Kingsmen - Barbershop Harmony Chorus - Kingsbridge

Second new Kingsmen of the year

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:17:46 GMT

Congratulations to Chris Collins on passing his voice assessment

There was quiet confidence, careful concentration and controlled courage as Chris Collins stepped forward for his voice assessment last week. Notes were nailed, nerves were navigated and the tune stayed triumphantly on track.

We are delighted to confirm that Chris passed with flying colours, becoming our second successful recruit of the year - proof that the Kingsmen's success continues to grow and we are looking for more new members to share our fantastic hobby.

We look forward to Chris lending his voice as well as his enthusiasm to the Kingsmen for many years to come,.

If you are interested in singing with the Kingsmen please come along and give it a go - you won't regret it.

When Love Took Centre Stage at Mount Gould Hospital

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 19:45:38 GMT

Two days after Valentine's Day, the Kingsmen had the privilege of bringing music, smiles, and harmony to patients and staff at Mount Gould Hospital, sharing songs centred on one simple but powerful theme: Love.

From the first note, it was clear that this was more than a performance. Love was there in every sense; in the dedication of the hospital staff who paused in busy corridors to listen, in the smiles of patients, and in the shared moments of connection that music so effortlessly creates. The Kingsmen sang of love, friendship and care; themes that resonated deeply within a place

where compassion is part of everyday life.

Music has a unique way of lifting spirits, and for a short while the wards echoed not with routine, but with harmony and warmth. For the Kingsmen singers, it was a reminder that love doesn’t always need grand gestures; sometimes it arrives as a familiar tune, a shared laugh, or a chorus sung from the heart. The Kingsmen left Mount Gould Hospital feeling uplifted themselves and grateful for the opportunity to give something back and reminded that love, like music, is best when it’s shared.

We received a lovely message of thanks from the hospital chaplain who said "you need to know that you made a difference to those who came. Here's some examples : one lady told me just 30 minutes before you sang that she did not feel well enough and was not in the right frame of mind. I persuaded her, telling her how good you are. You may have noticed that she was singing along and left feeling much happier and smiley. There were also patients from the neurological ward who have been in hospital for some months. It made such a difference to them leaving the ward for some "normality" and uplift in their lives". Well done gents for all you do, and thanks again and hope to see you soon ! "

New Year, New Recruit for the Kingsmen

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 18:41:20 GMT

Kingsmen celebrate with new recruit Sam Tolchard

The Kingsmen were delighted to start 2026 on a high note, quite literally, by welcoming Sam Tolchard , who

has successfully passed his voice assessment and become our first new member of the year.

Sam took the plunge and sailed through the assessment with flying colours. It’s always a great pleasure to hear a new voice blend into the Kingsmen sound and Sam has already proved he’ll be a great addition to the Kingsmen family.

Singing with the Kingsmen isn’t just about having fun, creating great harmony and singing perfect notes. There are real health benefits too. Singing improves breathing and posture, boosts lung capacity, reduces stress, sharpens memory, and perhaps most importantly puts a smile on your face. A good rehearsal can lift your mood for the week ahead.

If Sam’s success has sparked a thought of “maybe I could do that”, the answer is yes you can. You don’t need to read music, you don’t need a soloist’s voice, and you certainly don’t need to be perfect. If you enjoy singing and good company, you’ll fit right in.

Here’s to Sam, here’s to new voices in 2026, and here’s to anyone thinking of joining us. We are recruiting now! Come

along, give it a go, and see how good it feels to sing with the Kingsmen. Click on "Join us" to get in touch and visit a rehearsal.

Marathon Support to the Chairmans Charity

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 13:45:16 GMT

So, in the words of Jim Stewart, why would a 67 year old who hasn't even completed a "couch to 5k" run in a Marathon, let alone the Madrid event, one of the hilliest on the circuit? Jim has chosen to take up this challenge to run and raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK, this is the Kingsmen Chairmans Charity this year and so we are all throwing all of our support behind Jim.

Here's why Jim chosen to run and raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK

"I recently sat in my GP’s office after a PSA test. My results were ‘normal,’ yet I was told not to take 'comfort' in that. The PSA is only an indication, not a diagnosis, and it left me with a chilling realization: 'normal' doesn’t always mean 'safe.'"

Prostrate Cancer UK's mission is: Prostate Cancer UK has a simple ambition - to stop men dying from prostate cancer. Through shifting the science over the next 10 years to focus on radical improvements in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and support, we will stop prostate cancer being a killer.

Jim has set up a justgiving page which can be found at: https://www.justgiving.com/page/kingsmen-jim

Jim also has his own Marathon Blog: https://marathonfundraiserforprostatecancer.blogspot.com/p/home.html

Please visit these pages and if you can support Jim in this wild endeavour then please do so.

Celebrate Christmas with the Kingsmen!

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 17:16:46 GMT

By Popular Demand we're coming to a venue near you - Don't Miss Us!

The Kingsmen invite you to a cracking Christmas celebration with us as we sprinkle festive magic, merriment and mischief across the South Hams.

Rudolph and his friends stand ready to help us unleash a sleighful of much loved carols and classic Christmas songs generously sprinkled with an array of dazzling Elves, Christmas jumpers, hats and tinsel.

Our seasonal songs have been polished, our close harmonies fined tuned and our much loved choreography is ready to be revealed.

Why not enjoy a great night out with your family or partner by coming to see us at any of the locations below. See you there.....

14th December 2025 The Sloop Inn, Bantham - 19:30

17th December 2025 The Village Inn, Thurlestone - Evening (Precise time TBC)

21st December 2025 The Cricket Inn, Beesands 15:00 to 17:00

24th December 2025 The Victoria Inn, Salcombe - 19:15

We're back - Kingsmen Perform Brilliantly in Bournemouth

kmhamer@yahoo.co.uk (Kevin Hamer) — Mon, 26 May 2025 21:01:20 GMT

Division 3 winners, a great score and 14th Overall in the Country

The Kingsmen have returned from a fantastic weekend in Bournemouth competing in the annual British Association of Barbershop Singers - Sing 2025 competition. The very best Choruses from all over the country compete to win the coveted award.

And what a successful weekend it was - great weather, great camaraderie and a great result. Six months of hard work all came together as the Kingsmen achieved an overall score of 65.8% for their songs "The way you look tonight" and "Fly me to the moon".

This was the second best score for the Kingsmen since 1999 and only 0.1% away from their very best result achieved in 2008. Kingsmen finished a very creditable 14th position nationally but even better was to come as we were thrilled to be crowned as Division 3 champions, winning a bursary of £500.

Pictured above is the chorus as we hit our final note of the competition, Gary Rowe our Musical Director and Ian Wooler accepting our division 3 winners award and Gary, his family and members of our chorus celebrating our success.

Why not re-live our superb performance by clicking on the link below and scrolling forward to 2 hours 42 minutes to watch our performance. You can also watch Gary and Ian collecting our Division 3 winners award by scrolling to 8 hours 47 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArMegUeeEV4

Kingsmen support Age UK Devon in their 75th Journey through the years celebration

kmhamer@yahoo.co.uk (Kevin Hamer) — Mon, 26 May 2025 19:40:09 GMT

Age UK Devon 75th Birthday celebrations

The Kingsmen were delighted to support Age UK Devon in their 75th Birthday celebrations, held in the shadow of the majestic Buckfast Abbey. Beautiful weather added to the special occasion.

An appreciative audience enjoyed us singing a range of popular songs as well as a very special rendition of Happy Birthday to the charity as well as to those members of the audience who were 75 years old this year.

We all enjoyed a glass of fizz and special 75th birthday cake and the audience had great fun participating in some of the songs.

Sophie Littlewood, Age UK Devon CEO said " On behalf of everyone at Age UK Devon, I want to extend our heartfelt thanks to you for your fantastic performance at our 75th Journey Through The Years celebration. You added such a special touch to the day and created a truly uplifting atmosphere that our guests and our team won't forget soon. We are so grateful for your continued support and generosity in helping us make events like this so memorable for our clients."

We're off to Bournemouth, Watch us Live!

kmhamer@yahoo.co.uk (Kevin Hamer) — Thu, 22 May 2025 17:54:49 GMT

Come Fly with the Kingsmen and Watch us compete in Bournemouth Live!

Six months of preparations are over!

The dress rehearsal last Saturday (above) was a great success and the Kingsmen are as ready as they will ever be to compete in the British Association of Barbershop Singers - Sing 2025 Competition against similar choruses from all over the country, this year being held in Bournemouth between 23rd-25th May.

We leave Friday afternoon and will enjoy a great (but not too great!) evening together in Bournemouth before an early start to prepare on Saturday.

And the great news is, you can watch us perform live on the BABS You Tube Channel at 11:42 Saturday morning using the Link below. Why not share it with your friends and family and enjoy our performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArMegUeeEV4

We will be singing two songs, The Way You look Tonight and Fly Me To The Moon. Wish us luck!

Kingsmen Bring Early Taste of Summer to Torbay

kmhamer@yahoo.co.uk (Kevin Hamer) — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 18:12:31 GMT

Temperatures Soar as Kingsmen Sing California Dreamin' at Torbay Music Festival

On 28th February, the Kingsmen competed in the Torbay Music Festival singing two songs - a Gospel Medley followed by The Mamas and the Papas classic California Dreamin'.

Musical Director Gary Rowe introduced the second song by commenting on the long rainy and dreary winter we'd had and how much we all desperately needed some sunshine in our lives. Right on cue the Kingsmen delighted the audience by pulling out garlands and cool sun shades that had been concealed upon their person and proceeded to deliver an excellent performance to rapturous applause from the audience.

Adjudicator Stephen Roberts awarded the Kingsmen a score of 86 categorised as with "honours". He commented on the Kingsmen's controlled tone, engaged and expressive singing and lovely harmony between the chorus sections. A great night!

On this occasion the Kingsmen were pipped by the magnificent ladies chorus "Yours in Harmony" from Torquay but rest assured we will be back next year!

Kingsmen Scale Heights at Mount Gould Hospital

kmhamer@yahoo.co.uk (Kevin Hamer) — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 08:25:18 GMT

Kingsmen sing to patients and staff at Mount Gould Hospital

A group of Kingsmen entertained an audience of patients, relatives and members of staff at Mount Gould Hospital, Plymouth, on 24th February.

The event was organised by Pamela Howarth, Lead Chaplain, Livewell South West; as a follow up to the Kingsmen singing at South Hams Hospital at the end of 2024.

The health and wellbeing benefits from singing are well known; so, in addition to singing a few songs from their repertoire, the Kingsmen ensured that there was plenty of audience participation.

Members of the audience enjoyed and had fun singing along with songs including, Drunken Sailor, My Bonnie, and a 'duet' of Swing Low and When the Saints; plus a Kingsmen rendition of Happy Birthday for a patient's relative, whose 70th birthday it was that day.

Looking Good for 2025

kmhamer@yahoo.co.uk (Kevin Hamer) — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 17:34:40 GMT

Kingsmen Photoshoot January 2025

The Kingsmen commissioned Lisa Large of LargeasLife Photography to take new professional photographs of the chorus as we gear up for a busy 2025.

View our Web Site Gallery to see a selection of the photographs and different uniforms we use, both formal and informal.

If you are thinking of holding an event and wish to book the Kingsmen, we can sing in both formal or informal attire and why not check out our superb repertoire of songs on our web site.

Kingsmen triumphant in Saltash Music Festival

kmhamer@yahoo.co.uk (Kevin Hamer) — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:01:37 GMT

Join the celebration!

On the 30th January 2025 the Kingsmen competed in the annual Saltash Music Festival and were triumphant in winning first place in the Gentlemens Barbershop Chorus category.

