LABBS Convention here we come

Fascinating Rhythm held an all-day rehearsal, followed by a dress rehearsal performance, on Saturday, 9 October, in preparation for the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers (LABBS) annual convention.

Fascinating Rhythm members have been working hard throughout the year to develop and polish their convention package, which consists of two contrasting songs in the traditional barbershop style, that they will take to the competition stage at the Bournemouth International Centre on 29 October 2022.

Fascinating Rhythm performed a selection of numbers from their repertoire alongside the two convention songs. The chorus members’ favourite ballad ‘And So It Goes’ by Billy Joel, was featured alongside the pop song ‘Titanium’ by David Guetta, ‘Listen To The Music’ by the Doobie Brothers and the Nina Simone classic ‘Feeling Good’.

After two years of being unable to hold an in-person event due to the covid-19 pandemic, this year’s LABBS Convention has ‘jubilation’ as its theme.

“Jubilations, this year’s convention theme, is just perfect. A huge celebration of being back together with all our sister choruses, the jubilation that we survived as a group through the pandemic, and a personal thank you from me to my singers for working incredibly hard as we made our way back to vocal health and magical music making, pure dedication and passion. Absolutely, Jubilations!”

Jo, Fascinating Rhythm’s Musical Director,

To keep up to date with Fascinating Rhythm and our forthcoming events, including two concerts later this year, follow our social media channels: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Fascinating Rhythm welcomes new member

Fascinating Rhythm is delighted to welcome another new member! At the beginning of October, Mirrin successfully passed her vocal audition and joined the Lead section.

“I was interested in Fascinating Rhythm, as I had heard through another member that the group is so much more than singing but rather a family, which I couldn’t agree with more. I was in a Show Choir during my three years at university but once the lockdown happened I thought my singing days were over so I’m really glad I have found my voice again after 2 and a half years in such a safe and supportive environment. The feedback and direction you get is also of such a high standard, so I know that I am going to learn so much about my voice and performance. I can’t wait to learn more fun songs!”

Mirrin

Fascinating Rhythm’s Membership Secretary, Kitty, who presented Mirrin with her welcome pack, said

“I really enjoy introducing potential new members to our wonderful hobby and special group of ladies. The pleasure their faces register when we perform a song for them reminds us why we love singing so much. We are delighted that Mirrin has passed her audition and can be fully integrated into the Fascinating Rhythm family. She is super enthusiastic, and I can see she is going to become a hugely valuable and popular member.”

If you are looking for a new hobby, enjoy singing and would like to find out more about barbershop and a cappella music, get in touch via the website and come along to one of Fascinating Rhythm’s rehearsals.

To keep up to date with Fascinating Rhythm and our forthcoming events, including two concerts later this year, follow our social media channels: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Fascinating Rhythm to host Christmas Concert for Ups and Downs Southwest

Fascinating Rhythm members have supported Ups and Downs Southwest as their chosen charity through a series of events and activities throughout the year. The choir’s fundraising efforts will culminate in a Christmas Concert on December 10 2022. 

The Ups and Downs Southwest team are hoping to welcome local music lovers and supporters of the charity to enjoy a special evening of a cappella harmony and entertainment at the Blakehay Theatre in Weston-super-Mare. 

Fascinating Rhythm will be performing a range of songs from their diverse repertoire and will be joined on stage by their small in-house group RhythmMix and home-grown quartets Ebb Tide, Neptune and Specs Appeal.

Tickets for the concert are available online: Christmas Charity Concert at The Blakehay Theatre event tickets from TicketSource

Charity of the Year 2022

Fascinating Rhythm member, Joan, is a trustee for Ups and Downs Southwest and has been the charity’s Treasurer for the past 18 months. She nominated Ups and Downs at the choir’s Annual General Meeting and is delighted that members selected it as their chosen charity for 2022.

