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On Sunday 28th September 2008, Surrey Harmony will be hosting a free one
day workshop designed to show you what we are all about.
Come along and join in
our close harmony singing as together we learn the classic song from the hit
musical “Fame”.
Find out
more here |
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The chorus said and emotional farewell to it’s PR guru and front row Goddess, Sheena Kaighin this month.
Sheena is off for a bit of Northern Exposure as she swaps Squirrels for Bears and Foxes for Moose in the 49th State.
Find out
more here |
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Surrey Harmony is part of Sweet Adelines International, the global singing organisation with 60,000 members all over the globe.
It has a programme designed for young singers called Young Women in Harmony.
Find out
more here |
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Tracey Payne got hooked on barbershop after joining a free harmony singing course run by Surrey Harmony. Here she describes her journey to a silver medal. Tracey was one of 15 members affectionately known as “newbies” who competed at their first UK Championships in Birmingham with Surrey Harmony.
Find out
more here |
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Surrey Harmony is pleased to be Region 31 silver medallists for 2008 after a competition of the highest standard ever seen in the U.K.
We also brought the house down with our on special version of Queen's
Bohemian Rhapsody.
Find out
more here |
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Our Assistant Director Valerie Taylor has reached a very important milestone in her bid to become a Sweet Adelines judge – the first in Britain.
On 2-3 May 2008 she was on trial at her first Regional Competition – in Sweden.
Find out
more here |
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Oh dear only two weeks to Convention and we all look so glum at our dress rehearsal. What is going on at Surrey Harmony?
Has Jenny been cracking the whip again? Does she
want more hard work from us? Even our Choreographer
Karen has bowed her head in despair.
Find out
more here |
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We love to raise the roof with our singing, and now we've helped to do it literally.
We were asked to perform at St John's Church in Hurst Green, Oxted to help with their fund raising campaign for a new extension. They hope to start work on the project in the coming months.
Find out
more here |
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Technology and a Twix – a tale of two Surrey
Superstars There’s more to running a Chorus the size of Surrey Harmony than just
turning up on a Wednesday to sing. In 2007 at our AGM we introduced a
Surrey Harmony Superstar award to be given each year to a member who has gone
beyond the call of duty.
Find out more here |
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Choir of the Day – well one of them!
We are very pleased to announce we were named as one of five “Choirs of the Day” in the Adult Choir class at the first Area Selection of the BBC Choir of the Year competition held in Basingstoke on Sunday
2nd March.
It was a contest of a very high standard and wide
variety of musical styles.
Find out more here |
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Party games, mind reading and a slow motion murder of your fellow Chorus members doesn’t exactly sound like a weekend of hard work on a competition package. But we work and play hard at a Surrey Harmony retreat.
Leaving the frightful January weather outside we sequestered
ourselves at the Hilton Hotel in Croydon for our annual weekend retreat.
Find out more here |
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“I won’t settle for anything other than your very best, every time”. That’s what coach Peggy Gram told us as we embarked on inspirational two nights working with her on our contest songs.
Her quietly commanding style had us working our socks off over two consecutive nights.
But as well as hard work, there were plenty of laughs thanks to Peggy’s wonderful sense of humour.
Find out more here |
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“Let’s get together again, for we’ve had a wonderful time” may be the lyrics of a well know barbershop song but it’s also how we feel after a wonderful night of music and song with our friends The Kentones.
We were invited to be guests of the Bromley in Kent based male
barbershop club on Saturday 3rd November.
Find out more
here |
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They Came, They Sang, They Performed.
Congratulations to everyone who completed the seven week free Surrey Harmony Singing Course. It was fantastic that 32 people got to the end having learned two songs – “Somewhere” from West Side Story and the Cole Porter classic “Anything Goes” from scratch.
Find out more
here |
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Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece was white as snow...
No we haven't gone quite as far back as the nursery for week 5 of the singing course, but we did hear from our Choreographer Elaine on how to tell a story as we sing.
Find out more
here |
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At Surrey Harmony we are always thrilled to share in the happy occasions of our members.
Here's the proof that barbershoppers make beautiful brides.
Find out more
here |
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Inspired by the legendary Frank Sinatra singing his classic hit "My Way",
week 4 of the course concentrated on diphthongs - that's the combination of pure
vowels.
We also completed both of our songs for the first time
Find out more
here |
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We've had some really great feedback from people on the free learn to sing course.
We are now halfway through and everyone is making great
progress. We will be completing the songs this week, and then the countdown to performing them in public really begins.
Find out more
here |
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Well Done to everyone attending our 7 week singing course. After just seven days you are now singing in four-part harmony.