The Kingsmen achieved an "Honours" classification with a score of 85. Gary Rowe, the Kingsmen's Musical Director said "this is a tremendous start to the year for the Kingsmen chorus as we begin our preparations for the British Association of Barbershop Singers annual contest in May later this year"

The Kingsmen will be competing again at the Torbay Music Festival on 28th February 2025 - a report on our progress will follow; watch this space

Royal William Yard in Plymouth

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:10:02 GMT

A great afternoon was had at Royal William Yard in Plymouth where the Kingsmen performed a number of Christmas carols and songs for everyone attending the Family Fun & Christmas Crafts Day.

A Grand Auction of Promises

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 12:09:00 GMT

The Kingsmen kick-off a Wedding Party in Style

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:38:00 GMT

It’s always a joy to be invited to sing at wedding. They are always such special occasions and often held at wonderful venues and locations.

One such recent occasion was when we were asked to sing at the wedding of Grace and Will at a beautiful location overlooking the harbour at Salcombe, Devon.

Under the direction of our MD, Gary Rowe, the chorus performed some songs, ending with a rendition of Sweet Caroline, which really got the party in full swing.

Grace and Will have very kindly given their permission for these lovely photos to be published and sent us the following message:

"We wanted to reach out to thank you all so much for your performance at our wedding. It was so special to have you all sing for us and you really kicked the party off in style. We had so many compliments about you and people are still talking about your performance a month later!"

So if you are planning a wedding in the South Hams and want a fine group of men to sing for you at the service or party, then you know who to call. Contact details can be found here .

And if you would like to come along and see us perform, tickets are still available for our Concert at the Guildhall, Plymouth, on Friday 8th September 2023.
For further information and to book tickets just click on the following link: thelittleboxoffice.com/thekingsmen/

Book your tickets for the Kingsmen Concert now!

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 00:47:00 GMT

Book your tickets now!

It’s less than 2 weeks to our concert on the 8th September at the Guildhall, Plymouth, and tickets can be booked via https://thelittleboxoffice.com/thekingsmen/

You’ll find further information about the concert in this short video clip by our MD, Gary Rowe. The clip was taken at one of our summer sing-outs at Salcombe. We did three over the summer period - two in lovely sunshine and one in a rain storm!

So our Hawaiian shirts and shorts will be put away for another year and replaced at the concert with our finest dress gear. So why not come along and see us perform - we brush up surprisingly well.

We will be joined by the Callington Community Gospel Choir and the Plymouth Rock Choir; and you are guaranteed an evening of singing and enjoyment, and all in aid of a fabulous charity, BASICS Devon.

Three Choirs - One Voice: 4 Weeks and counting - don't forget to book your tickets

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 10:38:00 GMT

Hard to believe but this wonderful concert to raise funds for BASICS Devon is now but 4 weeks away. The concert, featuring three local community choirs - the Kingsmen, the Callington Community Gospel Choir, and the Plymouth Rock Choir is being held at The Guildhall, Plymouth, on Friday 8th September 2023.

The concert is being hosted by David 'Fitz' Fitzgerald and he has made further announcements about the concert on his BBC Radio Devon radio show on the 8th August. If you'd like to listen to the clip then click on the following link. The announcement was made at the end of his show (10am to 1pm) and starts at about 2:54:20. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0g02rrq

Full details about the concert can be found in the flyer (below) and tickets (only £10 each) can be booked via thelittleboxoffice.com/thekingsmen/

‘All hands on deck’ as the Kingsmen prepare for their charity concert

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 07:44:00 GMT

Planning and promotional work is well underway for the concert Three Choirs – One Voice which is being held at The Guildhall, Plymouth, on Friday 8th September. The Concert is being held to raise awareness of and funds for BASICS Devon. BASICS Devon strives to be the county's leading volunteer pre-hospital immediate care charity.

Hosted by David ‘Fitz’ Fitzgerald, the concert will feature the Kingsmen, Callington Community Gospel Choir, and the Plymouth Rock Choir. So three great choirs, and three different styles of music and singing – and all for a wonderful cause.

Barrington, Chair of the Kingsmen, and long-time Chorus Member and concert organiser Stu Newberry, were recently interviewed on BBC Radio Devon by ‘Fitz’ (seen above to promote the concert. In the interview Barrington (right of shot) explained about his role and life in the Royal Navy and his background as a Field Gunner and competitions at Earl’s Court. He also explained that he had been helped and supported by BASICS Devon, and had selected them as his charity for 2023.

Tickets (£10) for the concert are now on sale and can be purchased via: https://thelittleboxoffice.com/thekingsmen/. So don’t delay – book your ticket today!

The Road to Convention

Mon, 22 May 2023 09:05:00 GMT

With Sing2023 (the British Association of Barbershop Singers 49th Convention at Bournemouth) now only a couple of weeks away, the Kingsmen are putting the finishing touches to their two competition songs and getting ‘stage ready’ for their performance on Saturday 27th May.

Whilst we will not reveal in this Blog Post what we will be wearing on the day, we can say that our uniform for Sing2023 includes a blue bow tie and handkerchief. These items have very kindly been purchased and donated by our Club Chair, Barrington Sowden – seen here presenting Graham Palmer (left of shot) and Shaun Fewtrell (right of shot) with theirs.

When asked about his donation Barrington said: it is such a privilege to be Chair of this wonderful Chorus and I really wanted to mark this occasion and our attendance at Bournemouth, our first Convention since the pandemic.

Our current uniforms are in need of an update and we are hoping to do this later in the year following fund raising activities and a Chair’s Concert in October. So achieving a quick ‘make-over’ and ‘uniform uplift’ with new bow ties and handkerchiefs, and the fact that funds are a little short, gave me the opportunity to make this small gesture. As I said to the Chorus at rehearsal, if we look and feel good, then hopefully we will perform well. Come on the Kingsmen!

Graham, a Kingsmen Member for over 30 years and an Honorary Life Member, has attended many BABS Conventions before. When asked to share some of his experiences of these events Graham immediately recalled the nervous anticipation of his very first Convention. Here are some of his many memories of that and the others that followed.

In 1999, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the forming of BABS, instead of holding regional preliminary rounds, all member choruses were invited to the national Convention held that year in the splendid backdrop of the Winter Gardens, Blackpool.

At our allocated time to sing, we assembled behind closed curtains, I seem to remember, and the spine-chilling words “Stewards, close the doors” were heard. The curtains rolled back and we stared out into a pitch black auditorium from which powerful theatre lights illuminated every detail of our tentative group of singers.

This was it! All that preparation, all the drill, and all the pep talks-would they see us through? We swallowed and breathed deeply as the next announcement drifted across to us – “From Kingsbridge, under the direction of Roy Hann, THE KINGSMEN!”

Our first song was a lovely ballad “An Old-Fashioned Girl (in a Gingham Gown)”. I believe our second was ‘Roll out the Barrel’ which involved several intricate, well-practised moves. We sang it with great gusto, probably very quickly, but that’s what nerves can do to you! When the results were announced, we didn’t know what to expect but we finished a very creditable 15th. Fantastic!

Over the following years, we’ve attended Conventions in a variety of locations including Scarborough which it took 11 hours to get to by coach - and it wasn’t a stagecoach! We went to Harrogate 3 times - my favourite with its classic architecture and great pubs and Bournemouth 2 or 3 times not including this year. Our most successful performances were at Cheltenham Racecourse and Southport where we were placed 10th.

Since the first Convention the experience has been a little less spine-chilling but there’s still a tremendous buzz of excitement and a wonderful camaraderie about the occasions. Now, just around the corner-a return to Bournemouth.

So gird your loins chaps, take a deep breath and prepare to hear; “From Kingsbridge, under the direction of Gary Rowe, THE KINGSMEN!” Remember to enjoy every minute of this unique experience!

Shaun has been a Member of the Kingsmen since 2016 and is Section Leader of the Tenors and Member of the Music Team. Commenting on the run up to Sing2023 and the rehearsal schedule of recent weeks Shaun explained that: we always seek to do our best with any performances or competitions we take part in but for those of us who take part in this hobby, the National Convention is the pinnacle of our efforts. It allows us to take stock of how we compare to other Choruses nationally and in turn allows us to consider where is best to place our future efforts to ensure we always perform at our best.

The amount of work put in by all the guys in the Chorus is immense and a testament to how much we all get from our shared hobby of singing together. I look forward to the competition and hope that we will do our town of Kingsbridge proud.

So do wish us luck in our final days of preparation and ‘watch this space’ for our next update in which we’ll let you know how we got on…..and of course, show you what we wore!

Kingsmen and guests enjoy an evening of fun and song at the KBHC Annual Awards Evening

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:32:00 GMT

The Kingsmen held their long awaited Annual Awards Evening on 8th March 2023 and Honorary Members, friends and family were all invited to celebrate the achievements and contributions to Chorus activities by this year’s Award Winners. For the past couple of years this much looked forward to event had to be postponed due to Covid lockdowns and restrictions.

The evening got off to a great start with MD Gary Rowe leading an hour of fun and song – comprising small group, quartet, and Chorus singing; and with Kingsmen and guests learning and performing a couple of Barbershop Tags taught to all by Roy Hann, Founder Member of the Kingsmen and its Life Honorary President.

Following a ‘call to order’, Barrington Sowden, KBHC Chair, then formally welcomed all to the Annual Awards Evening, making special mention and giving a warm ‘Kingsmen welcome’ to guest Chris Warren.

Chris was a friend of Kingsmen and Honorary Member John Lavelle. John, a Member of the Bass Section for some 20 years, passed away in 2020, and kindly made a very generous donation to the Kingsmen in his will.

Barrington explained that the Club decided to use this donation to help fund the purchase of new risers, and then asked Roy to unveil a commemorative plaque in memory of John.

The inscription on the plaque reads ‘Standing Room Only; in memory of John Lavelle; a brother in song’ – words kindly prepared by current Honorary Members.

Ian Wooler, KBHC Secretary then invited Kingsmen and guests to share a few stories of their memories of John (with thanks to Andrew Vaughan, Tim Wyatt, and Stu Newberry) before asking the Chorus to ‘sing the risers in’ with a rendition of ‘There is Love Wherever There Is Song’.

The lyrics of the song start with the words ‘Joining in song we gather here with friends that we hold most dear’ – a very appropriate sentiment for the whole evening.

Then followed the announcements and presentations of the Annual Awards.

The winner of the Presidents Trophy for the Barbershopper of the Year went to Bob Moseley . Bob is a member of the Bass Section, and a long standing and much valued and respected member of the Club’s Committee.

The award, voted for by the whole Chorus to the Member they deem has done the most to promote the Chorus and its aims, was presented to Bob by Roy.

The Director’s Award, presented by Gary went to John Baldwin . John is the Leader of the Bass Section and a member of the Music Team.

Unfortunately John could not attend the evening so in ‘true award ceremony style’ a photo was shown of him in his absence.

Winner of the Rose Bowl, which is awarded by the whole Chorus to the best supporter, was presented by Barrington, to Rose Weeks.

Winner of the Harmony Award, for the person who has made new members feel the most welcome, was MD Gary Rowe.

The award was presented by Chris Lambart and Martin Gerrard who joined the Kingsmen following the last Learn to Sing in Harmony Course.

The Jack Nation Award, awarded by the Chair and the previous winner, Paul Harvey, went to Ian Wooler. The award is given each year to the person they deem epitomises Barbershop and all that stands for in their professionalism and promotion of the Chorus.

And a 10 Year Long Service Badge was presented by Gary to Ray Bailey. Ray joined the Chorus after attending a Learn to Sing in Harmony Course and is a member of the Baritone Section.

The formal part of the evening ended with some ‘thank-you’s’ (to the organisers and in particular to Rebecca Rowe for very kindly taking photos on the night) and final congratulations to all the winners.

And what better way to close the Annual Awards Evening than to end with one last, followed by an Afterglow – more fun and singing held at a local pub.

