- Boston Spa Methodist Concert, 9th Feb '24
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Date Posted: Fri, 9 Feb 2024
On Friday February 9th the chorus performed a lunchtime concert at Boston Spa Methodist Church. The event was very well attended in their beautiful church, and judging by the enthusiastic way the audience joined on the singing, it was a great success.
Billy did his normal great job of getting the audience involved with Jon Tanakawaca, and Geg and the boys on the Ukes led the singalong section. Ian entertained with one of his musical ditties which got the audience laughing.
- Information for Learn To Sing Attendees
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Date Posted: Mon, 5 Feb 2024
What can I expect from the learn to sing on Harmony course?
This course is open to all levels of singing experience and aims to teach the basic fundamentals of good singing in four-part harmony.
If you are a complete novice at singing this course will help you find your voice and boost your confidence.
Most people, when asked, say they can’t sing but this has been found to be untrue. Everyone has a voice but maybe they try and sing in the wrong vocal range; together we will help you discover your voice and the course will help it to develop.
Whatever your musical background, this course has something for you and is structured around group teaching methods, so you do not need to worry about being too exposed. You do not need to be able to read music, and all teaching materials needed for the course can be found in your welcome pack, including sheet music and teach tracks that will be available via the Harrogate Harmony website.
Over the four-week period you will learn about posture and breathing, vocal mechanism, resonance, carrying the vowel sounds and presentation, and be able to put all that into practice in a song that the whole group will learn together. Most of all, you will have fun with a group of people from all walks of life.
At the end of the course you will receive a certificate and have the opportunity to invite your family and friends to come along and see what you have learned in a small organised show.
On completion of the course you will have the opportunity to join The Harrogate Harmony Chorus.
THERE IS NO OBLIGATION TO JOIN THE GROUP.
- Learn to Sing Course
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Date Posted: Fri, 8 Dec 2023
Harrogate Harmony Men’s Chorus want to encourage more men to take up singing in four-part harmony.
We are running a four-week course plus a CHARITY CONCERT to raise funds for the Friends of Harrogate Hospital and to entertain our family, friends and local community.
The course is aimed at both newcomers and experienced singers. You will learn in a friendly and informal setting.
* You do not have to read music
* No experience is necessary
* Men of all ages welcomeJoin us at 7.30pm on Wednesday 14th February at St Peter’s Church, Cambridge Road, Harrogate HG1 1PB (entrance next to Primark).
For more information visit www.harrogateharmony.org.uk or our Facebook page.
Contact Leo on 07545 499326 or pro@harrogateharmony.org.uk to book your place on the course.
The total cost of the course, concert and materials is just £10.
We look forward to meeting you and singing in harmony together.
- Noreen's Kids Fund Raiser
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Date Posted: Sat, 21 Oct 2023A very BIG thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of the concert on 14th October. The floor arrangers and clearers, the singers & Ukes (fees donated) the pianist (fee donated), the bakers, refreshment servers, raffle givers and buyers and everyone who bought a ticket. It was a really wonderful night and we are pleased to say that the night raised £1154 – 08.
Now we must add the money raised by honey sales – a great total of £163, which is pretty good for 1 bee hive. There is also a £40 donation to add to the total score.
GRAND TOTAL - £1357 - 08
We know Noreen will be absolutely over the moon with this great result.
Thank you all again
Lynda and Harold
- A Message from Lynda Blackburn
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Date Posted: Mon, 16 Oct 2023Dear all, first, let me say thank you for the wonderful performance that you put on last night, The singing, the Ukes, the Monologues (Harold and I sang Joyce the Librarian together, sharing or alternating lines, at a friend’s 80th birthday a few years ago) but most of all for the atmosphere and fun. Load of people on their way out said – ‘see you next year Lynda’ I don’t think you can have greater acknowledgement than that.
Errol, family and myself visited Harold this afternoon. Errol used his tablet to show Harold the birthday greetings and other parts of the concert that he had managed to deal with by that time. H was very moved by the entire thing and, dare I say, got a bit teary at the Happy Birthday.
