Alan Goldsmith, Education Manager Expand In 1999 Alan was dragged, fairly reluctantly it must be said, to a Lincoln BHC rehearsal - and his life changed overnight! After singing with Lincoln proved insufficient to satisfy all his barbershop needs, he retired in 2004 to allow more time for those activities. Singing with two choruses, Harmony Lincs and the Grand Central Chorus, as well as an enjoyable but non-competing quartet, still leaves enough time to contribute to helping to develop BABS into an even stronger, and larger, organisation. Holding posts as Chairman, Vice-Chairman, PRO and Treasurer in BABS’ clubs has given him the experience of managing in the club environment, and having been Chairman of BABS in 2009-10 and subsequently Music Services Director, has given the experience of managing a dynamic national charitable company, with the responsibilities that this entails. Alan’s main ambition is to provide the opportunities that will enable every BABS' member, quartet and chorus to develop their skills to maximise their potential, and also to enable BABS’ choruses and quartets to perform consistently at the ‘A’ level, and to make a significant mark at International Conventions - we’re not there yet but we are on the way!
Ali Jack, Enrolment & Accommodation Manager Expand You may recognise Ali as she is the BABS Convention Reception Manager and Ali and her team of helpers make the BABS reception desk run smoothly. So who better to ask to join the Harmony College team as the Enrolment Manager! When not helping BABS!! Ali also does a bit of singing, singing tenor; in the LABBS 2007 gold medallist quartet ‘Havoc’; (and as a member of the Quartet Champions (QCs) Ali is the liaison for the QCs/E&J); in the mixed quartet ‘Jigsaw’ with her partner Peter (aka Nooj); ‘RhythmMix’ – Ladies Octet; ‘Hav 8’ – a mixed octet with ‘Havoc’ and their men! Ali is also the Chorus Manager and Tenor Section Leader in her chorus, Fascinating Rhythm (LABBS). Ali has been privileged to coach local quartets, choruses and small ensembles, and is also the vocal coach for Junior Fascinating Rhythm, a girls group aged between 7 - 14. In her day job Ali works at the University of the West of England, Bristol in 'Space Management'.
Dale Kynaston, College Manager Expand Dale is the current BABS Director of Music and Education. Click here to read more about Dale.
Frank Salter, Personal Development Expand Frank joined BABS when he joined Hallmark of Harmony in the winter of 1991. A few weeks later he joined the newly formed Grand Central Chorus where he still sings. He has been to International Convention at New Orleans with Hallmark in 1992, Pittsburgh with Grand Central in 1994 and Atlanta with Grand Central in 1998. He has served for many years as Bass section Leader in Grand Central and also for a while as deputy Chorus Director. Additionally he has been Director of both Heart of England Chorus and Three Spires Harmony. He first served on the Harmony College Faculty in 2004 teaching the use of the “Virtual Singer” software package, but moved the following year into the singing stream. Frank loves to work with the voice and in more recent years at Harmony College has worked in one on one coaching sessions which he finds both intense and rewarding.
Lyn Kidby, Extreme Quartets Expand Lyn has been singing barbershop for over 30 years, having been thankful to find somewhere that her bass vocal range was welcome! She started with her local chorus Junction 14, had some years with Phoenix, then more time with Junction 14 including 3 years as MD and is now back singing with Phoenix. Over the years she has sung at The Barbican, in Sainsbury’s Choir of the Year, at the Buckeye convention in Ohio and recently in the Sweet Adelines International in St Louis, as well as many UK conventions. She is currently the MD for MK Acapella for the second time, having clocked up about 16 years altogether. She has attended many Harmony Colleges, being one of the first ladies to attend. She enjoys quartetting and has been part of quartets that have competed in LABBS and SABS. She has been part of the EQ family for 3 years and is looking forward to encouraging others to enjoy the EQ experience.
Neil Firth, Directing Stream Expand Neil has been involved in barbershop since 1983. He was Assistant Chorus Director of Preston Red Rose Chorus and Sound Association in Sale before becoming Musical Director of the six times BABS Chorus Champions, The Cottontown Chorus in May 2007. He became their front line Director in May 2008. In his first year as Director, he led them to become IABS International Chorus Champions, Radio 3 Adult Choir of the Year, European Silver Medallists and BABS Chorus Champions for a third time. In 2011 in Llandudno, he directed them to their fourth Gold Medal placing. Neil has sung in a number of competing quartets, including 1997 finalists Wall Street, 2001 Champions Matrix and 2011 Gold Medallists Crossfire. In July 2010, Neil took Cottontown Chorus to the Barbershop Harmony Society International Chorus Contest in Philadelphia where he achieved impressive 14th place amongst the best choruses in the world. Neil is heavily involved in coaching choruses and quartets both male and female up and down the UK and is especially open to bribes of curry and alcohol when selecting his coaching jobs.
