Telford Barbershop chorus win "Best Small Chorus" award

At the annual convention of the British Association of Barbershop Singers in Harrogate on the 25th of May 2024, Wellington-based Barbershop Chorus the Telfordaires won two awards – including Best Small Chorus.  They also won their division and finished overall 8th in the country out of 40 participating choruses.

This is a huge success for the small chorus who only a year ago lost their Musical Director, Chairman and rehearsal space in quick succession.  But since then they have made huge strides to secure this success.

The new Chair is Garry Kirlew was delighted and said:

“I’m absolutely delighted that the Chorus has done so well at convention this year. It’s a result of a lot of hard work for a lot of people - including the 18 who made the trip to Yorkshire but also those who weren’t able to make it, but supported us in other ways. We had a very successful public concert in April which helped to raise both funds and confidence.  Many of us have already booked our tickets for next year’s convention in Bournemouth – to defend our title!”

Newly appointed in October, the Telfordaires’ Musical Director is Dale Kynaston:

“When I join the Chorus I knew there was a lot of potential, but even I was surprised how well the guys applied themselves and worked hard to produce a really epic performance on stage at the Convention Centre in Harrogate. We have five new members join us recently following our “Learn To Sing” introduction course and maybe next year we can do even better!”

Registered Charity

The Telfordaires are a registered charity and work hard to support local charities and community events. This year the Telfordaires are collecting on behalf of the Lingen Davies Cancer Trust.

Long-standing member, Brian Forster added:

“I’ve been a member of the Telfordaires for about 28 years and gone to 27 Annual Conventions. I’ve never been more proud of the Chorus than I am at the moment. Terrific performance and a great spirit in the chorus”