Another fantastic result for the Kingsmen!

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 12:28:00 GMT

The Kingsmen added to their trophy cabinet for the second time in as many months following a fantastic performance at the Torbay and South West of England Music Festival on 3 rd March 2023.

The Chorus sang two beautiful songs, There Is Love Wherever There Is Song and The Way You Look Tonight. ‘There Is Love’ was written and arranged by Steve Delehanty, a member of the Westchester Chordsmen, based in Westchester, New York. The Kingsmen first performed this lovely song when touring in the USA in 2018 – a tour which culminated in singing this song with the Chordsmen as the finale to a joint concert.

Commenting on the performance at Torbay, Kingsmen MD, Gary Rowe said “I was delighted with our performance and an overall score 91, which placed us in the ‘Outstanding Category’. The feedback from the Adjudicator included ‘excellent enunciation of words’, ‘lovely spacious interpretation’, and ‘a slick and very effective ensemble’. This feedback is further evidence of all the hard work Chorus Members put in each and every week and bodes well for our next competition which is the British Association of Barbershop Singers Annual Convention, which this year is being held in May in Bournemouth”.

Kingsmen celebrate success at the Saltash Music, Speech and Drama Festival 2023

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 16:53:00 GMT

2023 got off to a winning start for the Kingsmen with a fabulous performance at the Saltash Music, Speech and Drama Festival. Singing two wonderful songs – The Way You Look Tonight and I Believe, the Chorus came away with a mark of 88, a Distinction, ‘An excellent performance technically and artistically’.

Commenting on the result, Musical Director Gary Rowe said,

“I was very pleased with our performance and the score is evidence of all the hard work the guys put in each week when practicing at home and at rehearsals. Our next Competition target is to perform at the Torbay Music Festival in March”.

Looking further ahead the Kingsmen will be performing at Sing2023 in May. The event is the annual Convention held by the British Association of Barbershop Singers, which this year will be held in Bournemouth at the International Centre.

The Kingsmen will be competing against 31 other male Barbershop Choruses from around the Country. Wish them luck!

Busy Time for the Chorus

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 16:53:00 GMT

The Kingsmen have enjoyed a very busy time of sing-outs in the run up to Christmas 2022 - bringing song, joy and a spirit of harmony to local groups, communities and charities in South Hams, Devon.

Performances started early this year with the Chorus singing at the Thurlestone Hotel Christmas Fair in late November, followed by a jam-packed series of fundraising concerts for local causes and charities, including: Horsemanship for Health; Loddiswell Parish Church Restoration Fund (a Three Choirs Concert featuring the Kingsmen; Girls' Night Out; and the Loddiswell Pop Up Choir); and the South Hams Christian Fellowship Chapel in Kingsbridge. Performances have also taken place at the Heron Valley Christmas Carol events and at Royal William Yard Plymouth for their Christmas Fair and business/residents evening.

And a year is not complete without another wonderful return to the Children's Ward at Derriford Hospital where a small group of the Chorus sing and perform for the staff, children and their parents; and then finally to an annual favorite, a Chorus performance on Christmas Eve at The Cottage Hotel, Hope Cove.

The Chorus returns to rehearsals early in the New Year and with a focus of competing at the Saltash Music Festival in January and at the British Association of Barbershop Singers Convention, Sing2023, at Bournemouth in May.

Kingsmen Fundraiser Event for Mental Health CIC

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 13:53:00 GMT

The Kingsmen Barbershop Harmony Chorus were delighted to support Horsemanship for Health CIC at a fundraiser hosted by St. Lukes Church, Milber, Newton Abbot in recognition of the great work being done in support of people struggling with their mental health.

As Chair of the chorus, Stuart Newberry said, ‘Belinda’s work with the horses is making a huge difference to the mental wellbeing of her clients. This is a local good cause and every penny raised, I know, will be going towards projects on the ground.’

Every year the Kingsmen raise funds for good causes and they were pleased to collaborate with St. Lukes Church, Milber, as well as local musicians Bob Julian with his Brass Quartet, and Lyndon Forster who amazed us with his handpans in order to make this event happen. The appreciative audience were treated to a wonderful evening of music with a Christmas theme, and thanks to their generosity the event raised over £400.

Horsemanship for Health is a Community Interest Company based in Newton Abbot. They work creatively and collaboratively to provide wisdom, wonder and wellbeing through innovative projects that support people to build flourishing lives.

A Wonderful Evening of Singing, Friendship and Memories

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 07:53:00 GMT

Local groups of singing friends created a memorable and celebratory event in Modbury, South Hams, Devon, on 2nd July in memory of an old friend, Greg Jarrett who sadly passed away in August 2019 after a fight against lymphoma.

The event was organised by the Kingsmen Barbershop Chorus from Kingsbridge in collaboration with a mixed a capella group, Crewmates and the quartets Carousel and 4Kandles. Greg was an enthusiastic member of the Kingsmen (as Baritone Section Leader) and of Crewmates and 4Kandles. Greg left an indelible mark on everyone connected with these groups.

Greg Jarrett

This event was planned for 2020, but had to be postponed because of Covid, and it was with great pleasure that around 100 people gathered at Modbury Memorial Hall to celebrate and share stories of Greg’s impact, not only to singing, but to his family, friends, and the community.

The Kingsmen opened the event by singing ‘There is love wherever there is song’ – the opening lines of which are ‘joining in song we gather here with friends that we hold most dear. Wonderful lyrics and a sentiment that said it all. Then followed performances by local groups and Kingsmen quartets, with the final performance and place being given to 4Kandles – Greg’s old quartet. Performances were judged on their entertainment value by local musician and judge, Jo Hiley. After announcing the results a unique award was presented to the winning group, Razor Sharp. The award, which had been handcrafted in wood by Kingsmen member, Bob Moseley, has an image of a handshake on one side, and a flat cap – synonymous with Greg, on the rear. The award, ‘The Greg Jarrett Music Award – World In Union’, will be competed for annually at the Kingsmen Quartet and small group singing evening – as a wonderful reminder of a much missed friend.

Razor Sharp being presented with the award by Paula

Greg’s family, including daughters Kate and Helen were special guests and his wife, Paula, spoke about Greg’s passion for music and singing which he found near the end of his service as a police officer with Devon and Cornwall Police where for many years, Greg was a traffic sergeant and motor cyclist.

Around £700 was raised for Lymphoma Action and to end the event the guests and groups all took part in singing one of Greg’s favourite songs, World in Union (hence the name of the award), which touched his love of rugby and his commitment to diversity and inclusion.

All stand to sing World In Union

Kingsmen are back where they belong

Thu, 26 May 2022 14:55:00 GMT

The Kingsmen performed at St Lawrence Church, Bigbury in support of a fund raising event for the tower and bells refurbishment. Organiser Jill Gubbins was delighted with the Kingsmen performance at the event which raised £504 for the charity.

This was also the debut performance for three of the latest recruits from the recent Learn To Sing in Harmony course. Everyone enjoyed the experience. It is fantastic to be back singing in churches and it was the opportunity to sing some very emotive and uplifting gospel songs such as ‘I Believe’ and ‘Gospel Medley- How Great Thou Art’. This was also the debut performance from Ian Hosking (lead) singing the solo in that song (listen to the attached video).

Also a great performance from duo ‘Belt & Braces’ comprising Ian Wooler (baritone) and Barrington Sowden (bass) performing New Zealand’s Unofficial National anthem ‘Pokarekare Ana’ (listen to attached video).

Kingsmen Shine at Torbay

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 12:18:00 GMT

The Kingsmen under the direction of new Music Director Gary Rowe won two trophies at the Torbay Music Festival held in Paignton Festival Hall. Gary was immensely pleased with the choruses performance in both the male barbershop competition and the male choir category obtaining a distinction and commendation respectively. And this was his son Freddie’s (12yrs) first competition. And he performed like a real trouper. So well done to him.

Kingsmen - New Recruits

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 08:10:00 GMT

After a very successful free 6week 'Learn to Sing in Harmony' course we have seven new members who have since passed the audition phase. Hon Life President and former Music Director Roy Hann has been instrumental in putting the new guys through their paces, conducting voice checks and giving them expert tuition in the process after the course had finished.

We are fortunate to have recruited six new leads and one tenor (Chris Lambart).

The leads are Tim Field, Martin Gerrard, Paul Horrocks, Richard Uff, Craig Wensley, Neil Woodcock.

There was an opportunity for the new guys to perform to their friends and family at the end of course concert held at the Kingsmen's rehearsal venue. This was followed by an excellent 'afterglow' at the Loft restaurant on Fore Street, Kingsbridge where pizzas were laid on for everyone and of course the opportunity to sing a few more songs.

New Music Director Gary Rowe is pleased how the chorus is progressing under his guidance and especially pleased how the new members have integrated so well.

There is a fresh new vibe about the chorus and we look forward to several performances scheduled for the coming months. Check our 'What's On' tab for more information.

We wish to thank our chairman Stu Newberry, and members Peter Dale and Ian Wooler for their fantastic efforts in managing the Risk Assessments and endeavours to keep the chorus safe during Covid.

Historic Moment for The Kingsmen

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 15:29:00 GMT

He had an idea to see what interest there might be in forming a men’s Barbershop harmony chorus. That was 30 years ago in the Autumn of 1991. Roy Hann (Founder and Honorary Life President) could never imagine what he had started when 12 men turned up at the Crabshell Inn, Kingsbridge all those years ago. Fast forward 30 years and looking back with pride at the achievements of the Kingsmen, he has decided to hand over the role of Musical Director to assistant MD,Gary Rowe.

‘It’s truly wonderful and a great achievement to members past and present that the Club is still going after all these years,’ said Roy, ‘But we’re in really good shape. We kept up with rehearsals during the lockdowns and we’re getting ready for probably our busiest Christmas ever and looking forward to 2022 – which kicks off with a free 6 week ‘Learn to Sing in Harmony Course’ in January’.

New Musical Director, Gary Rowe with Roy Hann at the recent Kingsmen 30 year anniversary celebrations at the Thurlestone Hotel.

Gary has been singing with the Kingsmen for the last 16 years and has been its Assistant Musical Director for the past 8 years. So the Chorus is in ‘another pair of good hands’ going forward and the handover from Roy to Gary has been taking place now for some months.

At a handover at rehearsals at the South Hams Christian Fellowship Chapel in Fore Street on Wednesday, chairman Stuart Newberry reflected on Roy’s vision and commitment over those 30 years and thanked him for the enormous part he has played in bringing so much joy to the 150 or so men who have sung with the chorus over the years. ‘The Kingsmen is much more than about singing. It’s about friendship. It’s about family. It’s about connection, where a group of men join together, being sensitive to each other as we sing in harmony. It’s a lesson for life, really’, said Stuart.

In welcoming Gary, Stuart congratulated him on his appointment and promised that the chorus would work with him to ensure the Kingsmen continue as before, to entertain and bring enjoyment to so many people through singing.

Gary is looking forward to his new role. ‘'Wow, it is a huge honour to be the Kingsmen's new Musical Director. I am excited about the future and hope to share our music and friendship with as many people as possible, also supporting local charities and bringing hope and joy to all.’

You can see the Kingsmen at The Watermark in Ivybridge on Friday 10th December at 7pm. Tickets are available via the Watermark Box Office 01752 892220 or by clicking here

If you’d like to know more about our free ‘Learn to Sing in Harmony’ course then check our website for further information.

The Kingsmen kick off Christmas in style with TWO debuts

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 14:47:00 GMT

Our first public appearance for almost 2 years took place at the Thurlestone Hotel this week. Invited to be a part of their Christmas Craft Fair, The Kingsmen added some Christmas sparkle to the event which raised funds for the Salcombe and Hope Cove RNLI.