“It’s wonderful what Ups and Downs Southwest do to improve the lives of children with Down syndrome and help their families and work with schools. I’ve been Treasurer and trustee for the charity for nearly two years and have found through fundraising and talking about the charity that people are willing to support its work. I aim to see the charity get onto a strong financial footing because it relies entirely on fundraising and donations. I will enjoy being on stage to sing at this special concert with Fascinating Rhythm and RhythmMix.” 

“I was working in the charity sector and was part-way through my health and social care degree when I saw the opportunity to join Ups and Downs Southwest. I joined their Somerset headquarters in 2016, and since then, the charity has grown so much that we’ve opened a second office in Bristol! I feel incredibly humbled that Fascinating Rhythm’s ladies voted to support Ups and Downs Southwest again this year, as they had already gone out of their way to make the This Is Me film in 2019. The fact that they chose Ups and Downs Southwest is awesome, and their fundraising efforts make me so proud of the chorus. I’m looking forward to us singing This Is Me because of the awareness-raising video we made with Ups and Downs Southwest in 2019 for World Down syndrome Awareness Day. We learned Makaton signing for the video, and I’m keen that we keep this going – we find that signing and singing to a live audience is very powerful and emotive.”

Fascinating Rhythm’s Musical Director, Jo, who works as a Director for Ups and Downs Southwest

Fascinating Rhythm’s first public sing-out of 2022, at Keynsham Memorial Park Bandstand, was their first fundraising opportunity for Ups and Downs. Since then, members of the chorus have also organised Music With Mummy Easter parties, a ‘bingo and prosecco’ night, fundraising lunches and a ‘summer supper’ evening in aid of the charity. Thornbury Inner Wheel will also be holding a carol service on December 14 2022, with a retiring collection for Ups and Downs Southwest.

Ups and Downs Southwest

Ups and Downs Southwest aims to support families, professionals and all those involved in the care and education of children and young people (aged 0 to 25 years) with Down Syndrome. The charity currently supports more than 300 families in the Southwest, with a team of professional support workers and team leaders. Some members of the team have a child with Down Syndrome or other disabilities and have personal knowledge and experience of the challenges that may lie ahead as well as knowing how important it is to celebrate the achievements.

Ups and Downs Southwest provides advice and support, time and understanding, face-to-face support, assistance with benefit and education forms, an advocacy service, family days, children and young people activities, advice and support for professionals, training events, and education service.

Ups and Downs Southwest relies solely on public funding and needs to raise £360,000 per year to keep running. Funds raised at the concert will go directly into their frontline services, providing support for families, children and young people in the local area.

Christmas Concert Tickets

Tickets for the Christmas Concert are available online: Christmas Charity Concert at The Blakehay Theatre event tickets from TicketSource

Alternatively, you can support Ups and Downs Southwest by making a donation via their website or taking part in one of their fundraising initiatives.

Fascinating Rhythm previously partnered with Ups and Downs Southwest to produce a video of the song This Is Me from the hit musical film The Greatest Showman for World Down Syndrome Awareness Day in 2019.

To keep up to date with Fascinating Rhythm and our forthcoming events, follow our social media channels: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

social media channels: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Together everyone achieves more.

Fascinating Rhythm members have enjoyed a two-day rehearsal weekend, reconnecting as a team after the summer holidays and celebrating awards for two chorus members.

The rehearsal weekend began with a fun musical workshop led by Dan McGinn, who taught the chorus to play games with musical sticks called ‘boomwhackers’ as a way to improve team skills and non-verbal communication. The session encouraged everyone to participate and highlighted the strengths of leadership and followership and the importance of individual responsibility within a team.

The chorus then focused on polishing the two songs they will perform as part of the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers (LABBS) Convention at the end of October before presenting a sneak preview of the convention package to an intimate audience.