On Week 2 we sang the first half of each of our course songs
"Anything Goes" and "Somewhere".
Find out more
here |
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We asked the question “Want to Sing”? You said “Yes We Do”!
So many women in the Surrey area want to sing that we could have taken twice as many people on our new free 7-week course.
Find out more
here |
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Assistant Director Valerie Taylor and Choreographer Elaine Glover recently went to the Sweet Adelines International Education Symposium held in San Antonio Texas.
Find out why they were outshone by a man and the comedy of errors over the bathroom.
Find out more here |
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If it’s a lovely July day, then it must
be time for our annual lunchtime concert at
Fairfield Halls in Croydon.
A beautiful day brought out our many loyal fans and some new friends as well from as far afield as Cheshire, the Isle of Man and even Australia.
Find out more here |
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“If you were milking your ending, it was a big dairy”!
The amusing words of adjudicator David Kirby-Ashmore as he congratulated Surrey Harmony on the package we presented during the Barbershop Class at the Bournemouth Music Competitions Festival.
Find
out more here |
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The traditional image of Barbershop is of four men, each with a specific role within a defined structure.
Surrey Harmony swept that idea aside in an entertaining evening of a cappella as part of Caterham’s Miller Centre Festival.
Find out more here |
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It's official and she's got the T-shirt to prove it! On our return from Convention, Surrey Harmony members congratulated our Director Jenny Lawson on becoming a Sweet Adelines International Master Director.
Jenny was presented with a congratulatory bouquet by President Helen Walpole.
Find out more here |
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Region 31 Silver Medallists 2007
Our highest ever score, a silver medal and a long overdue recognition for our Director. Not a bad weekend's work from the Regional Convention held in Birmingham.
Find out
more here |
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Surrey Harmony’s new competition costume can now be unveiled. The “Ladies in Red” are now ladies in red…..and hot pink!
Our Choreographer Kären Lainchbury came up with the
design. “I wanted something eye-catching,
comfortable and washable. It also had to move well
especially for the front row”
Find
out more here |
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Congratulations to our “booty-ful” Jean, Veronica and Barbara who fronted the Surrey Harmony edition of BBC 1’s Car Booty.
We raised £500 towards our new costume which was unveiled for the first time on the programme modelled by our choreographer Kären who designed it.
Find out more here |
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Amy Winehouse and Katie Melua are former pupils,
now Surrey Harmony’s youngest member is set to develop her musical talent at The Brit School in Croydon.
13 year old Lead Sophie Doughty has won a place at
the Performing Arts and Technology School.
Find out more here |
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It’s been an Egg-stra calorie laden Easter for our Bass Lynne Monk!
She was lucky enough to get several large chunks of the prize in our Easter raffle. The first prize of a giant egg was won by Surrey Harmony supporter Kathy Brennan (pictured holding the egg).
Find out more here |
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It’s the end of a tough rehearsal and the members of the front row slump into submission after a mauling from Sue “the enforcer” Chilvers.
Just why do we look so glum? Only time will tell...
Find out more here |
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Whoever said being on TV was glamorous? Not at
6.15 on a cold and grey Sunday morning it’s not.
Dorking Station Car Park is the less than exotic
location for the next chapter in the Surrey Harmony
Car Booty experience.
Find out more here |
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Our fundraising Queen Jean Dack has been given
the title – Surrey Harmony Superstar – the first
time the Chorus has given out what is to become an
annual award.
The winner will get to keep for a year a
beautifully engraved vase which shows Surrey Harmony
members in full voice.
Find
out more here |
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A weekend of coaching from Åse Hagerman is a bit like having a blood transfusion - she's breathed new life into our contest songs.
With just seven weeks to go before the Region 31 Convention in Birmingham we're revived, reinvigorated and rejuvenated.
Find
out more here |
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As the countdown to convention gathers pace, it's a moment that always creates butterflies in the stomach.
You know Convention can only be a short time away when the Order of Appearance is announced from Sweet Adelines Headquarters in Tulsa.
Find
out more here |
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Surrey
Harmony women's barbershop chorus trekked across the
pond to the famous den of showbiz and iniquity that
is Las Vegas. Probably one of the weirdest places on
the planet.
Find out more
here |
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“OK Rolling”…And with those words Surrey
Harmony’s latest funding raising venture began.
We’ve tried everything to raise money to fund visits
to International Convention, coaching, new risers,
even our famous tango men.
Find out more
here |
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Belinda adds Silverware to her Gold Collection.
Sometimes it seems our wonderful hobby is a full
time occupation. But many Surrey Harmony
members manage to find the time to squeeze in very
busy careers and very successful as well.