Over 30 stalls filled the hotel ballroom, with local businesses selling their wares to an enthusiastic public.

The chorus were delighted to waive their fee in aid of the RNLI. The event was the first of its kind for 2 years and the shoppers and traders enthusiastically welcomed the chorus as they sang some festive songs. The performance was also a special one for Freddie Rowe, the newest (and youngest at the age of 12) member of the Kingsmen. The event was Freddie’s first official sing-out and didn’t he do well! And the significance of the event did not stop there. It was also the first performance by the Kingsmen under the direction of their new Musical Director, Gary Rowe – you’ve guessed it, Freddie’s dad! Another great sing-out for the Kingsmen and a significant one for the Rowe family.

Organiser Kate Davey, on behalf of the Thurlestone Hotel said ‘I just wanted to say a massive thankyou to you and all the Kingsmen who attended this evening! It really made the event and I have received so many comments of how nice it was. Thank you again.’

The Kingsmen Christmas Show - Friday 10th December 2021

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 10:50:00 GMT

Tickets are available for our Christmas Celebrations at the Watermark Theatre, Ivybridge on Friday 10th December at 7pm, tickets are £12.50 and £10.50 Concessions.

Purchase your Tickets Here

The Kingsmen celebrate their 30th Anniversary

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 13:18:00 GMT

Musical Director and Hon Life President Roy Hann placed an advert in the local Kingsbridge Gazette back in 1991 inviting men to come along to the Crabshell Inn on Kingsbridge Quay to try barbershop singing. Twelve men turned up and the Kingsmen were born.

Thirty years later and four of them are still singing with the chorus having stayed the course, and are to receive Honorary Life Membership at the 30th Anniversary dinner to be held at the Thurlestone Hotel. This is a major milestone in the Kingsmen’s history and it is thanks to Roy and his wife Eileen, for creating a fantastic local harmony chorus and all it has brought not only to the local communities in Devon and Cornwall and nationally in the barbershop world, but to those friends made on the Kingsmen tours of the USA in 1994, 1997 and 2018 and in Holland in 2007 and 2015.

Latest recruit for the Kingsmen

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 13:15:00 GMT

Music Director (MD) Roy Hann’s grandson Freddie, who is Deputy MD Gary Rowe’s 12yr old son, is the latest recruit to the ranks of ‘Kingsmen’. Freddie was ‘sung in’ to the song ‘Consider Yourself’ by the main chorus at last weeks rehearsal.

He has joined the ‘tenor’ section and has already learned many songs of the repertoire including Christmas songs. He should be on the stage for the Kingsmen’s Christmas Show at the Watermark, Ivybridge on Friday 10th Dec at 7pm.

He has already proved to be a great asset to the chorus. He follows in the footsteps of the previous youngest member, and his cousin Josh Vaughan, who joined as an 8yr old some years ago and is now making his own way in the music world with his rock band ‘Capulus’ in Bournemouth.

Kingsmen BABS Long Service Awards

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 13:30:00 GMT

What a way to celebrate this achievement, by Zoom!

Four members received their long service Membership Badges of the national BABS (British Association of Barbershop Singers) awards and proudly wore them at the weekly Zoom rehearsal evenings.

20yr- Chairman Stu Newberry (Lead), Dave Madge (Bass & Tenor);

25yr- Tim Wyatt (Baritone), Steve Hancock (Baritone).

The Zoom sessions have been running since lockdown started in March 2020. They have been orchestrated and managed by the inimitable Ian Wooler (fellow baritone) and chairman Stu Newberry. The sessions have been great for keeping everyone in touch, and sharing stories, and above all maintaining song learning and fine tuning of songs in the repertoire. We have also incorporated fun times with quizzes and ‘Would I Lie To You’ sessions hosted by Peter Dale and warmup sessions each week by Deputy MD Gary Rowe. Many songs in our repertoire have been worked on and always start with MD Roy Hann explaining the key points in each song such as the story, performance, chord structure and above all selling the song.

Some brilliant Zoom sessions have been shared with other choruses such as Ocean City Sound here in Plymouth and the Westchester Chordsmen (New York) whom we visited on tour in May 2018 and whom we hope to host a visit from them in the not too distant future.

Meantime’s we carry on with our Zoom sessions and can’t wait for the return to real-time performances once it is deemed safe to do so.

T’was the night before Christmas

Thu, 24 Dec 2020 07:30:00 GMT

Christmas with The Kingsmen

Every year for the last 27 years on Christmas Eve, The Kingsmen have performed at The Cottage Hotel at Hope Cove in South Devon. So when the owner thanked us after last year’s show and said, ‘Same again next year please’, little did any of us know what was around the corner.

We’d had at least a dozen events last December, ranging from the switching on of Christmas lights in Modbury and Plympton to a Christmas Show in Ivybridge, not forgetting singing live in the BBC studios followed by an emotional visit to the Children’s Ward at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.

Here we are under the direction of our MD Roy Hann at The Watermark, Ivybridge for our Christmas Show

It’s going to seem really strange that the ritual for most of the chorus on Christmas Eve isn’t going to happen this year. We might have to help prepare the veg for Christmas dinner and other tasks that we’ve happily avoided for many years!

And every year, as far as I can remember – and I’ve been with the chorus since 2003 – we start off at the Buckland Tout Saints Hotel, deep in the South Hams near Kingsbridge. We entertain guests as they gather for a glass of sherry before dinner and help get them into the Christmas spirit. Sadly, last year’s appearance will be our last there. One of the many business casualties of 2020 has been the hospitality industry and the owners of the Buckland Tout Saints have taken the decision to close for good.

In recent years we’ve then headed to the Crabshell in Kingsbridge. It’s a fantastic pub by the estuary and is always bustling with diners and drinkers. We crowd into the bar and to the great surprise to many of the customers who are visitors, the pitch pipe sounds and off we go with our Christmas repertoire. Big smiles and cameras capturing the moment remind me how much people enjoy our presence. Our reward, if we needed it, were the amazing pizzas before we headed off to Hope Cove.

kingsmen blog chrismas hope cove Hope Cove is a gem. It’s tucked away in the deepest south of the South Hams and its beaches and harbour are the seaside sanctuary of families during the summer months. The village consists of Inner Hope, Outer Hope and is separated by the curiously named Hope By-Pass! As you can see from this selfie – the sun always shines in Devon!

Our arrival at the Cottage Hotel coincides with the end of the serving of the last course to the residents. And as we take the stage you can’t help but notice the regulars who’ve been coming for years with their enthusiastic welcome.

And our final performance of Christmas songs is always really good fun. The familiar songs are met with smiles and rapturous appreciation. Less so our Christmas cracker jokes that are met with groans and general disdain!

And as we streamed out of the restaurant to enthusiastic applause and shouts of ‘Merry Christmas, see you next year’, we knew it was our final sing out of the year, but little did we know that would be our final sing out, probably until the Spring of 2021 at best.

We’ll miss the ‘Night before Christmas’ this year, but nothing – not even Covid – can take away our memories, as we bounce back in 2021, filled with vaccine, ready to entertain communities in our towns and villages with some gusto!

Stu Newberry, Chairman, The Kingsmen, Kingsbridge, S. Devon

With David Fitzgerald, BBC Radio Devon, December 2019

An evening of Christmas fun, friendship and singing

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 09:30:00 GMT

What do you get when you connect two local Choruses together on a cold and wet night in December? If this sounds a bit like the start of a Christmas Cracker joke, then the answer has to be ‘organised chaos’!

On 9th December 40 singers from Ocean City Sound and the Kingsmen got together on Zoom. As the photo evidences, all went that extra mile to follow the dress code for the evening – Christmas jumpers, hats, scarves; tinsel; and fancy dress (yes, Elvis was in the ‘zoom’!)

The evening was topped and tailed by ‘words of wisdom’ from ‘two wise men’ or as they are otherwise known, the two Club Chairmen – Stu Newberry (Kingsmen) and Alan Homer (Ocean City Sound.

Sandwiched into a fun packed 90 minutes was:

A talk about Quartet singing given by Roger Williams (DCD Ocean City Sound) and Roy Hann (MD the Kingsmen); both ex-Pilgrimaires. Roger and Roy talked about the rewarding experience of singing in a Quartet and of their time together in Quorum (Roger as Baritone and Roy as Bass); and Roger relayed the story of the run up to him winning a Gold Medal in the Quartet Gilt Edge in 1985 and of their subsequent visit to the USA
Time in Sections for a chat and catch-up; an opportunity to share singing/learning experiences; and a run-though of Winter Wonderland
A joint sing-along of Winter Wonderland and Can You Feel The Love Tonight?, introduced by Bethany Lowe (CD Ocean City Sound)
Telling and voting on the top 5 Christmas Cracker jokes from each Chorus
The announcement of the ‘best dressed’ member from each Chorus
A joint sing-along to Let’s Get Together Again and Keep The Whole World Singing.

And what’s a fun evening without an Afterglow? No, it’s not the start of another Christmas Cracker joke! After a few farewells and ‘Zoom waves’ goodbyes, around 20 hardy souls grabbed a glass or two, told some more Christmas Cracker jokes and giggled their way through an audience participation version of ‘knock knock’! How inventive we’ve all become in ‘lockdown’!

The last ‘singer standing’ at the Afterglow was Shaun Fewtrell, Tenor Section Leader of the Kingsmen, before Zoom was finally switched off at the end of a wonderful evening of Christmas fun, friendship and singing.

Kingsmen Team Up with American Barbershop Chorus

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 10:36:00 GMT

It was two years ago that the Kingsmen toured USA and were hosted by one of the top Barbershop Choruses in the States, the Westchester Chordsmen. The two Choruses first performed together 30 years ago and have maintained a strong friendship ever since. The USA tour concluded with a concert titled ‘Our Special Relationship’ at White Plains, 25 miles from New York City.

The Westchester Chordsmen and the Kingsmen singing ‘Joining in Song’ at White Plains 2018

During lockdown, the choruses have continued their friendship with reciprocal invitations to virtual rehearsals. It was just a few weeks ago that members of The Chordsmen hopped onto the regular Kingsmen rehearsal which has been operating each Wednesday since lockdown. The evening included a welcome and reminiscence about the tour and concert and concluded with a joint sing-along of ‘Keep The Whole World Singing’ to a video taken of the song being performed by the gold medal winning quartet Ringmasters at Times Square New York.

Virtual Harmony

Virtual connections continued in early August 2020 when members of the Kingsmen joined The Chordsmen at their Monday night rehearsal.

Familiar faces log-on to Zoom and bridge the gap ‘across the pond’

As commented by a number of the attendees (40 plus) “it is always a wonderful sight to see familiar faces joining the rehearsal” – one by one – as “hellos and how are you’s” take place prior to starting formal proceedings.

The Chordsmen kindly moved their normal start time to help offset part of the 5 hour time difference. Starting at 10pm UK time the evening included a warm-up by guest Director, Jay Butterfield and the premiere of The Chordsmen’s latest video recording in which they sing ‘Wait till the sun shines Nellie’ (see image below).

The evening also included song learning in Sectional Parts (Basses; Leads; Tenors and Baritones) for a rehearsal of ‘Honey Little ’lize’ and all listened to a video recording of The Chordsmen performing to the backdrop of a number of photos taken of the Kingsmen on their tour and of time spent with The Chordsmen and their families.

The two Choruses plan to meet and perform together again in 2021 when The Chordsmen hope to visit the UK. In the meantime, it will be left to virtual connections to ‘bridge the gap across the pond’ and maintain ‘the special relationship’.

Kingsmen and Community Immunity

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 14:36:00 GMT

One of the unintended consequences of Covid-19 has been how communities have galvanized to support those in need in their area. Many families have either lost their income or seen it reduced and have had to seek help from support services such as Foodbanks. The Kingsmen Barbershop Harmony Club is doing what it can to support its community by making some generous donations to the Kingsbridge and Ivybridge Foodbanks. ‘We call it Community Immunity’, said Chairman Stuart Newberry.

