Horndean choir delighted with win at '˜joyous' event

Spinnaker Chorus has been named Choir of the Year at Bournemouth Music Festival.

The festival has become extremely popular over the years attracting choruses, quartets and small groups from across the UK to the Adult Choirs Day competition.

There is always a welcoming atmosphere with all competitors supporting each other's performances.

We thoroughly enjoy taking part in this joyous event every year which enables us to showcase songs from our wonderful repertoire and enter numerous classes including barbershop, single voice choir, choral-singing a cappella, choral-light opera and sacred/gospel.

This year we entered five classes, singing two songs in each. The competition standard was extremely high and adjudicator Angela Rowley certainly had a difficult task judging and deciding winners.

Spinnaker Chorus was awarded the Roger Mills Trophy for first place with outstanding in the barbershop class singing What kind of Fool am I? and The Moment I Saw Your Eyes.

We received very pleasing comments, '˜pinging and ringing chords...polished performance...energised.'

Another said: '˜Barbershop at it's best'. 

In other classes we achieved second and third places with songs including True Colours, Ain't No Mountain High Enough, One Day Like This, Defying Gravity, Anthem and Something Inside So Strong.

Our fantastic foursome, Sapphire Quartet, (Colleen Potter, Karen Harland, Liz King and Jenni Slee) also performed a stunning set in the barbershop/ensemble class, taking second place '“ we are so proud of them.

As Spinnaker won a class at the festival we were automatically entered into the final class  of the day, Choir of the Year.

We sang one song from our winning class, What Kind of Fool Am I? and one other, not previously sung that day, It's Raining Men, a performance for which we received a standing ovation.

At the end of this class there were some anxious moments awaiting Angela's decision but we were thrilled and jumping for joy when she announced Spinnaker as BMCF Choir of the year 2018 and presented our managing director, John Palmer, with the Margaret Miller Trophy.

After the thrill of Bournemouth we're now looking forward to our next exciting event on Saturday, July 21, our concert, Love in Bloom.

This will be an evening of floral celebration across the seasons in music and poetry with a narrative written especially for the event.

The venue is St Faith's Church, Havant, and our show is part of the Flower Festival which is raising money towards the church's Big Build campaign to restore their historic buildings.

The concert starts at 7.30pm and tickets are £8, available from the Parish Office, 2 North Street, Havant. Alternatively, call (023) 9249 2129 or email [email protected].

For further details about Spinnaker Chorus please visit our website, spinnakerchorus.co.uk or email [email protected]