunity to talk to us all together.

It was so lovely to spend an evening of harmony with everyone, and it was such an entertaining evening and an inspiration to hear the songs everyone has been working on recently.  

The evening kicked off with warm-ups held by each MD or acting MD. Jo Thorn, our director, led us through some physical body warm-ups and then a vocal exercise. Mary Williams, MD of Avon Harmony, had us singing about Alfred the Alligator, Pete Nugent, MD of Black Sheep Harmony, brought back ‘Inch Worm’, an old favourite, and we sang ‘Black Socks’ with Caroline Bamford, Deputy MD for Bristol Fashion.

With our voices and bodies ready to perform, Avon Harmony took to the stage first and gave us ‘California Dreamin’ by the Mamas and the Papas, followed by Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’, and they set the stage for an evening of musical brilliance.

Black Sheep Harmony gave us a mesmerising rendition of ‘White Winter Hymnal’ by Fleet Foxes, involving some impressive body percussion demonstrated HERE by Pentatonix. They followed this with a great Abba medley, which got us all tapping our feet and swaying in our seats.

Before the break, Natalie gave a brief and impactful presentation emphasising LABBS’s commitment to engaging with its members. She shared insights into the organisation’s forward-looking initiatives, urging members to review recent articles ahead of the Council meeting in November.

It was then time for a cuppa, a biscuit, and a chance to catch up and mingle.

After the break, we were treated to Bristol Fashion’s performance of Jess Glynne’s ‘Hold My Hand’, followed by their recent convention 7th place up-tempo ‘You’ll Never Go Wrong With a Song’, and they had a blast doing it. 

It was then our turn to sing, and we were delighted to perform ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen, a song we’ve been working very hard on lately. And finally, to end the show, we sang David Guetta’s song about inner strength, ‘Titanium’. 

The diverse repertoire of all four choruses showcased the range and creativity of barbershop singing.

We all came together to round off the evening with a mass sing of the LABBS polecat ‘Anthem’ from the musical Chess – showcasing the power of unity in creating a breathtaking musical moment which you can watch HERE.

Some quotes from the evening:

“A great evening spent with our sisters in song. Bristol is a hotbed of Barbershop, and we love spending the evening with our friends in harmony.“

Pete Nugent

“It’s fabulous for the LABBS choruses to get together as a celebration of what we do. Avon Harmony is still buzzing about the event, and they can’t wait until we organise another one.” 

Mary Williams.

‘It’s always wonderful to meet up with other barbershop choruses in Bristol as we share our love and joy for this music! As Craig was busy at work that evening, I was given the honour of directing the Bristol Fashion Chorus. Something I always relish doing. Thanks so much, FR, for organising and hosting such an enjoyable evening!” 

Caroline Bamford.

“The Bristol area is abundant with Barbershop talent and the wonderful sense of community that comes with our hobby; we are incredibly lucky to have this in our lives, and evenings like this really bring it home.” 

Jo Thorn.

The night provided a testament to the strength and unity found in the shared love of barbershop singing.

On Retreat with Rob!

As Fascinating Rhythm’s members continue to develop and polish their singing techniques, we invited Rob Mance to join us for our annual retreat in September. 

 Things kicked off with Rob at our usual Thursday evening rehearsal with his continued support with Personal Voice Instruction (PVI) for new members Sally and Sue (both baritones) and Lisa, our new tenor. When you’re a new chorus member, singing and being given your own PVI in front of the full chorus is a bit nerve-wracking, to say the least – I know – I’ve done it! Yet, despite some initial nerves, the ladies followed Rob’s guidance on posture and head position, resulting in a fuller, more resonant tone all round!

 Rob introduced the whole chorus to some new techniques to relax the tongue, wiggling it side-to-side to help release tension in the tongue. He also did some useful vowel sound work with “Hallelujah” (Leonard Cohen)- pointing out the impact on a chorus of people with different accents on the overall sound quality. Once we agreed on the vowel sounds and practiced, we noticed a brighter, fuller sound. 

 Our retreat started properly on Friday 16th September – with the majority of us assembling at the Alexandra House Hotel for an evening of fun, games and song. Sharon Marshfield organised a fantastic fun musical quiz/bingo called FRingo, which was very entertaining.