‘During lockdown, we felt it was the least we could do. Our members come from these communities and we felt that we wanted to support the valuable work that the Foodbanks are doing.’ (See our Blog post and video of 23rd May for more information). The Chorus is well known for its fundraising activities at concerts and events across South Devon, but all plans had to be curtailed, including traditional rehearsals. ‘We were coming up to our busy period with weddings, parties as well as supporting other organisations fundraise. All our public appearances had to stop and with that we’ve missed opportunities to raise money for important good causes.’

Horsemanship for Health and the Kingsmen

One such organisation is Horsemanship for Health based near Newton Abbot whose work with horses is supporting men’s and women’s mental health. It so happens to be the Chairman’s Charity for 2020 and the Chorus had already started to raise funds in support of their operation.

Their need became even greater because of Covid-19 impacting on their ability to generate income via courses and therapy work. ‘We decided to donate a substantial sum to Horsemanship for Health quite early on in lockdown, knowing they could use our support to sustain their operation’ said Stuart.

And it was at a virtual rehearsal via Zoom that Founder and Director of Horsemanship for Health was able to join the Kingsmen to say ‘thankyou’ and explain the work they carry out, particularly with men’s mental health including male patients at Langdon Hospital, Dawlish. ‘We are really grateful to the Kingsmen for their donation’ said Belinda. ‘It was quite an anxious time and this really helped us through a difficult period.’

The Chorus was planning a fundraising event with Belinda for Horsemanship for Health but that’s had to be postponed. ‘We’re hoping we can create some sort of a fundraiser later in the year as and when we can get singing again.’ You can find out more information about Horsemanship for Health from their web site: https://belindaseaward.com/horsemanship-for-health/

Kingsmen Support Local Foodbank Charities

Sat, 23 May 2020 14:36:00 GMT

When a major crisis such as the COVID19 pandemic hits, not just the nation but the world, it's sometimes easy to just sit back and think how lucky we are. True, living in the South Hams means that most people have already won life's lottery. But think again. People within our own communities, in Kingsbridge, Ivybridge and the surrounding areas, are struggling to put food on the table for themselves and their families. That's where the Foodbank charity is playing such a major role and we Kingsmen are pleased to be able to help them.

Whatever you think of what it says about society, it seems that foodbanks have become a part of necessity in our communities. Ticking over quietly behind the scenes suddenly changed when their operation was propelled front and centre to support some unexpected casualties of COVID-19.

Zoom Meeting between Kingsmen and the Foodbank

As Val Marriott, Chair of the Ivybridge Foodbank, told us that their operation of deliveries had increased by three fold since the start of lockdown.

The Kingsmen Barbershop Chorus recognise the good work done by the Ivybridge and Kingsbridge Foodbanks by donating £250 each to their cause. In a zoom ‘presentation’ they were able to meet up with Val who praised the work of her growing band of volunteers to cope with the increase in demand.

It’s a similar picture in Kingsbridge where coordinator, Gerrie Messer reported that their workload had increased from 25 deliveries a week to 175. Both Val and Gerrie experienced greater awareness of their work and the plight of families who suddenly found themselves unable to put food on the table. That has resulted in an increase in financial donations which has helped them enrich the food parcels by including fresh fruit and vegetables.

At the presentation, Chairman, Stu Newberry was joined by Secretary Ian Wooler and Membership Secretary, Jim Stewart.

As Jim said, ‘We wanted to support our communities during this crisis and what better than to do that through our foodbanks. We acknowledge the great work they do by thanking them for being of immense service to families who through no fault of their own find themselves unable to put food on the table’.

The Kingsmen have been unable to perform publicly since lockdown and rely on performances to raise money for good causes. Secretary Ian said, ‘Our membership and supporters come from these communities and it’s important for us to recognise the challenges that some of our neighbours may be experiencing, and do our bit to help out. We can do this by getting money to where it’s needed.’

Val Marriott ended the meeting on an upbeat note, looking forward to a happier time not too far in the future when we can get together and enjoy some celebrations and singing. Well said Val, we're counting the days for that too!

If anyone would like to donate to the foodbanks, here are the links Ivybridge - https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/ivybridge/

Kingsbridge - https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kingsbridge-foodbank?fb_comment_id=2910772229012905_2914985405258254

Barbershop Zooms into Online Singing

Mon, 04 May 2020 14:36:00 GMT

It was in early March when The Kingsmen had to temporarily vacate their rehearsal home at the Kingsbridge Evangelical Church. It was for a refurbishment programme for a few months, but little did they know that this was to be their last gathering together in person for some time.

As the Coronavirus crisis took hold: plans for the temporary move to St Edmund’s Church Kingsbridge were suspended; charity and fun raising sing-outs had to be ‘put on ice’; arrangements to perform in competition at the annual British Association of Barbershop Singers Convention were cancelled; and all social norms changed for the foreseeable future.

So how does a vibrant chorus maintain its momentum, song learning and ‘Club Spirit’ at times like these and do things differently? Well, they take to Zoom. That’s what!

Six weeks ago many of us hadn’t even heard of Zoom. After all, why should we? It’s a conferencing application used by businesses across the world, and what interest could it be to The Kingsmen, or indeed choirs up and down the country?

Virtual choirs were popping up with songs created by individuals uploading their effort from the comfort of their own homes, thanks to Zoom. Gareth Malone inspired choirs were possible after all, or so we thought.

The limitations of the Internet for choirs, in terms of the various internet speeds results in something called latency. In short, attempts to sing in harmony are hilarious as there is no way (as far as we know) to coordinate voices singing together beautifully.

Well, it’s not just about the singing. It’s about community. And in a thriving community, members rise to the occasion and get creative to make things work.

So far, the chorus has had 7 virtual rehearsals with around 30-35 members joining in every Wednesday evening. As far as possible, they keep to their normal routine of warm up, taken by assistant musical director, Gary Rowe, followed by song practice in ‘breakout rooms’ according to voice parts. Last Wednesday, they even had a virtual raffle with some very dubious prizes!

MD Roy Hann is pleased with the initiative, ‘The guys love getting together for rehearsals,’ says Roy, ‘and using zooms means we can continue with our programme of new songs and old favourites to ensure we are ready to sing and perform once ‘lockdown’ is over.

Chairman, Stuart Newberry and Secretary Ian Wooler host rehearsals via Zoom. ‘It’s been great fun’, says Ian. ‘The guys look forward to meeting on a Wednesday night, some have also taken to Zoom to support their quartet and small group singing activities between weekly rehearsals, and we’re planning some social events for members and their families to get involved too.’

Looking ahead, Chairman, Stuart Newberry, is thinking about how The Kingsmen can support communities in the South Hams as we come out of lockdown. ‘We’ve already offered our services to a couple of venues who might be thinking of planning events when we get back to normal, whatever that looks like, and have been fine-tuning our repertoire and songs including ‘Over The Rainbow’ and ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ which have taken on an even more significant meaning for all of us over recent weeks’, says Stuart. ‘We are very much a part of the South Hams community and want to support villages with events as soon as we are able’.

Whether you are interested in booking the Kingsmen at a forthcoming event or party; whether it’s to have us sing at a social event beyond lockdown or to sing with us at Rehearsals, then do please get in touch.

We are always looking for new Chorus members. If you are interested in finding out more about The Kingsmen please get in touch. Website: www.kingsmen.org.uk Email: enquiries@kingsmen.org.uk .

A Busy 2019 for The Kingsmen - Here's to 2020!

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 14:40:00 GMT

The popularity of The Kingsmen reached new heights in 2019 with some memorable events, such as singing on Paddington Railway Station to kick off the Mayflower 400 celebrations, helping to celebrate the birthday of a 104 year old, entertaining staff and families on the Children’s Ward at Derriford Hospital, or singing live on BBC Radio Devon.

As we approached Christmas, such was the demand for our singing, that in addition to the 12 events that we attended with a full Chorus of over 30 men, or in smaller groups, there were a number of others that we sadly had to decline. So, the message is that if you’re planning next year’s festivities and you’re looking for something very special to put a stamp of class on your event, then get in touch.

One of the highlights is always our Christmas Eve sing outs at Buckland Tout Saints Hotel, the Crabshell in Kingsbridge and finally, the Cottage Hotel at Hope Cove. They are so different, but we meet guests who are relaxed and ready to get into the Christmas spirit. This year was no exception.

But the stand out extra special event was at the Children’s Ward at Derriford Hospital. A small group had been at the BBC Studios in Plymouth where we appeared on the David Fitzgerald Show. That was special enough, followed by spontaneous singing in the reception area bringing staff out of their offices to join in. Being able to bring some cheer to the lives of those children and their anxious parents, and to acknowledge the wonderful work of the hospital staff, was our humble gift.

2020 has so much for us to look forward to.

Music Festivals at Saltash, Torbay and Dartmouth early in the new decade, plus the National Barbershop Convention and Competition in Harrogate, there is plenty to look forward to. And with the passing of another year, and getting ever closer, is the Kingsmen 30th Anniversary celebrations in 2021.

Whether you are interested in booking the Kingsmen at a forthcoming event or party; or would like to come and hear us perform at a concert; or would like to come and join us at a rehearsal on a Wednesday evening; then do please get in touch.

We are always looking for new Chorus members. If you are interested in finding out more about The Kingsmen please get in touch. Website: www.kingsmen.org.uk Email: enquiries@kingsmen.org.uk .

Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) - Concert fundraiser

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 12:40:00 GMT

The Kingsmen Harmony Chorus were one of three acts performing in a charity fundraiser for the RNIB which was held in Ivybridge Methodist Church, Plymouth. The church is well designed with a very modern and acoustically sound interior.

The other acts were an ensemble from the Mandolin Orchestra of Devon (MOOD) playing a mixture of Baroque, folk and jazz tunes, and the school choir from Manor Primary School, Ivybridge who sang some lovely songs.

The event raised £800 and the Chief Executive of the RNIB was thrilled to bits both with the turn out (a full house) and the performances which brought many accolades from the audience.

Thanks to Kingsmen Chairman Chris Birch who opened the event and had selected the RNIB as his chairman’s charity for 2018/19.

The Kingsmen are busy planning their Christmas show at the Watermark Theatre, Ivybridge on Sat 14th Dec at 7pm with support acts, ‘Fiddler’s on the Green’ and acoustic singer/guitarist Jake Bradshaw.

Tickets are £12 and £10 Concession available from the Watermark Box Office 01752 892220 or online at: www.ivybridgewatermark.co.uk

Kingsmen Auction Of Promises Fundraising Event

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 12:40:00 GMT

Going once, going twice …. and the thud of the gavel ended a bidding frenzy at The Crabshell Inn in Kingsbridge last Saturday. The Kingsmen were running their big fundraiser, the annual Auction of Promises and an enthusiastic group concentrated eagerly to snap up the bargain experiences on offer.

An amazing £1749 was raised which will fund some of the projects coming up over the next few months, including new risers and new smart kit.

The Kingsmen had the night off and we’re entertained by local Acapella Chorus, Crewmates.

Joint auctioneers Stuart Newberry and Peter Dale raise the gavel ready for action, or should it be auction?

The chorus are warming up their festive vocal chords, preparing for a busy few weeks including competing at the Plymouth Music Festival as well as the grand switching on of Christmas lights at Plympton and Modbury. They will be supporting ‘Kingsbridge Celebrates Christmas’ on the 7th December and have their very own Kingsmen Christmas Show on 14th December at the Watermark Ivybridge. Tickets are available via the Watermark Box Office or on the door.

For more information re The Kingsmen, either to join us or for upcoming events please go to www.kingsmen.ork.uk.

