The BABS Northern Chorus Preliminary competition was held at the Assembly Rooms, Derby on Saturday
Saturday 16th November 2002. Anvil Chorus, with 37 singers plus director, scored 52.7% (948 marks)
and were placed 10th on the day.
After the Southern chorus prelims on 30th November the results will be combined into one list of
all choruses ranked by their score. The top twenty will then qualify to sing in the chorus
finals at the convention in Harrogate in May 2003
The top three choruses on the day were as follows:
West Midlands Barbershop Harmony Club was founded in February 1978, hence we will be celebrating our 25th Anniversary
in February 2003. However, the founder members joined BABS before the club was formally recognised, and two of these
founders received their BABS 25 year recognition badges at the Northern prelims.
Dennis Hodgetts
Dennis Hodgetts is pictured
here receiving his badge from Rod Butcher, himself a 25-year badge holder and founder member of our club. In 1977
Dennis was singing in the Kenrick and Jefferson Male Voice Choir in West Bromwich and was also in a quartet formed
from within that group, singing songs in barbershop style. This quartet formed half of what was to become WMBHC.
Rick Scott
Rick Scott was also a founder member of our club. He and Rod were teachers at Menzies High School
and were also doing some singing in the barbershop style. When Brian Lake, a barbershop singer from the Leicester club
moved to West Bromwich he made contact with these two groups, and the fledgling West Midlands Barbershop Harmony Club
was formed.