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May 14, 2018
An Evening of A cappella
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.
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The communities of the South Hams have long, deep rooted ties with those organisations that serve to protect and save not only the sailors and fishermen local to these communities but also those visitors who pass by our shores or are staying here on vacation and enjoying our beaches and watersport facilities. With this in mind Heather Spencer, 2026 Ladies' Captain at Thurlestone Golf Club, organised a charity evening of fun, food, friendship and fundraising in aid of her chosen charity for her year, the new RNLI Lifeboat at Salcombe. The Salcombe Larks and The Kingsmen Harmony Chorus brought together an eclectic mix of songs from their repertoires, including music from The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkle, Neil Diamond (and many more) and entertained the packed clubhouse either side of a splendid buffet supper prepared by the TGC catering team. If you were one of the men in the audience who enjoyed our performance and you like singing, then why not come along and visit us on a rehearsal night and join in the fun and camaraderie https://www.kingsmen.org.uk/become-a-member It was a particularly poignant event for the many of the performers. The Salcombe Larks originate from the town of Salcombe and the Kingsmen hail from Kingsbridge, both groups are closely associated with the South Hams RNLI. Some have immediate family connections too. Gary Rowe, the Kingsmen Musical Director, is the son of Raymond Rowe who was 2nd Cox at Salcombe for many years. Raymond won a bravery award for his role in a hazardous resume of a distressed vessel, the Janet C, off Start Point. He also appeared in the TV Series Lifeboat in the 90's. Ian Wooler, our Assistant MD, also has close family connections to the Eastbourne RNLI station. One of his Great Uncles, James (Jim) Hall was a member of the Eastbourne Lifeboat Crew for 45 years and received several awards for bravery and long service. Jim's Niece (Ian's Mum) raised money for the RNLI throughout her life. The event raised several hundred pounds in aid of the charity and both chorus groups were more than happy to perform free of charge to help.
The Kingsmen donned their cowboy outfits to ride out to Loddiswell and attend a wild west themed event at Tunley Ranch, the home of chairman, farmer Paul. The cattle shed which had cattle in it up to a few weeks before, had been steamed cleaned and decked with bunting, festoon lights, old wagon wheels, straw bales and even an inflatable life-sized cow to set a memorable wild west theme. The cowboys and gals were soon tucking into a superb barbecue cooked by the Harvey family before enjoying singing, dancing and party games. Guest appearances from drifters John Meehan and Chris Birch along with Paul Horrocks and the Attricks made sure the evening went with a swing. A skittles match and rope tossing games, together with the occasional beer, kept smiles on faces, with all enjoying this Kingsmen social evening. The event was aimed at raising money for prostate cancer research, the chairman’s charity this year, which proved very successful with a total of £1120 raised. We would like to thank sponsorship from Aune Valley Meat, Heron Valley juices, Tesco and Morrisons for supporting this event. Also, to chairman Paul and his family for putting all this together.
The Kingsmen Welcome New Recruit Rob Loader
Congratulations to Chris Collins on passing his voice assessment
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 ! "
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The communities of the South Hams have long, deep rooted ties with those organisations that serve to protect and save not only the sailors and fishermen local to these communities but also those visitors who pass by our shores or are staying here on vacation and enjoying our beaches and watersport facilities. With this in mind Heather Spencer, 2026 Ladies' Captain at Thurlestone Golf Club, organised a charity evening of fun, food, friendship and fundraising in aid of her chosen charity for her year, the new RNLI Lifeboat at Salcombe. The Salcombe Larks and The Kingsmen Harmony Chorus brought together an eclectic mix of songs from their repertoires, including music from The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkle, Neil Diamond (and many more) and entertained the packed clubhouse either side of a splendid buffet supper prepared by the TGC catering team. If you were one of the men in the audience who enjoyed our performance and you like singing, then why not come along and visit us on a rehearsal night and join in the fun and camaraderie https://www.kingsmen.org.uk/become-a-member It was a particularly poignant event for the many of the performers. The Salcombe Larks originate from the town of Salcombe and the Kingsmen hail from Kingsbridge, both groups are closely associated with the South Hams RNLI. Some have immediate family connections too. Gary Rowe, the Kingsmen Musical Director, is the son of Raymond Rowe who was 2nd Cox at Salcombe for many years. Raymond won a bravery award for his role in a hazardous resume of a distressed vessel, the Janet C, off Start Point. He also appeared in the TV Series Lifeboat in the 90's. Ian Wooler, our Assistant MD, also has close family connections to the Eastbourne RNLI station. One of his Great Uncles, James (Jim) Hall was a member of the Eastbourne Lifeboat Crew for 45 years and received several awards for bravery and long service. Jim's Niece (Ian's Mum) raised money for the RNLI throughout her life. The event raised several hundred pounds in aid of the charity and both chorus groups were more than happy to perform free of charge to help.
The Kingsmen donned their cowboy outfits to ride out to Loddiswell and attend a wild west themed event at Tunley Ranch, the home of chairman, farmer Paul. The cattle shed which had cattle in it up to a few weeks before, had been steamed cleaned and decked with bunting, festoon lights, old wagon wheels, straw bales and even an inflatable life-sized cow to set a memorable wild west theme. The cowboys and gals were soon tucking into a superb barbecue cooked by the Harvey family before enjoying singing, dancing and party games. Guest appearances from drifters John Meehan and Chris Birch along with Paul Horrocks and the Attricks made sure the evening went with a swing. A skittles match and rope tossing games, together with the occasional beer, kept smiles on faces, with all enjoying this Kingsmen social evening. The event was aimed at raising money for prostate cancer research, the chairman’s charity this year, which proved very successful with a total of £1120 raised. We would like to thank sponsorship from Aune Valley Meat, Heron Valley juices, Tesco and Morrisons for supporting this event. Also, to chairman Paul and his family for putting all this together.
The Kingsmen Welcome New Recruit Rob Loader
Congratulations to Chris Collins on passing his voice assessment
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 ! "
Kingsmen celebrate with new recruit Sam Tolchard
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.
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