Tickets are £12 and £10 Concession available from the Watermark Box Office 01752 892220 or online at: www.ivybridgewatermark.co.uk

Kingsmen Delight at Hope Cove

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Dressed in their finest colours the guys led by MD Roy Hann performed some of the newly introduced ‘pop’ songs such as Sweet Caroline, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Unchained Melody and our old favourite crowd pleaser YMCA, to a delighted audience on a wonderful, balmy summers evening.

Even in the afterglow they were entertained by the ABBA Medley which had folks singing along.

The generous folks watching donated £88 towards our chairman’s charity for 2019, the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People).

Deputy MD Gary Rowe brought his new Miniature Schnauzer puppies along to enjoy the show too.

Kingsmen Sing for 104 year old Winnie

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 11:40:00 GMT

A small group of Kingsmen, brilliantly led by Ian Wooler, sang at Ivydene Care Home, Ivybridge for the 104th birthday party of Winnie. It was a wonderful and moving celebration of life and a privilege to be part of.

Winnie, fellow residents, friends, family and staff all enjoyed our performance, and special thanks go to Chris, Geoff, Phil, Barrington, Bob, Graham, Peter G, Roger, John Mo and Mike for some wonderful singing and fun engagement with the audience.

Here are some highlights:

We opened with ‘Let Me Call You Sweetheart’, which Winnie sang along to - a very special moment!
We sang When I'm 64, but with a twist by changing the words to When I'm 104 for the final bars
Dressed in our very best Hawaiian shirts we sang and swayed to ‘Under The Boardwalk’, and many thanks to Peter G and Roger for a wonderful Tenor melody
Razor Sharp (Roger, Phil, Graham and Mike) quartet sang a lovely rendition of ‘Ain't Misbehavin'
Kingsmen Chairman Chris Birch presented Winnie with a birthday card and Kingsmen brooch on behalf of all of the Kingsmen
Winnie, fellow residents, friends, family and staff joined us in singing ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ (that’s Ian doing the classic Morecombe & Wise impersonation), ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’, ‘When The Saints’ and ‘My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean’
A wonderful and moving performance of ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’ brought our performance toward it's end.

Thanks to Ian Wooler for the resume, photographs by John Morris.

Kingsmen ‘Flash Mob’ Surprise

Fri, 02 Aug 2019 14:15:00 GMT

The Kingsmen were asked to perform at the wedding of Helen and Scott Keating-Elliot at St Mary’s Church, Kingskerswell.

It was a total surprise to everyone bar Helen and Scott, when Helens father stood up holding a cuddly ‘Simba’ Lion cub.....this was the cue for a quartet to stand and start singing ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’.....with all 25 Kingsmen standing at choreographed intervals to join in.

It was a great moment in the wedding ceremony. The guys then sang three more songs while the register was signed finishing with ‘Heart of My Heart’.

The final song with everyone joining in was ‘Bring Me Sunshine’, one of Helen’s favourite songs.

The guys sang a few more songs outside while photos were being taken. And the weather was fantastic too.

The Kingsmen wish them both a long, happy and healthy marriage.

Quote from Helen:

"You were all amazing and fantastic- thank you so much for being part of our day. All our guests said their favourite part was the kingsmen ????

We will come visit you all again soon ????

Many Thanks Helen"

Kingsmen Summer Singout

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 10:35:00 GMT

A whole mix of paddle boarding pirates, three birthday celebrations (2 Kingsmen and a spectator) and a little bit of ‘Amarillo‘ thrown in to liven up the party!

And a colourful mix of shirts to attract attention! Great reception from the audience too.

What a fantastic evening to be singing at the Crabshell Inn on Kingsbridge Quay last night.

We also collected £33 in the charity bucket for our latest charity, the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People).

Check our ‘ What’s On ’ to see where we are performing to the holidaymakers next.

The Kingsmen support Mayflower 400 Celebrations

Tue, 21 May 2019 09:50:00 GMT

The Kingsmen (25 in number) were invited to sing at the opening event at Paddington Station for the Mayflower 400 celebrations sponsored by Plymouth City Council in support of the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership.

The year long programme involving Britain, Holland and the USA is for the 400th Anniversary of the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail from Plymouth Barbican in 1620 on board the Mayflower.

It proved to be a fantastic day with the guys arriving at Paddington and taking time for a photo shoot with Paddington Bear on Platform 1.

They sang three spots on the hour until their return to Totnes at the end of the day.

The guys sang brilliantly under the direction of MD Roy Hann having to contend with tannoy announcements, train noise and the general hubbub of Paddington Station!

The Mayflower Project group based in Ballard House, Plymouth were most appreciative and couldn’t give the Kingsmen enough praise for their performance and effort to make it a hugely successful event.

Kingsmen Awards Evening for 2018

Thu, 07 Feb 2019 10:00:00 GMT

The Kingsmen held their annual awards evening at the Crabshell Inn, Kingsbridge, the venue for their inaugural meeting and founding back in 1991.

This years 'Barbershopper of the Year Award' presented by MD Roy Hann and voted for by all the members went to one of our LTS intake of 3 years ago and now club secretary Ian Wooler (Bari). A well deserved award in light of all the good work he has done for the Kingsmen in his short time with us. He also won the 'Harmony Award' voted for by the latest intake and deemed to be the most helpful member to the new guys.

Dave Griffiths (Lead) and Colin Saul (Bass) were presented with their 25 year BABS Membership badges by stand in chairman Paul Harvey (Lead).

The 'Supporters Award' was won by Mrs Rose Weeks.

The 'Directors Award' was won by another new guy from the 2017 intake Jim Stewart (Lead) and now Membership Secretary. We are really blessed with the 2017 intake as another member Geoff Sharps (Lead) is now KBHC Treasurer.

The final award (Jack Nation Award) for outstanding contribution to barbershop is Dave Griffiths (former chairman) and a founder member of the Kingsmen.

Twenty year Kingsmen Membership badge was presented to Mike Vere (Bari).

Ten year Kingsmen Membership badges were presented to members of the 2009 LTS intake Brian Munn (Bass), Phil Millard (Lead), John Morris (Bari), Peter Goodliffe (Tenor), William Palmer (Lead), Roger Hayford (Tenor), John McMillan (Lead) and Bob Moseley (Bass). T'was a good year!

Kingsmen Sing at Sophie and Ashley's Wedding

Tue, 22 Jan 2019 11:23:00 GMT

A small group of Kingsmen were delighted to be asked to perform at the wedding of Sophie and Ashley at the stunning St Saviour's Church, Salcombe.

Here are a few words from Sophie to our music director Roy Hann.

"Hello Roy,

Thank you so much to you and the Kingsman for singing at our wedding. You really made the day special and we absolutely loved you all being there.

I have attached a couple of pictures from the day.

Thank you all again so much for making our day special.

Best Wishes,

Sophie and Ashley"

If you would like to know more about our wedding package of songs then please contact us by email or on our facebookpage .

Kingsmen Sing for the Children

Thu, 17 Jan 2019 09:38:00 GMT

A small group of Kingsmen offered to sing for the children’s, parents and staff at Derriford Hospital Children’s Ward. One of the guys grandchildren is a regular visitor to the HDU suffering from chronic asthma and he thought it would be nice to give something back.

It was an emotionally charged performance singing to the poorly children on the different wards. The staff and parents also joined in with a few joint carols in the main reception area first..

Kingsmen quartet 'Enigma' triumph at St Austell

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 12:54:00 GMT

'Enigma' Quartet comprising Peter Goodliffe (tenor), Gary Rowe (lead), Barrington Sowden (bass) and Dave Griffiths (baritone) travelled to St Austell in Cornwall to perform in the annual music festival.

They came away with the silverware having put in a sterling performance with their two songs 'Hallelujah' and 'Unchained Melody'. They are flying the flag for the Kingsmen Harmony Chorus and are a credit to them. Nice outfits too.

Kingsmen Harmony Chorus raise money for mental health charity

Fri, 07 Sep 2018 13:30:00 GMT

The Kingsmen four harmony chorus based in Kingsbridge have been raising money during 2018 to support their Chairman's Charity, which this year was chosen to be 'Young Minds' which is the leading charity in the UK championing the mental health and well being of young people.

Chairman Chris Birch said ”we are all aware of the high profile given to the needs of people deserving support for mental health issues and to choose a charity in this sector seemed an obvious choice to make. Being acutely aware that early intervention supporting young people is vital and a charity that supports parents, empowers children and young people, campaigns for change and supports professionals ticked the boxes for our Chairman's Charity.”

The Chorus has raised £1,150 for its chosen charity from performances within the community throughout the past twelve months. This has been achieved in and around a very busy year for the chorus that involved a 12 day tour to the USA in May/June and all the extensive organisation that made it a huge success.

“Apart from our love of singing and the camaraderie within the chorus, we enjoy performing in the community raising money and supporting many good causes".

To enable our maintaining the chorus with healthy numbers and keep our status as a 'community based chorus' we hold learn to sing courses every 2 years and are holding another one on 7th Nov.

For more information on 'Young Minds' visit www.youngminds.org.uk

Kingsmen USA Tour 2018 - Exceeding expectations

Mon, 02 Jul 2018 10:30:00 GMT

The Kingsmen embarked on an adventurous and successful 12 day tour of the east coast of the USA after 18 months of fundraising which netted the grand total of £15K. This went toward paying for all the coach journeys and subsidies for some of the organised trips.

Roy Hann, Music Director, Founder and Hon Life President of the Kingsmen was instrumental in getting the tour off the ground and arranging the itinerary with his many contacts and friends in the USA barbershop scene.

The party took with them a Kingsmen USA Tour 2018 twelve page booklet which was sponsored by local hotels, pubs and businesses to distribute at all their stops along the way in the USA. Sponsors were Dart Marina Spa, Blueriver Cottages, Kingsbridge TIC, Sunshine Luxury Villas, The Cottage Hotel, Buckland Tout Saints Hotel and the Crabshell Inn.

Some pages were devoted to promoting the South Devon and Plymouth region with articles about the 'American Connection' and the tank tragedy at Slapton Sands in World War 2 codenamed 'Exercise Tiger' on April 28th 1944 and the forthcoming Pilgrims Father's 400th Anniversary celebrations in 2020.

The party comprised 30 singers and their wives. One of the Kingsmen's younger members Andy Lamerton took along his wife and young daughter Darcy who is only 18mths old, and she stole a few hearts along the way and was extremely well behaved on such an arduous journey (24hrs travelling at the beginning and end of the tour)!

The first stop was Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and a tour of the Amish community. This proved to be a very inspiring and humbling peek into their simple, but admirable way of life. The group actually did the tour in a yellow school bus which was a novelty in itself!

Then the whole group were treated to a fantastic reception party hosted by the Red Rose Chorus (men) and ladies chorus, the Vocal Harmonix.

The following day the Kingsmen travelled to Harrisburgh to appear on the main stage at the annual Harrisburgh Arts Festival with stalls and smaller stages which hosted a variety of performances ranging from jazz to acoustic artists and bands. The whole setting stretched out along the edge of the picturesque Susquehanna River. The event culminating in a joint chorus with the Red Rose Chorus and Vocal Harmonix Ladies chorus on what proved to be a very hot and humid day with temperatures in the 90's!

That evening the whole group were again treated to another fantastic evening of eating and singing and partying; what a way to end the visit to Lancaster!

On then to Washington where everyone went their own way to visit many of the important sites such as Capital Hill, the White House, the Aeoronautical Museum and much more.

Some of the group visited Arlington War Cemetery which dates from the American Civil War and contains over 400,000 graves of those killed in the First and Second World Wars, Korea and Vietnam. The group arrived in time to witness President Donald Trump arriving in his cavalcade amidst very tight security for the annual Memorial Day service held in the amphitheatre.

