The weekend of 23rd-25th May saw BABS (the British Association of Barbershop Singers) celebrating its’ landmark 50th anniversary in Harrogate. A wonderful few days, full of amazing singing, spending time with friends old and new, and of course the occasional beer or two.

For the guys of Solent City, there was also the satisfaction of achieving an excellent result in the Male Chorus competition. Posting a score of 64.0%, our best for 17 years, Solent pulled off 4th place in the Division 3 category in which we were competing, and 22nd in the full national contest. Musical Director, Steve Morris, said he was really pleased with the result, and our continuing improvement was a testament to all the hard work the chorus has been putting in during the past year.

For two “new boys” in the chorus, Tony Nicholas and Kevin Gall, this was their first convention. Interviewed on the BABS livestream, they both agreed it was an extraordinary and thrilling experience. Kevin said he’d been struck by the wonderful warmth and friendship, not just from the other guys in Solent City, but from all the people attending the weekend. Tony added that when he joined Solent City less than a year ago, he could never have dreamed that within a few months he’d be singing in front of nearly 2,000 people. As he said: “It was terrifying….but amazing. A day I’ll never forget. And I’m already looking forward to next year’s competition!”