Fascinating Rhythm’s ladies now have their sights firmly set on competing at this year’s LABBS Convention, which will be held at the Bournemouth International Centre the last weekend in October. The last time this annual singing competition was held in person was back in 2019 in Llandudno because, due to the covid-19 pandemic, LABBS held virtual online events in 2020 and 2021.

“To be heading back to a LABBS Convention after two years is an absolute thrill, and the chance to see all our sister choruses again is going to be the best feeling. It is true what they say: you don’t know how good you have something until it is taken away! This annual weekend, which brings over a thousand like-minded people together to enjoy the thrill that barbershop brings, has been greatly missed by all at Fascinating Rhythm; it is such an enriching experience and one I hope we never have to miss again.”

Fascinating Rhythm’s Musical Director, Jo

Members’ awards

Two Fascinating Rhythm singers have also been celebrating membership achievements: Jan has been a member of the chorus for ten years and received her 10-year badge, whilst Julie has passed all elements of the assessment process to become a full singing member of the choir.

“It is always a pleasure to present the awards to ladies who have been members of the chorus for many years, and it’s fantastic that we are welcoming new members to join us on the risers. Congratulations to Jan and Julie for their achievements!”

Fascinating Rhythm’s Chair, Iris,

Come and watch us sing!

Fascinating Rhythm will be holding a full dress rehearsal of their Convention package in front of a live audience at Yate Academy on Sunday, 9 October 2022. Tickets for the dress rehearsal are available free of charge, but the audience is limited to 200 seats, so please book your place early!

To keep up to date with Fascinating Rhythm and our forthcoming events, including two concerts later this year, follow our social media channels: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Taking 2022 by Storm – Junior Fascinating Rhythm

Junior Fascinating Rhythm (Junior FR) has had an amazing start to 2022, with several successes at music festivals and sing-outs in the South Gloucestershire area. These fantastic young singers are talented vocalists, and their ‘big sister’ chorus, Fascinating Rhythm, is hugely proud of them.

Thornbury Eisteddfod

In March, the girls competed in the Thornbury Eisteddfod as part of the Thornbury Arts Festival 2022, picking up several trophies and a bursary and singing in the finale Presentation Concert.

The senior girls (aged 11-16 years) received a Distinction for their performance of ‘Lullabye’ by Billy Joel and the Electric Light Orchestra’s ‘Mr Blue Sky’. In recognition of their musicality, the adjudicator presented them with two trophies: Best Performing Choir in their class (Choirs 18 and Under) and Best Choir Overall In Competition.

The junior girls (aged 7-10 years) were Commended for their performance of ‘Hakuna Matata’ from Disney’s The Lion King and ‘Janie Mama’, a Jamaican children’s song, and were awarded a trophy for being the Best Performing Choir in their class (Choirs 11 and Under).

Several Junior FR girls also performed in solo and duet categories:

• Evie and Caitlin came first and second, respectively, in the Under-14s Show Songs and Under-14s Traditional Songs classes, with Evie achieving the highest score across the board in traditional song.
• Lily won the Under-12s Show Song class, and her duet with Amelie in the Under-12s Duet class won the whole category with a score of 90 points.
• Anna and Izzy sang in the Under-14s Duet class, giving a mature, professional performance and scoring 83 points.

During the Presentation Concert, Junior FR was presented with the Robert Hall Bursary of £100 in recognition of their outstanding performance, and Kate Phillipson-Masters, Chair of the Eisteddfod Committee, said, “It was so good to have the Junior FR girls perform at the concert. They really are a most impressive group.” 

Iron Acton May Day

In May, Junior FR had a fabulous day entertaining audiences at the Iron Acton May Day celebrations with a selection of favourite numbers from their repertoire and several girls performing solo and duet pieces across a range of genres. 

“It’s been three years since we last performed at Iron Acton May Day, due to covid, so we were very excited to be back at the event again. Plus, I had the privilege of singing a duet with one of the girls and realised my lifelong dream of performing on the side of a truck!”