Rhiannon Owens-Hall, Ladies Chorus Expand Rhiannon attended the Royal Academy of Music in London, studying cello and directing. She is a Graduate of the Royal Schools of Music, Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music and an Associate of the Royal College of Music. Rhiannon's involvement with singing spans some forty years as a performer, director and coach. She has worked with both the British Youth Choir Federation and Sing for Pleasure in England. Rhiannon has been closely associated with barbershop singing in the UK since the formation of the British Association, and was instrumental in developing formal judging systems for competitions. She has Gold medals as both director and as a quartet singer.
Rod Butcher, Quartet Coaching Expand Rod is a forty-one year Barbershopper and a founder member of the West Midlands Barbershop Harmony Club. As a member of the Anvil Chorus over the years, he has been the entire tenor section, section leader, and their chorus director. He is back directing the Anvil Chorus again as well as Second City Sound, a LABBS chorus. Rod has been a member of six quartets: Chime Gentlemen, the 1981 silver medallists, Back in Time, 1988/89 finalists, Curtain Call, 1990 Champion Quartet, Sound Assembly, 1994 Champion Quartet and Pitch Invasion, 2006 Champion Quartet and One Foot in the Stave, current Senior Quartet Champion. Rod was a member of the Guild of Judges Music Judge for many years but has now retired to Judge Emeritus status. He enjoys coaching and has been privileged to coach in BABS, LABBS and in Holland. Rod is Barbershop's slowest-learners and has been to every BABS Harmony College. This, not age, has deterred him from being involved again this year. He was responsible for organising eleven of the early ones when he was BABS Education Coordinator. Other passions include the jazz guitar and listening to different forms of modern vocal music. He lives in Birmingham with wife Chris and is long retired from his former employment as an Education Inspector.
Shanna Wells, Marketing Manager Expand Shanna is the current BABS Director of Marketing and Communications. To read more about Shanna click here.
Simon Arnott, Arranging Expand Simon studied Music at Bristol University, focusing on performance and composition. After training to become a teacher and working in schools across Bristol and London, Simon is now a Deputy Director of Music in an independent school in South West London. Simon is an accomplished composer and arranger having written for a variety of ensembles. Simon arranges in many choral styles and he has arranged for a number of barbershop groups within the UK and beyond. Simon has been performing barbershop since starting in school and has worked with a number of award-winning groups. He currently directs Meantime Chorus and London City Singers and sings with the quartet Trailblazers, creating many custom arrangements for these groups. You can find out more about Simon and his work at www.simonarnott.co.uk.
Stuart Lines, Website Manager Expand Another longstanding BABS members, with over 40 years in the Association, Stuart has a long history with Harmony College, running many courses, coaching and acting as stream leader. His particular interest is in singing and sound production and he has been a certified Singing judge for more years than he likes to remember. He is also the author of this Harmony College web site and the Guild web site, so you know who to blame if it goes wrong. After singing with the Chess Valley club for many years, he is now a member of Spirit of Harmony. He has competed in various places round the world, including at International with Grand Central, where he also sang for a number of years.
Tony Chapman, Audition Chorus Expand As one of the original members of BABS back in 1974, Tony has been an active member of the association ever since. As a classically trained and qualified musician he first became aware of Barbershop Harmony back in 1973 when the BBC broadcast a documentary on a recent International Convention and knew that was the musical path he wanted to follow. In 1974 he was a founder member and director of the ‘Worthingaires’ on the Sussex coast and when his work took him a bit further west, he joined the ‘Solent City Chorus’, became their Assistant Chorus Director and subsequently their Chorus Director. In the late 1980’s he moved to Lincoln and in 1993 started a chorus in the city (Harmony Lincs). His post as Musical Director continued until 2014 when he stood down, but is still heavily involved with the chorus. He was also the Assistant Chorus Director with ‘Gentlemen Songsters’ in Hampton-In-Arden, and when the chorus was renamed ‘Crescendo’, he became their Chorus Director for a couple of years.