This visit was yet another very humbling experience to see all the thousands of white headstones.

There are some very famous people interred there including President John F Kennedy and some of his family members.

A highlight of the tour followed in the evening where the guys got to perform to and sing with former world barbershop champions the ‘Alexandria Harmonizers’ at their international convention rehearsal evening. They are heading to

Orlando in July to try and win ‘Gold’ again and we wish them the best of luck in their quest.

Finally to New York where many of the group were hosted by members of the ‘Westchester Chordsmen’ and their families.

There were some free days where everyone went their different ways, many with their hosts, to visit the many sights of New York and Westchester County (which is where most of the hosts live and the chorus meets for rehearsals).

Many went to the main NY sights such as 'Ground Zero', Times Square, Manhattan and the finance centre, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, and the 'High Line' (a disused above ground railway line which snakes for approx. 2 miles through lower Manhattan and is now an oasis of small gardens and trees).

Some of the group visited West Point Military Academy which is in Westchester County and had a guided tour and insight into the workings of the premiere military academy in the USA which is home to some 4000 cadets who are trained to graduate and become commissioned leaders in the United States Army. Their motto is 'Duty, Honor, Country'. All cadets have to have a sporting ability.

There was so much to see and do that it couldn't all be done in the short time there and on top of all the day visits, rehearsals had to be organised in readiness for a joint concert with the Westchester Chordsmen.

This was held on the third and final evening of the visit at Highland Middle School auditorium in White Plains, NY. There weren't many empty seats in the capacity 1500 seat theatre and the enthusiastic audience were treated to some fantastic performances from both choruses and some great quartet singing from the Westchester Chordsmen ranks.

On then to a final party and dinner at the Reformed Church Hall, Tarrytown, New York where further performances were held in what proved to be a brilliant 'afterglow' ably MC'd by Steve Delahanty, a renowned composer and arranger of international award winning barbershop songs, with some fantastic singing from a variety of quartets and smaller singing groups to round off a fantastic evening and tour.

If you would like to see the Kingsmen in action then why not come to an evening of choral singing and mandolins on Fri 13th July at St George's Church, Modbury at 7.30pm. Guest performances from Wadebridge Male Voice Choir and an ensemble of mandolins by members of the Mandolin Orchestra of Devon (MOOD).

Tickets £7.50, £5 (U18) available from:

Pickles of Modbury;
Kingsbridge TIC;
Chris Birch (Modbury) Tel: 01548 831187;
Roy Hann (Music Director) (Kingsbridge) Tel: 01548 856528;
Bill Palmer (Ivybridge) Tel: 01752 417656;
On the door

Torbay Music Festival - Kingsmen excel again

Tue, 15 May 2018 07:56:00 GMT

The Kingsmen entered the choir category and came first with a great score of 86% singing 'Breaking Up Is Hard To Do' and 'We'll Meet Again'; they also entered the barbershop category singing 'May I Never Love Again' and 'Taking A Chance On Love' and came first again but with a score of 87% and a distinction. The adjudicator Penelope Rice Jones said this was a thoroughly enjoyable performance by an experienced choir.

Also performing were a Kingsmen quartet 'Enigma' comprising Gary Rowe (lead), Peter Goodliffe (tenor), Barrington Sowden (bass) and Dave Griffiths (baritone) and won with a 87% distinction out of seven quartets. The highlight of their performance being their rendition of 'Hallelujah'.

Kingsmen perform for the Memory Café

Tue, 15 May 2018 07:05:00 GMT

A small group of Kingsmen travelled to St James Church, Exeter to perform to dementia patients and their carers at their annual dinner gathering for 'The Memory Cafe', a fantastic charity that specialises in dementia support.

The guys sang some old classics which struck a chord with the audience, such as 'We'll Meet Again', 'White Cliffs of Dover', 'When I'm 64', 'Nevertheless' and many more.

Music Director Roy Hann got the audience involved with some community singing which went down well. Songs such as 'She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain' and 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot'. Vicky Hutchinson, the event organiser was very pleased with the performance asking if we could come back some time in the future.......we're sure something can be arranged!

An Evening of A cappella

Mon, 14 May 2018 07:24:00 GMT

This was a fantastic evening of a cappella hosted by the Kingsmen with guest appearances from Dartmouth Rock Choir and Panache Ladies Harmony Chorus. The concert was held in St Saviour's Church, Dartmouth and an almost capacity audience were treated to an excellent evening of a cappella singing in its different guises.

Dartmouth Rock Choir performed songs from the 50's through to current times and the Kingsmen and Panache both sang some older classics in the traditional barbershop style.

This was a fund raising concert to help the Kingsmen in their efforts to raise funds for their upcoming USA tour at the end of May.

There were three members of the same family in each group, Paul Hann (Dartmouth Rock), Cheryl Hann (Panache) and their 19yr old son Richard Hann (and grandson of Music Director Roy Hann) in the Kingsmen.

The Kingsmen are flying the flag for Kingsbridge, Plymouth and the South Hams on their forthcoming USA Tour

Wed, 09 May 2018 10:50:00 GMT

The Kingsmen Harmony Chorus are off on a 12 day tour of the USA at the end of May after an 18 month fund raising campaign to offset much of the cost of the tour. Thirty chorus members and their wives and children will be going.

Roy Hann who is Musical Director, Founder and Hon Life President of the Kingsmen has been particularly instrumental in getting this tour off the ground with his many USA contacts in the barbershop world. This will be the third time the Kingsmen have visited the USA with tours in 1994 (Los Angeles) and 1997 (Las Vegas).

The tour starts in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (and the Amish Community) with hosting by the Red Rose Chorus and performances with the ladies chorus, Vocal Harmonix (formerly Red Rose City Chorus). Then on to Washington DC to be hosted by the Alexandria Harmonizers who are themselves former world champions and have the honour of having US Senator John Glenn (former astronaut and now deceased) as one of their admirers and supporters. He even took a Harmonizers CD with him into space!

On then to the final part of the tour to New York to be hosted by the Westchester Chordsmen and concluding with a joint concert in New York.

They will be taking a 12 page booklet promoting the South Devon area and wish to offer a massive ‘thank you’ to their sponsors for supporting them. You can download the USA Tour Booklet here .
Many thanks to Olli Nute, Director of ‘OWN Design’ for designing and producing such a stunning booklet.
www.own-design.com
Y o u can keep abreast of the USA tour on the Kingsmen Facebook page .

Kingsmen delight the Peacock Meadow O60's club

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 14:45:00 GMT

A group of 16 Kingsmen performed to the Peacock Meadow Community Hall O60's Club in Plympton at their weekly gathering. The club is organised and managed by Diane James and her husband David.

David was the Lord Mayor of Plymouth in 2007 and Diane was Lady Mayoress. Diane is herself a singer of some repute and has cut a CD of her songs. Their enthusiasm for the club and care for the members is truly creditable and the club is deemed the most popular and thriving in the area.

The packed audience were enthralled by the Kingsmen performance and Music Director Roy Hann got them involved in a little community (harmony) singing which was great fun and went down really well.

There were some excellent comments from the members after the performance and the guys finished off by singing 'Happy Birthday' to Mary, the club vice chair who was celebrating her birthday the same day.

K2 (Kingsmen) success at Saltash MusicFest 2018

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 16:00:00 GMT

Richard Hann, who is the grandson of musical director Roy Hann receives his BABS (British Association of Barbershop Singers) Certificate from chairman Chris Birch after he passed the induction process to become a Kingsmen.

Richard has done an exceptional job in the short time he has been with the Kingsmen in learning many songs in a very short period of time. He even learned all the Christmas repertoire so well that he could join the chorus on several occasions over the festive period, including Christmas Eve at Buckland Tout Saints Hotel, Goveton.

And he has brought the average age of the chorus down somewhat as he is only 18yrs old! Well done Richard.

Christmas with the Kingsmen

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 12:00:00 GMT

The Kingsmen have had a really busy festive season with many paid performances and a lot of charity ones too, ranging from singing for the Children's Hospice South West at Princesshay in Exeter to singing on Christmas Eve at the Buckland Tout Saints Hotel and the Cottage Hotel, Hope Cove.

They had a stop over en route to Hope Cove at the Crabshell Inn, Kingsbridge Quay for more singing (and delicious pizzas). The Crabshell Inn who sponsor the Kingsmen is where they were founded 26 years ago so it was particularly fitting that they performed there again this year. The Christmas Eve performances have been going for 23 years and MD Roy Hann has directed every one!

Another first was the introduction of Richard Hann (Roy's 18yr old grandson) to his first Kingsmen performance. What is particularly impressive is he has only been with the chorus for 4 months and learned the Christmas repertoire in that short space of time.

The picture shows Richard (on the left of Roy) and Josh Vaughan (grandson) on Roy's right, all flanked by Andrew Vaughan (left) and Gary Rowe who are Roy's sons-in-law. Gary is also Deputy Music Director.

The other pictures were taken at Royal William Yard, Plymouth at their Christmas Fayre organised by 'Urban Splash'. Santa Claus arrived in the small harbour aboard a RNLI Lifeboat and was sung ashore to 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town'!

We'd like to wish all our supporters a happy, healthy and successful new year.

Kingsmen & Wadebridge Male Voice Choir (MVC) Joint Concert

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 14:33:00 GMT

The Kingsmen were invited to attend a charity fund raising concert with the Wadebridge Male Voice Choir in Egloshayle Church, Wadebridge on Remembrance Day (11/11/17) to raise funds for a new molecular diagnostic unit for the Oncology Dept at Derriford hospital. The unit costs £13K and funds to the tune of £5K has already been raised. The concert raised another magnificent £716 towards the total.

Wadebridge MVC under the musical direction of Paul Mitchell with some 42 men singing (plus 6 members from Rame MVC-charity instigated by them) performed some fantastic songs such as 'Angels', 'Rhythm of Life', 'Sailing', 'Bring Him Home', 'Cornish Hearts' and many more (almost literally 'raising the roof'). Roy Hann, Music Director of the Kingsmen was equally impressed with the performance from the 23 Kingsmen who sang some uplifting ballads such as 'I Believe', Gospel Medley', Can You Feel The Love Tonight' in their inimitable style (total contrast to the WMVC style) and much to the delight of a packed audience.

The coach journey (on a horrid winters evening) was well worth the effort and we were ably supported by ex Kingsmen stalwarts, John Tyler, John Lavelle (and Marion) and John Carter (and Sheila). Several wives travelled too and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the evening, especially the 'afterglow' (inc hot Cornish pasties) in the Wadebridge Camels Rugby Club (opposite the church) with further songs between all the groups being shared.

Kingsmen brave the elements to sing at a birthday bash

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 10:06:00 GMT

On a stormy October Saturday night nineteen resilient Kingsmen descended on Hope Cove Café near Kingsbridge to perform at a birthday party for Bridget.........aboard a double decker 'party bus' which was parked by the sea wall opposite the café. It had a kitchen/galley on the lower deck and seated eating area on the upper where the party guests were enjoying a meal.

The guys just managed to squeeze in with little room to perform (but we managed it somehow) under the musical direction of Gary Rowe (who incidentally had a tough job with all the hubbub and stormy wind to compete against)! Unfortunately Bob Moseley and John McMillan were left at the bus entrance unable to get in!

Birthday girl Bridget was particularly taken by our rendition of YMCA joining in the song with us.

Kingsmen Summer Draw Success

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 14:10:00 GMT

A great evening was had at the Crabshell Inn on Wed 23rd August for the Kingsmen Summer Draw and sing out. A good crowd, high tide and a lovely sunset added to the enjoyment of the evening.

A huge thank you to all involved in selling tickets, donating prizes and promoting the event.

Congratulations to all our prize winners and a special thanks to all who helped on the night, especially our members children.