Junior FR’s Music Director, Wendy Howse,

Yate Rocks…

On a soggy Sunday in June, Junior FR joined the ‘more senior’ Fascinating Rhythm to entertain an intimate audience at the Yate Rocks… in the Park festival from another truck-side stage.

Junior FR unleashed their inner ‘rock chicks’ with a set that included the Guns n Roses classic ‘Sweet Child of Mine’, ‘Hold Back the River’ by James Bay, a medley of Queen songs, and ‘Skin’ by Rag n Bone Man. The girls then joined voices with the Raysfield School Choir to sing one of their favourite anthems – ABBA’s ‘Thank You for the Music’.

Fascinating Rhythm then took to the stage to sing a range of upbeat numbers from their repertoire: ‘We Go Together’ from the musical Grease, the Nina Simone classic ‘Feelin Good’, Frankie Valli’s ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You’, ‘This Is Me’ from The Greatest Showman, and the David Guetta anthem ‘Titanium’. 

“We were so pleased to be invited back to the Yate Rocks… event, which showcases local choirs and brings the community together. It was even more special because we could watch Junior FR perform as well. I felt very proud to direct the ‘all choirs’ song with Bristol A Capella and Yate Community Choir to conclude the event. We had not sung together before, and it was simply glorious – 60-plus voices working in perfect harmony!”

Fascinating Rhythm’s Musical Director Jo Thorn

New Honorary Member

Fascinating Rhythm has awarded honorary membership to Barbara Gay, who has retired from singing with the chorus.

Barbara has been a valued member of Fascinating Rhythm for over 20 years and made a huge contribution to the chorus through her dedication to singing and the support she gave to others. When Barbara made the decision to step back from the choir in September 2021, Fascinating Rhythm’s committee agreed that her long service and dedication should be formally recognised.

Unfortunately, due to the covid-19 pandemic, the presentation of Barbara’s honorary membership had to be postponed, but several members of the Lead Section gathered together in June 2022 to present Barbara with a card, flowers, gardening vouchers and a special honorary Fascinating Rhythm member T-shirt.

“It was a pleasure to present Barbara with an honorary membership. We all miss her, as she was a much-loved member for so long. We wanted to recognise her contribution and, this way, she’ll always be part of the Fascinating Rhythm family. We hope she’ll come back to visit us often.”

Iris, Fascinating Rhythm’s Chair.

Barbara is the third Fascinating Rhythm singer to receive honorary membership, joining Thelma and Dot as recipients of this prestigious club award.

“What a lovely surprise! It was so good to meet up with old friends for afternoon tea. Thank you so much for the lovely flowers and gift voucher – it was so thoughtful and generous of you all. I will buy something special to remind me of all my special friends at Fascinating Rhythm. I miss you all very much and hope to visit from time to time.”

Barbara

Singing in the Rain – Fascinating Rhythm Rocks Yate

Fascinating Rhythm and Junior FR enjoyed entertaining at the Yate Rocks… in the Park festival at Kingsgate Park on Sunday 26 June 2022. Their Musical Directors Jo and Wendy got a bit soggy directing in the rain, whilst the singers performed in front of an intimate audience from the shelter of a stage on a truck.

Junior FR unleashed their inner ‘rock chicks’ with a set that included the Guns n Roses classic ‘Sweet Child of Mine’, ‘Hold Back the River’ by James Bay, a medley of Queen songs, and ‘Skin’ by Rag n Bone Man. The girls then joined voices with the Raysfield School Choir to sing one of their favourite anthems – ABBA’s ‘Thank You for the Music’.

Fascinating Rhythm then took to the stage to sing a range of upbeat numbers from their repertoire: ‘We Go Together’ from the musical Grease, the Nina Simone classic ‘Feelin Good’, Frankie Valli’s ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You’, ‘This Is Me’ from The Greatest Showman, and the David Guetta anthem ‘Titanium’.