Well today , for the first time on this admission period, I actually felt that Harold was looking as though he was making progress following the overcoming of a crisis. Yes, having the lovely Errol there with Norma and cute as pie Lyric (Lok Yin Lyric) was a tremendous stimulation for him but even so, he was more like Harold.
I thank you all for your love and concern for him and will continue to keep you informed.
With every best regards
Lynda
- Sunnyfield Lodge, Audience Participation
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Date Posted: Thu, 31 Aug 2023
On Friday August 25th the chorus entertained the residents of Sunnyfield Lodge with a full concert repertoire, including the Ukes and a monologue interlude. Our new audience participation number, John Kanaka, went down a storm with the audience and the photo below shows 100% participation!
Well done to all who took part and our new cheerleader - Bill Burchill.
- Harrogate Community Radio Audio
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Date Posted: Thu, 9 Mar 2023
On Tuesday February 21st Leo Niemic gave an interview on Harrogate Community Radio when he explained our chorus in great detail. The audio recording below is a transcript of the interview and includes a recording of Under The Boardwalk at one of our recent concerts.
Click this link to listen.
- Learn to Sing Course
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Date Posted: Thu, 2 Feb 2023
LEARN TO SING COURSE, MARCH 1st
We are Harrogate Harmony singing club and we want to encourage more men to take up singing in four-part harmony.
We are running a five-week course, including a concert to entertain our family and friends in the final week.
The course is aimed at both newcomers and those that have not sung for a while. You will learn within a group in a friendly and informal setting. Our aim is to have fun singing together.- There are no auditions.
- You do not have to read music,
- No experience is necessary,
- Men of all ages are assured of a warm welcome.
Join us at 7.30pm on Wednesday 1st March at St Peter’s Church, Cambridge Road, Harrogate HG1 1PB (Entrance next to Primark).
For more information visit www.harrogateharmony.org.uk, our Harrogate Harmony Facebook page or contact Leo on 07545 499326 to book your place on the course.
The total cost for the five-week course is just £10 which includes all course materials, tuition and refreshments. All you need to do is let us know you are coming, turn up on the 1st and the following four Wednesday evenings.
If you would like to come along and meet us before the course begins, just come along at 7.30pm on any Wednesday evening.Attachment: 
- Merry Christmas
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Date Posted: Wed, 14 Dec 2022
A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all at Harrogate Harmony. Drawing courtesy of Greg Tunesi.
- Letter of Thanks from Robin Dunn
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Date Posted: Thu, 1 Dec 2022
Please see below a letter received from Robin Dunn regarding our recent concert in Ripon,
Attachment:
- Singout in memory of Monica Byrne
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Date Posted: Wed, 11 May 2022
On Saturday May 7th the Chorus performed a sing out at the Ascot House Hotel in Harrogate at an event organised by chorus member Terry Byrne in memory of his late wife, Monica. The repertoire included many of the old favourites, and was introduced by "What a Wonderful World", a particular favourite of Monica and Terry's.
The audience, who werer friends and family of the Byrnes, had been treated to a lovely lunch at the hotel, followed by the concert, and Terry generously provided drinks and refreshments for the chorus after the set was completed.
Nan Weeks was in attendance and kindly acted as photograoher.
- LTS Completions recognised
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Date Posted: Thu, 3 Feb 2022
At this week's rehearsal two members of the chorus who had completed the Learn To Sing course were presented with their certificates by Chorus Chairman, Keith Riggs and Chorus Musical DIrector, Les Whitworth.
Very well done to Roger Frier and Jeff Davies who are photographed below.
- Learn To Sing Concert
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Date Posted: Fri, 26 Nov 2021
Last Wednesday evening the chorus staged a concert for the family and friends of those who attended our learn to sing course at St Peter’s Church in the town centre.
The course began on 20th October where attendees were introduced to four-part harmony singing. Over the following weeks they performed various songs to warm and relax their voices and learnt and mastered two songs which they sang alongside the chorus. After the concert the attendees were awarded with course completion certificates which were jointly presented by our music director Les Whitworth and chairman Keith Riggs. Of the seven men who joined the course four have decided to join us and they look forward to learning our repertoire of popular songs and joining us for local concerts.