The prize winners were as follows:

£250.00 - Adams

£100.00 - Gilson

£50.00 - Denny

Cottage Hotel Meal - David Kastorff

Crabshell meal for two - Will Madge

Crabshell Pizza meal for two - Alice Salter

Ltr Bells Whisky - Russel Lyddon

Catch of the Day voucher - Val Hallet

Kingsmen delight the Dartmouth crowds

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 14:10:00 GMT

The guys performed to an enthusiastic audience at Dartmouth Fete organised by the Dartmouth Rotary where the gorgeous weather and a great summer atmosphere added to the occasion.

The Rotary members and their wives provided the hot food (BBQ) and scrummy cakes and the obligatory cuppa! Thanks to David Morehen (of Dartmouth Rotary & Kingsmen) for being our Music Director for the day.

Kingsmen bring colour to the Crabshell Inn

Tue, 15 Aug 2017 07:35:00 GMT

The Kingsmen braved the windy conditions to perform their summer repertoire at the Crabshell Inn, Kingsbridge where they were founded back in 1991. One lady from Australia was particularly enamoured with the guys performance of 'Amarillo'.

All in all a great start to the summer 'sing out' season with more to come at Salcombe, Hope Cove, Crab Shell (again) and Plymouth's Barbican (o/s Ship Inn). Check our web site 'What's On' tab for dates and times.

SUMMER DRAW

We still have tickets available for our 'Summer Draw' which will be drawn at the Crabshell Inn on Wed 23rd August during our summer performance.

Great prizes including CASH prizes of £250, £100 and £50.

You can buy tickets at £1 each from any of our members or at our remaining sing out at Hope Cove AND on the draw night itself at the Crabshell Inn.

We are fund raising to improve and develop the chorus in a number of ways to enable us to continue to support the many local and national charities for which we have raised over £101,000 to-date...........

Supporting us, so we can support them

The Experience of my First and Second Convention

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 07:35:00 GMT

I joined The Kingsmen Barbershop Harmony Club at the end of a very enjoyable Learn To Sing Course they ran in early 2016.

As you can imagine my focus, and that of the other ‘new starts’, since then has been on learning the repertoire of songs and participating in a number of sing-outs and events, including The Kingsmen’s 25th Anniversary Concert held toward the end of 2016; all wonderful opportunities to put the learning into action – but nothing to compare with the build up to, the excitement of, and the overall experience gained from performing at Convention for the first time.

Competition day (the Kingsmen were due on stage at 16.28) started in our hotel with a chorus warm-up and run through of final instructions before departing to the venue. I was immediately struck by the scale of the event with numerous choruses and their supporters coming and going in the entrance hall and by the sound of warm “good to see you again” conversations and the familiar harmonies of pole cats being sung in café areas. Following registration it was time to take a seat in the auditorium to listen to other choruses perform and to take in the sense and importance of the occasion. I left the auditorium with the sound of “stewards close the doors; house lights down please; contestant number etc., and cheers from supporters.” ringing in my ears.

As briefed by some of my more experienced colleagues the clock ticked by very quickly and in no time at all we were on our way to the dressing room. On entering I was greeted by a smartly dressed and smiling ‘gangster’ with the words “good luck” – this small but large gesture summing up the spirit of brothers in harmony. Looking around the dressing room I noticed choruses in the various stages of final preparation, with some of their members sitting quietly in contemplation, whilst others chatted ‘ten to the dozen’. Then it was off to the photo shoot before being escorted to the warm-up room and then through the ever narrowing corridors, with their ‘quiet please’ and ‘final hold point’ signs, before arriving at the steps that lead up to the stage. Walking onto the stage the noise from our fantastic supporters and warm applause from others in the audience, and the judges, was very uplifting. As predicted our performance was over in a flash, but due to technical difficulties with the sound equipment it was decided that we would sing again!

After my ‘second performance experience’ at Convention and final visit to the dressing room (this time bumping into a friendly character from Oliver) I returned to the auditorium and sat with other members of The Kingsmen to listen to the remaining choruses compete. Before the announcement of the results the event was wrapped up by a wonderful performance by the 2016 Champions, The Cottontown Chorus, and a moving speech given by one of their members. The speech touched on the horrific bombing in Manchester earlier in the week and reminded all in the audience of the intangible value, power and importance of music and singing – the latter sentiments taking me and this short article full circle by bringing back to mind friendly and encouraging conversations during my Learn To Sing Course.

Ian Wooler, Kingsmen Club Secretary

Kingsmen Make it Three in a Row!

Wed, 17 May 2017 14:00:00 GMT

The Kingsmen Harmony Chorus entered the Torbay Music Festival male barbershop competition held in Paignton Festival Hall and came away as winners with a distinction and glowing comments from Bryan Husband who is an adjudicator for the British & International Federation of Festivals. His concluding comment was, quote: "An excellent performance both technically and artistically". The picture shows Music Director Roy Hann (holding the shield) and a few of the guys displaying the silverware at their very next rehearsal evening.

This is the third music festival barbershop competition in succession that the Kingsmen have won following the Plymouth Music Festival and the Saltash Performing Arts Festival successes. This all bodes well for the Kingsmen who are performing at the BABS National Barbershop Convention in Bournemouth BIC on 26th May and will be competing against 40 other choruses from across the UK.

They are also busy fund raising for a 12 day tour of the USA in May 2018 where they will be visiting and performing with three choruses in Pennsylvania, Washington DC and New York.

The Kingsmen raise funds to maintain their chorus and develop their performance levels as they have to find funds for professional coaching, rehearsal rooms, equipment, uniforms and travel, which takes them to many venues at home and abroad. All of this helps enrich and develop the chorus and enables them to maintain their ability to raise funds for the many charities both local and national that they support. They have raised in excess of £101,000 for the charities since their inception in September 1991. Charities supported are Crohn's & Colitis UK, Children's Hospice SW, Victim Support, Help For Heroes, Save the Children, Cancer Research UK and the Chestnut Appeal for Prostate Cancer.

Kingsmen - 60th Birthday surprise

Mon, 27 Mar 2017 07:33:00 GMT

A small group of Kingsmen performed at a 60th birthday surprise at the Langstone Cliff Hotel, Dawlish to the delight of the guests and Wendy, who's birthday it happened to be.

Wendy's daughter Leila was happy for me to use her words (and some of her photos) as follows:

Quote:

"Thank you all so, so much for the wonderful performance on Saturday, it was spectacular and the highlight of the celebrations. My Mum was incredibly moved (and surprised - result!) and also my Dad and Grandfather were so overwhelmed as were many of our guests, there were a number of moist eyes! For me of course seeing Mum's reaction was very special and my Grandad.

Your set was just perfect and every song was enjoyed, the 'Lion King' was a hit for my girls. As you say the venue was also stunning, the sea view is beautiful and we found all of the team very helpful, the salon worked out well!

I was so grateful to you for bringing the guys together for this, especially with such a big performance in the evening, I am glad to hear it was a success.

I will look forward to hearing more about the 2018 USA Tour!

Sending very best wishes to all Kingsmen,

Leila and family"

Kingsmen Concert ‘raises the roof’!

Tue, 07 Mar 2017 09:46:00 GMT

On Saturday 4th March the Kingsmen and guests performed in front of a packed audience at St Georges Church, Modbury. This was a real celebration of music with wonderful mix of song and music and proved to be a fitting concert to coincide with the completed restoration of the church roof.

The Kingsmen are a highly regarded male barbershop harmony chorus based in Kingsbridge who have performed both internationally and in the UK. They were under the direction of Music Director Mr Roy Hann as they performed a varied selection from their extensive repertoire, ranging from iconic Beatles songs to haunting Gospel songs. They had nine new members in their line up and for some this was their debut performance including Andy Lamerton who brought his new baby along to witness his performance!

After the Kingsmen’s opening set the Modbury Primary School Choir under the direction of Sarah Gill and accompanied by Jo Highly on the keyboard enchanted the audience with their beautiful singing whilst providing their own backing using woodwind instruments and ukuleles.

Either side of the intermission the audience had a special treat listening to the brilliant ‘dancing’ violin of young Jack Highley and the dexterous keyboard and church organ skills of John Ashton Thomas, who works as a composer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor and teacher both here in the UK and in the USA. These were performances and performers that would do justice in any top music arena in the country.

The Kingsmen closed the evening but not before the final guests ‘Carousel’, a female quartet, took to the floor. They captivated the audience with their close four part harmonies and delivered a selection of modern arrangements that complimented their lively and magical performance.

Kingsmen perform on Christmas Eve for the 20th year in succession

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 12:17:00 GMT

The Kingsmen gave a real festive start to Christmas by performing for the guests staying at Buckland Tout Saints Hotel, Goveton.

This is a tradition that was started 20 years ago when the hotel asked our Music Director Roy Hann if he could bring a few of the guys along to sing. The hotel obviously enjoy what we do as we have been asked back again next year!

From there we went to the Crabshell Inn, Kingsbridge where we put on our second performance of the evening to the delight of the packed pub. Landlord Simon laid on some delicious pizzas for the guys and the wives who braved the cold winters evening. Our final destination and performance at 9.30pm was the Cottage Hotel, Hope Cove, again much to the delight of the hotel guests and staff. All in all a great night out and a good way to kick start our own celebrations.

Kingsmen celebrate their 25th Anniversary in style

Thu, 03 Nov 2016 15:23:00 GMT

The Kingsmen with special guests Panache held a concert at Kingsbridge Community College to celebrate the Kingsmens 25th Anniversary.

The show format was inspired by Roy Hann who is the Music Director, Founder and Hon Life President and was deemed a huge success by the very enthusiastic and capacity audience. The story from the early beginnings of the chorus in the Crabshell Inn, Kingsbridge back in 1991 to the current day was excellently narrated by Martin Hallam who is an Honorary Life Member of the Kingsmen. He did a fantastic job of also entertaining the audience between acts with his witty comments and anecdotes.

The concert was followed by an 'afterglow' at the Crabshell Inn for all the singers and their family and friends.

The Kingsmen at the Crabshell Inn, Kingsbridge

Fri, 07 Oct 2016 07:07:00 GMT

The Kingsmen put on a fantastic performance to the delight of the customers and staff at the Crabshell Inn on a lovely balmy summers evening.

This is where the Kingsmen started up 25 years ago by their founder, Musical Director and Hon Life President Roy Hann and they are celebrating their 25th Anniversary in style this year.

They are holding an anniversary show at Kingsbridge Community College on Sat 15th Oct at 7pm. Click here to see more Kingsmen Events

Photos by Shaun Fewtrell

Glorious Chorus in concert with the Kingsmen

Tue, 19 Jul 2016 14:46:00 GMT

Helen Yoeman the musical director of the Glorious Chorus invited Roy Hann, Musical Director and the Kingsmen to share a concert at St John's Church on Sun 3rd July 2016.

The concert was played to a packed and appreciative audience. The Kingsmen opened the show with their up tempo version of 'Amarillo' and set the scene for an entertaining performance with songs such as 'Something', Can You Feel the Love Tonight, YMCA and the audience pleasing 'Teddy Bear's Picnic'.

The Glorious Chorus is an award winning choir having performed at Glastonbury and more recently featured on BBC Radio 3 (The Choir). Helen has written a song called 'Saved' which has been announced winner of the gospel/faith category in the 2015 international songwriting competition. The competition attracts over 7,000 entries in total and is one of most prestigious songwriting contests in the world with several international winners in this year’s contest. The choir performed it during the show and received a standing ovation. They also performed rousing renditions of 'Jerusalem' and 'Caravan of Love'.

Helen and Roy were presented with gifts at the end of the show and both received a standing ovation.

We are looking forward to holding another joint concert on Sunday 11th December, 7pm - Christmas Show with the Glorious Chorus at Kingsbridge Community College.