We got off to an early start on Saturday, with Rob working with each section on “Hallelujah”. He covered a variety of techniques, from adjusting head positions to give a longer back of neck to practicing “ha” and ‘le”, to bubbling to working on the vowel placement. Two new techniques he introduced were to help relax the tongue by pushing it back hard with the tip of a finger and pinning it to our chin. Some hilarity ensued as we looked a bit silly – but we agreed we could hear a positive, brighter tone to our sound after practicing this a few times. 

 After a hard morning’s work on these techniques, putting the parts together, Rob said it was “ringy-dingy and delicious!” 

We went on to do work on our individual interpretation of one of our newer songs, “I Wish You Love” by Nat King Cole. In discussing the different ways chorus members interpreted it, we agreed we need to be unified on the arc of the story and the arc of the emotion. 

After a focused and enjoyable day’s work, we partied that evening, and as ever, the prolific talent that FR holds was displayed. We heard solo songs from Amy Ford and Iris O’Loughlin, a fun selection of performances from the Bass and Bari sections and a hilarious adaptation from the Leads of the Beatles “When I’m 64” with the new title line “Singing through a Straw!” As the newest member of RhythmMix. Our smaller group, I was delighted to have the chance of a sing-out of our newest song, “Somewhere Out There”, from the Universal Pictures film “An American Tale”, which was well-received.

 Sunday started with more vowel work on our chorus version of “Anything Goes” by Cole Porter. Again, Rob pronounced our singing “delicious” and said the Lead section was producing the best pitch he’s heard yet – so the Leads ended the day on a real high! (I’m sure we all did – and Rob did say his brain was “being blown” by the bass section’s progress, too!).

Rob also gave some musical direction coaching to our MD Jo Thorn, including work on the ictus point and said he’s taught it to many, but no one has ‘got it’ as quickly as Jo!

He had the Tenor section joyfully strolling around the room, singing as they went to help with tension in the body, telling them to keep the body “loosey-goosey”. 

We did lots of work on diphthongs, and I learned a new word – “schwa”, which is the most common vowel sound in the English language – an unaccented, neutral vowel sound. We did more exploratory work on meaning, this time with “Hallelujah”, and did lots of work on these sounds and how Jo could help direct us – and, as ever, the importance of following Jo’s direction to ensure our best, most unified sound was clear. 

More work on bubbling ensued (oh, I find it hard!) and putting all the techniques we’d learned together over the weekend, we returned to the risers and created a perfect storm – our sound was emotional and authentic. Our performance of Hallelujah brought many of us to tears. We explored how being able to bring our own emotions into the song meant, for some, it was coming from a real place. 

As our weekend came to a close, it was clear this investment in our craft was paying dividends. The ability to bring deep feeling and connection into our performance is so important. It will have a more significant impact – an audience will always remember how you made them feel. By creating deeper emotional connections with the harmonies and the words, we hope to touch our listeners more deeply going forward! 

By Julie Macnamara

Harmonious Finds – Fascinating Rhythm Delivers Crafts, Gifts, and Melodies: A Well-Attended Sale Delight

Fascinating Rhythm created a wonderful event in the bustling town of Chipping Sodbury on Saturday 21^st October 2023.  The event brought residents together in a delightful celebration of artistry, craft, generosity, and music. The highly anticipated craft, gift, and pre-loved items sale was a resounding success.

Visitors were greeted by a colourful array of handcrafted treasures, thoughtful gifts, beauty products and pre-loved items.

The event provided a showcase of local talent and creativity.  Artisans displayed their wares, including meticulously sculpted pottery, fused glass, handmade Halloween wreaths, hand-painted cards, paintings and intricately woven textile items. 

It was the infusion of melodious entertainment that truly set the sale apart from others, with fabulous singing performances from the very accomplished Junior FR, Fascinating Rhythm and the recently formed Quartet Neptune.    

The selection of tantalising cakes and a wide range of refreshments was exceptional and certainly enticed a steady crowd of hungry shoppers.

“What a fantastic day! This was more than just a shopping event, we wanted to bring together people and creativity, we hope we brought a bit of joy to Chipping Sodbury.”

Jo Thorn, Fascinating Rhythm’s musical director

This heartwarming event provided some much-welcomed funds to help Fascinating Rhythm continue finding fantastic music to sing and to help all members attend competitions and events.

Fascinating Rhythm is a singer-driven chorus based locally at the Greenfield Centre in Winterbourne. If you would  more information, please contact us via our website at https://fascinating-rhythm.com/contact-us-fascinating-rhythm/