European Gold Medallists - is this their Finest Hour?

European Gold Medallists - is this their Finest Hour?
Type of post: Chorus news item
Sub-type: No sub-type
Posted By: Paul Searson
Status: Current
Date Posted: Thu, 2 Nov 2017
The weekend of 26th-29th October saw four action-packed days full of high quality barbershop singing as the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers (LABBS) hosted a combined British Ladies National and European Barbershop Convention at the Bournemouth International Centre.

Proceedings started on Thursday with the National Ladies Quartet semi-finals and finals, followed by the European Mixed Quartet finals. Friday and Saturday saw the National Ladies and European Mens and Ladies Chorus contests spread over two days, with shows on the Friday and Saturday evenings providing top class entertainment. With the three chorus competition threads interwoven and a total of 46 choruses competing across the two days, this was an endurance test for the judges, included in whose ranks was Grand Central Lead and Music Team member, Barry Clinton, one of the Singing Category judges. Finally, on Sunday it was time for the Ladies and Mens European Quartet competitions to close out the convention.

Taking part in the European Mens Quartet competition and representing BABS were our very own Finest Hour, who lifted the European Gold trophy and medals with one of their typically polished performances! Click here to enjoy their contest package. Sadly, as bass Phil Cuthbert is stepping down from the quartet, this was his last competition performance with Finest Hour - but what a fitting swan song to top off an incredibly successful three years!



Congratulations too, to Nick Bryant (until recently a Grand Central baritone, having just moved away to start his university course) and the other members of 4 On Demand, who came a creditable 6th in the European Men’s Quartet competition. Click here to see their performance.



Competing in the Ladies National Chorus competition were our friends, and “sister chorus”, GEM Connection. They presented a really engaging and unique performance - an original in-house arrangement, by Heather Lane, of two linked songs from the musical “Cabaret”. Pure musical theatre, click here to enjoy the performance that got them a 4th place in the national competition.



Congratulations to all the quartets and choruses who crossed the stage during the convention, and to all those who took home trophies and medals. The whole event ran like clockwork, so congratulations too to everyone at LABBS who was involved in the organisation and running of the event.

All videos courtesy of LABBS and CPS Ltd.