We are all now looking forward to our concert at the Wesley Methodist Memorial Hall, a well deserved break for the Christmas and New Year holiday, and our annual dinner at the Ascot House Hotel on 7th January.
- Robert completes 150km walking challenge
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Date Posted: Sun, 21 Feb 2021
Robert Aspin has been a member of Harrogate Harmony for many years, singing Lead in many of our recent concerts. Robert, a former mayor of Knaresborough, has turned his hand to more physical pursuits recently by undertaking a 150km walking challenge raising money for Saint Michael's Hospice.
Robert completed his challenge last week and was rewarded with a wonderful piece in the local newspaper which sadly we are not allowed to reproduce on Facebook.
Robert is pictured here at the top of the castle steps in Knaresborough.
Very well done from all of his fellow barbershoppers, and should anyone wish to contribute to his sponsorship please visit www.just-giving.com/fundraising/robert-aspin
- Norman Robinson
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Date Posted: Sun, 27 Dec 2020
Members of the chorus have been saddened today by the news of the death of one of our long-term members, Norman Robinson. Norman joined Harrogate Harmony in the early days soon after the chorus was formed and was a valued member for over twenty four years. He retired from the chorus nearly two years ago due to declining health.
Norman, together with Mike Tasker, kept the tenor section going through some challenging years, and we knew that he could be relied upon to always give of his best.
Norman was a quiet person with a mischievous sense of humour and was a talented musician and piano keyboard player, and has written articles on music theory for barbershoppers over the years. Although Norman sang tenor, he had a natural bass voice and a good one at that.
Norman will be sadly missed and we extend our deepest condolences to Kath.
- Peter Bryant Coaching Session
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Date Posted: Wed, 13 Nov 2019
Well, what a night it was. Peter Bryant came to coach the chorus and in the 2 hours he was with us he managed to transform our performance of several numbers, including, significantly, Perfect when for the first time we felt that we really were closing in on a performance-standard rendition.
After the normal physical warm-up we sang a well-know Polecat, followed by several of our popular numbers including Sunny Side of the Street and Sentimental Journey. In every case Peter managed to bring out the best in the chorus and we all left feeling uplifted.
Well done Peter, and we would welcome you back any time.
Further words from Mike Tasker
Wonderful inspirational coaching session by Peter last night, and I am sure you will all agree, he showed the way to enable us to raise our game in the art and craft of harmony singing.
Also a hearty welcome to new singer Bob Vickers.
The coaching by Peter on ‘Perfect’ was really something different and gave us a new perspective on the song.
I hope I can cover the main points of his advice- This song should not be considered as a classic Barbershop song, the audience will expect to hear something of Ed Sheerran in the singing, and will be disappointed if they don’t.
- The pace of the song as we were singing it in the past was too fast - needs to be sung at approx. half the speed. This should help avoid the gabble when the leads have their lead ins.
- The leads are way more important in this song than the harmony parts, so for the most part of the song the latter need to sing lightly so that the melody line comes through and reflects the way it is sung by Ed Sheeran.
- Bar 31 needs a crescendo on the word ‘Home’.
I just wish that we had been able to record some/most parts of the evening, for us it was a master class. Our challenge now is to remember the advice and tips Peter gave us and to apply them in our future singing.
Super evening.
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Regards,
Mike
- Coaching Session
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Date Posted: Fri, 6 Sep 2019
On Wednesday 13 November we will welcome Peter Bryant, MD of Spirit of Harmony barbershp chorus, to Harrogate Harmony for a coaching session. Peter was MD of our chorus several years ago and we very much look forward to his visit.
- Bring a Friend night
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Date Posted: Fri, 6 Sep 2019
On Wednesday October 2nd we will be hosting a "Bring A Friend" night at Harrogate Harmony. The evening is open to all comers, whether friends of existing members or walk-ins off the street, who would like to sample barbershop singing.
We will demonstrate 4-part harmony and then give newcomers the chance to participate in a rendition of a classic favourite "Hello Mary Lou".
