This year’s Sing United International took us to Manchester for what proved to be a truly unforgettable convention and competition weekend.
The event was held in the stunning Bridgewater Hall, a venue renowned for its world-class acoustics and spectacular concert stage. It was the perfect setting for a weekend packed with incredible singing.
The VDC crew travelled up from Surrey in a variety of ways. Some members made the journey by train or car, while many of us hopped aboard what quickly became known as the “Fun Bus” – laughter started long before we reached Manchester.
Arriving on Friday, we were delighted to catch most of the quartet competition and cheer on Nova and Virtual Q, both of which feature VDC members. It was an absolute joy to watch so many talented quartets perform on such an incredible stage. With the convention bringing together singers from two regions, there was an amazing 46 quartets who crossed the stage – a true feast of barbershop harmony!
Saturday was chorus contest day. After a morning spent rehearsing, warming up and getting stage-ready, it was finally our turn to step into the spotlight. It was also the first outing for our new costumes – a sea of blues with silver accents that we've been putting together over the last few months. We then performed our contest package of Come Fly With Me and The Way You Look Tonight. Singing on the Bridgewater Hall stage was an absolute treat - it's not every day you get the opportunity to perform in a venue built specifically for music.
After our performance, we settled in to enjoy the rest of the competition and watch some fantastic choruses from both regions. Then came the moment we'd all been waiting for – the results!
We were absolutely thrilled to be crowned AA Division Champions, taking home the gold medal with our highest-ever contest score of 630. To top it off, we finished 4th overall, an achievement we're incredibly proud of.
The overall championship title went to Forth Valley Chorus with a phenomenal score of 700. The standard across both regions was simply outstanding, and we feel incredibly fortunate to share the stage with so much talent.
The celebrations began immediately! We enjoyed a celebratory meal together before heading back to the venue for the evening show. The show kicked off with the Royal Blue Chorus which our amazing director Valerie sung with, it was amazing! This was then followed by the ‘Future Voices’ chorus which featured three of our own members: Ella, Neyana and Ellie. Watching them perform was a real highlight of the weekend. We couldn't have been prouder – they were absolutely fabulous, and the sound they produced was incredible.
After the show came the Afterglow, where singers from both regions gathered to share songs, stories and plenty of harmonies. It was such a special atmosphere and a wonderful opportunity to sing with friends old and new. Some of us also embraced the silent disco, which provided plenty of laughs and memorable dance moves.
The entire weekend was an enormous success. The contest was exceptional, the organisation was seamless, and both the Region 31 and Region 32 management teams deserve huge congratulations for delivering such a fantastic event. It was wonderful to meet so many new people, reconnect with friends and enjoy performances from choruses and quartets we don't often get the chance to hear.
We returned home not only with two shiny new medals, but also with a collection of unforgettable memories. Weekends like this remind us just how lucky we are to call barbershop our hobby.
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