Lincoln Music Festival

We went, we entertained and we Won! - well, we won the quartet category anyway!

We remained true to ourselves and sang two comedy numbers and were shocked when the adjudicator announced that we had won the competition. He also said said some very complementary things about our singing, and he should know - Christopher Field MA, ARAM, LRAM, ARCM


Christopher Field was a Choral Exhibitioner at Trinity College, Cambridge and a scholar at the Royal Academy of Music.

Later, he won an Arts Council of Great Britain scholarship for postgraduate vocal studies with Frederick Husler in Switzerland. After becoming established as a baritone soloist, working with choral societies throughout Britain, he joined the music staff of Dulwich College where he stayed until 2000, retiring as Deputy Master.

Throughout that time, he continued to make music professionally, singing, conducting choirs, playing the double bass and composing, mainly, choral music and songs.

Several of his teaching works have appeared in the double bass and singing examination syllabuses of the Associated Board and of Trinity Guildhall.

He has wide experience as an adjudicator member of the British and International Federation of Festivals and is a diploma examiner for the Associated Board. In August 2008, he gave masterclasses on English Song and oratorio in Reykjavik He is conductor of the City of London Chamber Choir and, from 1985 to 2005, he was a member of the Council of the Royal School of Church Music. Christopher Field was appointed an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 1993.

To be selected by Christopher for first place is praise indeed!

Carlton Junior School

One of the great things about what we do is the people and places we get to meet and go to. Carlton Junior School is not one of the places where we would have thought of singing, until their School Administrator, Anne saw us at the Albert Hall in Nottingham. An invitation followed, and then the performance itself, with the Major Oak Chorus and the School choir.

The kids were brilliant, and when we did our bit, were squealing with laughter as I hit Rob (twice) during Bye Bye Blues (Rob was just squealing!).

An absolutely fantastic evening, followed by an afterglow in the Bread & Bitter pub where - guess what - we sang some more.

Hopefully the chorus will get a few new members from the audience, and we will get a few more gigs!

Next Friday, the 12th, we are appearing at the Lincoln Music Festival, and once again we are singing comedy songs, so once again we expect to come last - but hey - we guarantee we will entertain!!

Hazel Grove Music Festival

We went, we sang, we entertained, we came last!

For this festival, we decided that we were going to be true to ourselves and put on a performance of a couple of our comedy routines. The audience and the adjudicator laughed the whole way through the set, but (of course) we were marked down. As the top two quartets were local, it probably wouldn't have mattered if we had been the world champions - we still wouldn't have won, but hey - we are entertainers first and barbershop singers second.

As we left the hall, several people stopped us and said how much they had enjoyed our set, and that they had never seen stuff like that at the festival.

Objective achieved!!

Incidentally, we are doing the same thing at the Lincoln Music Festival on March 12th - we are the guys who put the barb into barbershop!  Maybe we should change our name to Bad boys Blend!!

Heanor

What an absolutely brilliant evening.

Sometimes, things just seem to flow, and this was one of those times.
The Major Oak Chorus was magificent, one of our frinds, Nigel, recited some poetry, we sang in Octet with 4 chorus members and had people laughing in all the right places during our spot.

Special thanks must go to the WI ladies who organised everything so well, and of course to the audience, who were very receptive and warm.