Fascinating Rhythm performed again later in the day, with Bristol A Capella and Yate Community Choir, to sing ‘Happy Together’ by The Turtles.

Jo said ”We were so pleased to be invited back to the Yate Rocks… event, which showcases local choirs and brings the community together. It was made even more special because we were able to watch Junior FR perform as well. I felt very proud to direct the ‘all choirs’ song to conclude the event. We had not sung this together before the event and it was just simply glorious – 60-plus voices working in perfect harmony – we were indeed, ‘Happy Together’!”

Wendy said “I had so much fun, I almost didn’t notice the rain! I think Junior FR rocked Yate brilliantly. The cheers after every song were great – especially after our Queen Medley. The girls loved dressing up and getting in touch with their ‘inner rock chick’. I had some lovely comments from the organiser afterwards and have even recruited a couple of new members from those in the audience.” 

To find out more about Fascinating Rhythm and Junior FR or hire us to sing at your event, please get in touch via our website and follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Mixing It Up – what it’s like being part of a regional mixed chorus

The Bristol Mix is a new, mixed barbershop chorus, made up of singers from a cappella close harmony choirs across the Bristol area. Several Fascinating Rhythm members sing with The Bristol Mix, alongside ladies from Avon Harmony, Black Sheep Harmony, Bristol Fashion, and men from the Great Western Chorus.

The Bristol Mix recently competed at the British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS) Sing 2022 at the Harrogate Convention Centre, where they achieved first place in the mixed chorus contest. The Bristol Mix’s stunning debut performance comprised two songs – ‘What Kind of Fool Am I’ and ‘You’re From Heaven and You’re Mine’ – under the direction of Craig Kehoe and Linda Corcoran.

We caught up with some of the Fascinating Rhythm ladies who are members of The Bristol Mix to find out more about their experience of singing in a mixed barbershop chorus and the thrill of winning a gold medal on the BABS Convention stage.

Amy

I’m in the Tenor section at The Bristol Mix but I sing Lead with Fascinating Rhythm and in my quartet Specs Appeal. I’m a big fan of all the local barbershop choruses and saw joining The Bristol Mix as a chance to make some friends and the opportunity to compete at the BABS Convention.

It was so exhilarating to be back at Convention (although it was a bit surreal after the pandemic) and, right up until the day, I was half-expecting it to be cancelled! The stage was fabulous – the rush of the lights coming up and your brain going a bit mushy with panic – but the songs felt good and everything went according to plan. When we walked off stage, it felt like we had given a good account of ourselves for our first sing-out. At the end of the competition, when The Bristol Mix was announced as the winner, I leapt out of my seat and danced for joy! After a two-year break from competition and all the sadness of covid, I let it all out in a high-pitched shriek and allowed myself to be genuinely happy. It was a moment I’ll never forget – so much pride for us as a group. The hard work paid off, especially as we’d only had a couple of months to learn our up-tune.

The last time I sang with men (well, teenage ‘men’) was in a Sixth Form production of Grease. I really enjoyed it and thought it would be fun to see if singing in a mixed voice choir was as good as I remembered. Having seen all the other Bristol choruses perform on stage, it’s fun to stand alongside them and make friends. The atmosphere at rehearsal is relaxed and fun.

I’d describe singing with The Bristol Mix as challenging, but joyful and rewarding. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s thinking of joining a mixed voice choir. You get to work with different Musical Directors and Section Leaders, learn fun new songs, and singing with male and female voices brings a whole new dimension to a cappella singing.

My favourite The Bristol Mix song is ‘What Kind Of Fool Am I?’. I love the work we did on it in rehearsal to make it really lyrical, which changed it from being sad to a thought-provoking story. And the rich tone of the male basses really comes out in this song to make some lovely ringing chords.

Brenda

I sing baritone in The Bristol Mix, which is a change for me as I sing Bass with Fascinating Rhythm. It’s quite a challenge because I haven’t sung Baritone for some time – I seem to tune into the bass line but it’s way too low for most women in a mixed chorus!

