Barry joined his first barbershop chorus (the Nottingham gateway chorus) in June 1988 and competed at the northern prelims in Sheffield the same year. He saw Hallmark of Harmony for the first time in the evening show and knew that this hobby was for him!  In 1990 he joined the Hallmark of Harmony Chorus in Sheffield and won his first chorus gold medal in the same year in Bournemouth under the direction of John Grant.

He went on to win another 3 gold and two silver medals with Hallmark, and became the lead section leader in the mid 90’s. Barry has sung (and competed) in a several quartets during his years in the Barbershop.

In 2000 Barry became the chorus director of Hallmark, and in 2004 he went to the Society Directors College in Kansas where he was placed in the top stream! Barry then became a member of the BABS directors’ college faculty and taught at the BABS Directors College and Harmony College for three years.

In 2007 Barry became a certified BABS singing judge and has judged contests for BABS, LABBS and IABS. In 2013 Barry was invited to take part in the BHS judging re-certification category school in Kansas, and qualified through the singing judge course. In 2008, Barry became the chorus director for Sheffield harmony chorus, and directed the chorus in several Sweet Adelines contests.

Barry is celebrating his 32^nd Year as a member of BABS this year, and is now the singing coach for the Grand Central chorus in Nottingham.