Find out more
here |
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"This may be the last time we ever sing these
songs like this". Jenny’s prophetic words as our
2007 retreat got underway with coach Doug
Harrington...
After 12 solid hours of rehearsals over three days
our competition songs are barely recognisable.
Find out more
here |
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It was with great sadness that we learned recently
that one of our founder members Sylvia Turrell has
decided to leave the Chorus on health grounds.
Sylvia describes in her own words what being a
member of Surrey Harmony has meant to her.
Find out more
here |
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We are still celebrating our success in Las Vegas
where we came 22nd out of 33 competitors.
This is
the best ever result for a U.K. Chorus in terms of
the number of regions below us. We also came 19th in
the all-important Sound category which we regard as
a major achievement. Also watch our You Tube video.
Find out more
here
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At last our Vegas adventure begins. After 18 months of hard
work, we are about to depart.
Everyday whilst we’re in Las Vegas we’ll be updating our blog with all the things we’ve been doing!
Find out more
here
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When you’re having a dress rehearsal it can only mean one
thing – the main event is getting really close.
The next time we sparkle and shine in our red costume,
we’ll be on the stage in Las Vegas.
Find out more
here |
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We are counting down the days now until we head to Las
Vegas for the 60th Sweet Adelines International Convention
and Competition.
All of our fund-raising, coaching and hard work under
Jenny’s direction is coming to fruition now as we put the
finishing touches to our competition package.
Find out more
here |
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This will be our fifth time at the International
Convention, and every time we go the amount of work we put
in grows and grows.
The task of keeping the Chorus focussed and motivated
largely falls to our Director Jenny
Find out more
here |
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Surrey Harmony members have been
lucky enough to compete 5 times at the International
Convention, but each time the cost of going escalates. As
usual everyone in the Chorus and our supporters helped to
swell the coffers. But this time around the Chorus as two
fund raising “champions”.
Judith has raised £3,000 by using Ebay and by
the time we travel to Las Vegas Jean’s fund raising
project will have raised £6,000 for Chorus funds!
Find out more
here |
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Although
she will have only just turned 16 when we sing in Las Vegas, our Tenor
Sorrella is already an International veteran. Sorrella joined Surrey
Harmony in February 2003 after attending an Open Night with her Mum. “I
was hooked from the very first note,” she says.
Find out more
here |
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There can be no denying it we had a hot
performance when we made our annual appearance at
the lunchtime concert series in Croydon’s Fairfield
Halls.
It came in the middle of one of the hottest
weeks of the summer. We must thank the audience for also enduring the
very warm temperatures.
Find out more
here |
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It was a glorious summer day in July when we visited
Storrington in West Sussex to take part in their Village
Day.
To the accompaniment of a generator belching out fumes
behind us, we performed our most popular numbers from the
back of a 30 foot container.
Find out more
here |
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Sheila Doherty talks about why singing with Surrey Harmony keeps
you young (ish!) I say young-ish as I’ve just had an ‘in
between the big 0s’ birthday and following the precepts of
the book “When I grow old I’ll wear purple” I’ve decided I’m
going to do the things I want to even if they do seem
slightly outrageous!
Find out more
here |
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After 10 years of producing award-winning routines for
Surrey Harmony our Choreographer Jackie Driscoll has passed
the baton to a new team.
She’s come up with some dazzling routines in the past
decade - umbrellas, pom-poms, bowler hats even a “Greased
Lightening” car - Jackie has done the lot.
Find out more
here |
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Surrey Harmony is looking Swell, Spiffy, Swanky and Ritzy
and it’s all because of our new Flapper dresses.
Producing
nearly 80 costumes in a matter of weeks might give some
people the Heebie-Jeebies. But as usual, the Surrey Harmony
Costume Committee members are the Cat’s Meow.
Find out more
here |
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We in Surrey Harmony have been fortunate to have two
wonderful Sweet Adeline coaches this year – and it’s only April.
This time
it’s been Master Director Åse Hagerman from Sweden.
Find out more
here |
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Valerie Taylor talks about her different roles in the Chorus.
I have been with Surrey Harmony for 10 years this year. How
time flies! During my time with the chorus, Jenny Lawson has
given me so many fantastic opportunities to get involved in new
and exciting things.
Find out more
here |
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What are the main
qualities required from a Chorus Secretary?
Well apart from good shorthand and superb
organisational skills there’s also the ability to bargain on
coach hire prices and bully hotels into giving us their best
rates.
Find out more
here |
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The weather could hardly have been less Spring-like as
Surrey Harmony members and the audience alike faced sub zero
temperatures and even snow on the evening of our concert
“Sing into Spring”.