I sang in a small mixed group a few years ago and really enjoyed it, so as soon as I heard about this brand new mixed chorus I knew I wanted to audition. I love the depth of sound produced by a mixed group and my favourite The Bristol Mix song is ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ by The Beach Boys.

It has been great getting to know members of other local choruses, who all share the same passion for singing. Usually, when our choruses meet, we’re competing against each other so it’s lovely at The Bristol Mix to be singing together on the same side! There is a great camaraderie developing and some of the male chorus members are very witty, so we have lots of laughs!

I felt very excited to be back on the Convention stage in Harrogate. As it was The Bristol Mix’s first-ever public performance, we had no expectations whatsoever, we just wanted to show what we could do and enjoy ourselves. It was a complete shock to hear The Bristol Mix announced as the first-placed chorus! I couldn’t believe my ears – it was so exciting! As you can imagine, the roar of amazement and delight went on for some considerable time! Receiving my gold medal after so many years of singing barbershop felt very special.

My advice to anyone thinking of joining a mixed voice choir is to go for it! I’ve already been trying to persuade more Basses from Fascinating Rhythm to join The Bristol Mix because it’s such a fun, exhilarating and challenging experience.

Hazel

I sing Tenor with The Bristol Mix and Lead with Fascinating Rhythm. And I used to sing with TUBBS, which was a mixed a cappella chorus at the University of Bristol.

When I sang with TUBBS, I completely fell in love with barbershop music, the complex harmonics and the huge sounds that we produced so effortlessly. After I left university, I moved a couple of times and sang with choral music choirs but always had it in the back of my mind that I’d return to barbershop one day.

When the pandemic came, I found I really missed singing. When I changed jobs at the end of 2020 and started living in Bristol again, I felt it was time for me to return to barbershop. As soon as possible, I joined Fascinating Rhythm and when The Bristol Mix started auditioning for members, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to join a mixed chorus and re-live the glory of my university days!

Going to BABS Sing 2022 earlier this year was my first ever time at a barbershop Convention. When The Bristol Mix was announced as the winners I actually thought I’d misheard because I was convinced that we’d come fourth and missed out on a medal. My disbelief turned to joy – it was a very happy day!

If you’re thinking of singing with a mixed chorus, I’d definitely say come and join The Bristol Mix, It’s an extra commitment and you have to learn the songs in your own time but it’s very rewarding and worth the effort!

Kitty

I sing Lead with both The Bristol Mix and Fascinating Rhythm.

Everyone came to The Bristol Mix, when it first started, without expectations but with lots of energy. I joined The Bristol Mix for the experience of singing with male voices and to have the opportunity of being directed and taught by different people. Plus, there was the draw of learning a new repertoire of songs! My favourite The Bristol Mix song is ‘What Kind Of Fool Am I’.

Being on stage with The Bristol Mix felt like a very different experience – I felt calm, not at all nervous, and just there to enjoy the experience. The feeling of winning a gold medal was indescribably exciting! And being able to share that joy with new and old barbershop friends was fabulous.

Singing with The Bristol Mix is exciting, fulfilling and challenging. I’d definitely say that if you have the time and commitment to learning music independently and really strive to contribute to being an ‘A level’ chorus then joining The Bristol Mix is a great thing to do. It’s very rewarding and so much fun!

Rose

I sing baritone with The Bristol Mix and Bass with Fascinating Rhythm. I also sing with Go Vocal and have always enjoyed the mixed voices there.

I joined The Bristol Mix because I wanted to sing with people from other local choruses and especially to have some male voices in the choir. Apart from the mix of lovely voices, it is a great way to meet other singers who share the same love of a cappella and barbershop singing and to develop an understanding of how other choruses work.

