Holland Days

Soon after The Kingsmen formed, a barbershop singer from The Netherlands who wished to form a new chorus in the north of that country, made contact with our MD, Roy Hann. Roy assisted him with advice and shared with him a number of the arrangements which we were singing at the time.

Over the coming years the two men kept in touch and the new Dutch chorus, known as “The Friesland Harmonizers” flourished. In 2005 we were invited to visit Friesland and members of our chorus and their families spent a highly enjoyable “long weekend” there, being hosted by Harmonizers in their homes.

Naturally, we soon arranged for their chorus and families to join us in the South Hams for a few days and this they did in March 2007. A group of over 40 arrived and were given a true taste of Devon hospitality, being shown the beauty of our area, rather different to their own – it has hills! A welcome party, trips to moor and sea, a barn dance, and a traditional Sunday roast lunch were followed on the final evening by a sell-out joint concert at Kingsbridge College. The concert, undoubtedly the highlight of the visit for us all, featured a joint performance by the two choruses and typified the great spirit of comradeship that is at the very core of our hobby.

Musical Directors Roy Hann (Kingsmen) and Jan Verbogt (Frisian Harmonisers) congratulate each other in front of the joint choruses on an excellent concert at the Community College.