It was our first time at the Chequer Mead Community Arts
Centre in East Grinstead, but whilst it was cold outside the
welcome inside could not have been warmer.
Find out more
here |
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Edwina Currie and her husband John Jones celebrated
Australia Day in traditional Aussie style.
The couple invited family
and friends to a themed party for two charities – Shopmobility in
Redhill and Surrey Harmony!
Find out
more here |
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Over Christmas Surrey Harmony held one of their extra special fun
quizzes. The quiz had six sections, which meant there was something for
everyone in the family to sink their teeth into, and the added bonus of
a chance to win £50 first prize!
Find out
more here |
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Revitalised, refreshed, and recharged for a successful 2006 after another exhausting but
enjoyable retreat with our coach
Jim Arns, Director of 'The Melodeers Chorus', four times International
Champions.
Jim spent the weekend working with us on our two competition
songs which we will be performing in Las Vegas.
Find out more here |
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Now that 2006 is here, the countdown to Las Vegas has really
begun.
In total 33 Choruses will be competing in Las Vegas and the
stakes for many of them will be high at they attempt to be
crowed International Champions.
Find out more
here |
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Surrey Harmony members are used to singing in all sorts of
places, but never have we performed in such a regal setting
before. We were thrilled to be
able to sing at St James’ Palace, even getting the chance to
perform for Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal.
We were invited to sing at the annual Christmas party for The
“Not Forgotten” Association, a charity which helps disabled
former members of the Armed Forces
Find out more here |
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Surrey Harmony joined with friends and supporters for a festive
evening of songs and harmony to celebrate our achievements in 2005.
The evening included refreshments, a
raffle, lucky dip, quizzes and lots and lots of singing!
Find out more here
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Emma Riley talks about life in Surrey Harmony.
I've
always sung in the shower, bands, shows (anywhere really) and
people are always catching me crooning away to myself!
Three years ago I was looking for somewhere to sing that would
be both challenging and fun so, when a flyer came through the
door for a local group's show at the theatre, I looked them up.
Find out more here |
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What do a Tuba, Bowler Hats, Pom Poms, Umbrellas and a Big
Bass Drum all have in common? Just some of our props for our
concert at the Barn Theatre in Oxted.
It was our first chance to perform some new songs including
"Jalousie" and the "Twenties Singalong". We also had the big
£300 draw for the Surrey Harmony 400 club
Find out more
here |
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We are buzzing with excitement after welcoming the latest
additions to Surrey Harmony our SH-ooters.
What are SH-ooters?
They are members who have joined us especially to make the trip
to the World Championships in Las Vegas in October 2006.
Find out more
here |
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Our summer concert at Fairfield Halls, Croydon is one of our
favourite engagements of the year.
It was great to see old friends and lots of new faces in the
audience as well...
Find out more
here |
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Our recent recruitment campaign under the banner
Divas Wanted
has been a big success! New members are joining Surrey
Harmony all the time and discovering the fun of Barbershop. Pictured are
some of our new recruits...
Find out more here |
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Divas Wanted - Open Night Our Divas Wanted campaign got off to
a great start at our Open Night. It was great to see so many new faces.
Well done for rising to the "Diva" challenge and spending so much time
standing on the risers with us and singing...
Find out more here |
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Joint 50th birthday party!
When four members of
Surrey Harmony realised they would be celebrating a half century
in 2005, there was only one group of
people they want to celebrate with - the rest of the Chorus!...
Find out more here |
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Surrey Harmony's
Divas Wanted campaign got a
big boost thanks to BBC presenter Charlie Crocker.
We challenged her to an audition on her radio programme
which goes out in between 7 & 10 pm on BBC Southern Counties, BBC Kent,
BBC Radio Solent, BBC Oxford and BBC Berkshire. Charlie proved she has
plenty of Diva potential when she joined Quartet Zig Zag in singing a
radio jingle created specially for her...
Find out more here |
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A recently published scientific survey claims that wearing red
gives participants in competition the winning edge.
According to the
boffins red puts the opponents on the back foot. I doubt those behind
the survey tried out their theory on Sweet Adelines, but the Surrey
Harmony “ladies in red” are just thrilled to be wearing gold once again!...
Find out more here |
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Memories of the Sligo Music Festival
Ireland!! What can I say except, WE WON!! What a great few days.
We were very grateful to our groupies for all their
cheering and support throughout the whole weekend. One of the highlights
for me was singing in the Tesco Arcade. It was great to be able to sing
to the general Irish public and we attracted quite a crowd...
Find out more here |