The Bristol Mix feels like it’s starting to develop its own unique “sound” and way of doing things. I find it an enriching, exciting and incredible learning experience. I would definitely encourage anyone who’s tempted to join a mixed voice choir to take the plunge! I feel like I’ve learnt so much, especially around voice blending and understanding different directors’  instructions. But most of all, it’s HUGE fun!

I felt incredibly relaxed singing with The Bristol Mix on the BABS convention stage and very positive about the whole competition. Taking part was an incredible experience and I was thrilled to be part of such a wonderful sound. Although there was an expectation of a high standard of singing, this was not at all off-putting – I had a ball! Winning gold was exhilarating and exciting.

Sharon

I sing Baritone with The Bristol Mix, which is quite a challenge as I’m used to singing Bass with Fascinating Rhythm and that’s all ‘dums’ and ‘dos’! Baritone is also the only section in The Bristol Mix that’s truly mixed (i.e. made up of male and female voices).

I wanted to join The Bristol Mix because I enjoy listening to the Great Western Chorus and other male voice choirs and I love it when Fascinating Rhythm sing 8-part harmony songs with the men – it gives a whole different depth to the sound. Another draw was the opportunity of being directed by Linda; I’ve been in groups that have been coached by her in the past and I love her enthusiasm and talent for bringing the best out of singers. It was also an opportunity to be directed by Craig as well.

On stage at BABS Sing 2022, I felt totally relaxed. Standing on the risers whilst Jasper organised us, I looked out over the heads of the judges into the darkness and thought “it’s good to be back here”. As ever, the performance went by in a blur but I know I stuck to the plan. Waiting for the results, though, was nerve-wracking! As they were running through the third and second place choruses, I was getting more nervous, and then it was time for the gold medal announcement. I sat there with my fingers crossed just saying “The Bristol Mix, The Bristol Mix, The Bristol Mix” over and over again. When they announced our name, I jumped up and squealed with delight! We were all hugging each other and jumping up and down. It was just such an awesome feeling to be so happy – especially after the last couple of years. As I went to bed on the Sunday night, I put my medal on the bedside table; when I woke up the next morning, I looked at it to check that it wasn’t a dream – it was still there!

Singing with The Bristol Mix is exciting, challenging and welcoming and my favourite repertoire song is ‘You’re From Heaven And You’re Mine’ (although I didn’t like it to begin with because it’s very barbershoppy and has so many words!). The other great thing about The Bristol Mix is that you get to meet so many new friends and ring wonderful barbershop chords. It’s amazing what talent there is out there – we’re very lucky in the Bristol area! I’d encourage anyone who is thinking of joining a mixed voice choir to stop thinking about it and just get on and do it!

Thinking of joining a choir?

If you’re interested to find out more about barbershop singing, please get in touch with us via our website. You can also follow Fascinating Rhythm on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and follow The Bristol Mix on Facebook.

You might also like to see other articles in the Fascinating Rhythm Insight series:

01 – Why singing is good for you

02 – Making your performance authentic

03 – Performance through vocal expression

04 – Teamwork makes the dream work

05 – Why warm up?

06 – The new members’ guide to joining a choir during a pandemic!

07 – Breathing to Sing

08 – Junior FR: how it started/how it’s going

09 – Singing is a family affair

10 – How we choose convention songs

12 – Love to Sing

Fascinating Rhythm Member Updates

Fascinating Rhythm has been celebrating a number of membership milestones and achievements over the past two months. We have also said goodbye to a few ladies who have decided to move on from singing with the chorus and wish them all the best in their new ventures.

Fascinating Rhythm’s newest members have been experiencing the joy of singing in front of a live audience and participating in a competition for the first time. Emma, Fionna, Hazel and Anne-marie took part in the Keynsham sing-out to raise money for Ups and Downs Southwest; they also sang with the chorus in the Cheltenham Music Festival, along with another new member, Lily. 

