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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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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It's difficult to think of a better way to spend an evening than with the joy and harmony of song; enriched by the camaraderie, fun and friendship associated with being a member of a Chorus; and blessed by the sharing of precious moments with family and friends - all gathering to celebrate success; recognise and reward achievement; and mark significant milestones. But this is what the Kingsmen Barbershop Harmony Chorus https://www.kingsmen.org.uk/ has just done; and done in style. On display to greet attendees at the Awards Evening were items from the Club's archives, including an array of scrap books containing photographs and articles telling the story of the Club from the very first rehearsal attended by 12 guys at the Crabshell Pub in Kingsbridge in the Autumn of 1991; through tours (including 3 to the USA); results from competitions; and money (well over £100k) raised for various Charities. And inevitably, the page turning led to the sharing of stories, laughter and the recollection of happy memories. Chairman Paul Harvey opened proceedings with a warm Kingsmen welcome and handed over to Stu Newberry who took on the role as Master of Ceremonies. Stu guided attendees through the presentation and award of: the Harmony Award (recipient Kevin Hamer); the Jack Nation Trophy (recipient Chris Lambart); the Director's Award (recipient Ian Wooler); and the Barbershopper of the Year Award (recipient Kevin Hamer). Several Kingsmen also received Long Service Awards (the Club is a Member of the British Association of Barbershop Singers - https://www.singbarbershop.com/ ). 10 Year Badges were presented to Jim Stewart, Terry Weeks; Kevin Hamer and Ian Wooler (and will be to Charles Harrington, Geoff Sharps and Shaun Fewtrell - all of whom were unable to attend the event); a 20 Year Badge was presented to Gary Rowe; and 30 Year Badges were presented to Tim Wyatt and Steve Hancock. The evening culminated with the presentation by Chairman Paul Harvey of a special award - to Roy Hann, who founded the Chorus back in 1991 and who was the Musical Director for 30 years. The award was a glass trophy engraved with the words 'From your Brothers in Harmony. In celebration of your unwavering dedication, musical passion, and your 35 year milestone in founding the Chorus'. And you've guessed it - the celebrations continued at an Afterglow at a local pub, where more singing, fun and friendship was in abundance. Fancy having a go at singing? Want to join in the fun? If so, why not come along to one of our Rehearsals? You'll be guaranteed of receiving a big, warm Kingsmen welcome - and who knows, this time next year, you could be an award winner! For further information about the Kingsmen and Membership check out the following links: https://www.kingsmen.org.uk/become-a-member and https://www.kingsmen.org.uk/
Serene, Scenic, Spectacular
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It's been Kingsbridge Fair Week recently and it was a joy to help kick things off to a great musical start. Dressed in our best and brightest Hawaiian shirts, the Kingsmen sang and entertained a lively audience from the Bandstand in the Town Square on an afternoon and evening of local entertainment, which ended with a firework display. 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 Kingsbridge is the hometown of the Kingsmen and we are celebrating our 35 anniversary this year. We like nothing better than supporting local events and charities; so keep an eye on the Upcoming Events link on our website to find out where we are singing and performing over the coming weeks and months. Hope to see you there! https://www.kingsmen.org.uk/ With thanks to Rebecca Rowe for taking these photos.
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