“Finally getting to sing out with Fascinating Rhythm felt amazing! All the hard work through lockdown to learn the songs paid off, and everyone was really supportive, which helped manage the nerves.”

Emma

“What a buzz to finally get to make beautiful harmonies with the wonderful ladies of Fascinating Rhythm in front of a live audience – I can’t wait to do it all again!”

Anne-marie

“I was very nervous about singing for the first time in a competition, but so many ladies made a point of speaking to me in advance to offer encouragement and advice that my nerves had almost dissipated by the time I got on stage. I felt very supported by the chorus and Jo, and was able to perform at my best.”

Fionna

Fascinating Rhythm’s Chair has also awarded a long-service badge to Erica, in honour of her 5-years of chorus membership.

“It is such a pleasure to give out long-service awards to our members, and usually it is a total surprise to them as time flies by so fast that it comes out of the blue! And we are always saddened when members move on and leave Fascinating Rhythm. We would like to keep all of them forever, but, of course, we wish them well and will always welcome them back if they want to visit us.”

Lesley

Joining Fascinating Rhythm

If you are interested in joining a choir and would like to find out more about Fascinating Rhythm, please get in touch via our website. You can also find out more about what we do by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Fascinating Rhythm Wins Gold Cup at Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts

Fascinating Rhythm recently took part in the 2022 Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts, held at the Cheltenham Town Hall on Saturday, 14 May. It was a magical and epic day, and, even with only 29 members of the chorus performing on stage, Fascinating Rhythm proved how fantastic they are by bringing home the Gold Cup! 

Fascinating Rhythm competed in two vocal classes:

• In the Songs From The Shows class, the ladies showcased an energetic rendition of ‘We Go Together’ from Grease, followed by an emotionally-charged performance ‘This Is Me’ from The Greatest Showman. Kitty provided a Makaton translation of This Is Me as the chorus sang, in homage to the version Fascinating Rhythm recorded with Ups and Downs Southwest in 2019 for World Down Syndrome Day. The adjudicators, Ula Weber and David Crown described it as a “great performance full of energy, passion and feeling” and “full of conviction” and awarded a score of 86 marks (honours).

• In the Female Voice Choirs class, the chorus sang three favourites from their repertoire: Billy Joel’s ‘And So It Goes’, the Nina Simone classic ‘Feeling Good’ and ‘Pie Jesu’ by Andrew Lloyd Webber. They scored 89 marks (honours), with the adjudicators saying they “loved the sassy attitude” and describing the performance as “magical – you held the audience in a delicate bubble”.

Fascinating Rhythm had the most wonderful surprise when the adjudicators awarded them the Gold Cup for the most memorable performance of the day – ‘And So it Goes’.

“I had the great privilege of hearing this performance ‘in the flesh’, and it was simply stunning. The ensemble was absolutely extraordinary. I was in the front row of the audience, probably 25 feet away from the choir, and was listening so intently, actually looking closely at each and every singer and straining to focus in on each person to see if I could hear individual voices and absolutely couldn’t. My accompanist was just behind me and doing the same thing… nope – just perfect ensemble. Respect, love and care over every word with beautiful shapes and gorgeous tuning. I found I was holding my breath at the end. Thank you for one of the most memorable performances I have ever heard in 30 years of choral directing.”

Mark Burstow, Director of Bournemouth Male Voice Choir

“I’m so proud of everyone! The competition was pretty intense, with so many brilliant choirs there. We enjoyed watching the other choirs perform, especially Peterborough Voices, Peterborough Sings and Peterborough Male Voice Choir, and a huge shout out to our sister LABBS chorus Cleeve Harmony! Our congratulations go to Insole Court Community Choir and Peterborough Voices, who won the classes we performed in together. This was our first competition in nearly three years, and we are absolutely delighted that our favourite song, And So It Goes, was considered worthy of the Gold Cup!”

Jo Thorn, Musical Director of Fascinating Rhythm