9:50am Thursday 7th July 2005
Jenny Lawson says she doesn't know where she would be today without barbershop music.
The director for the Coulsdon-based Surrey Harmony women's barbershop chorus has been singing all her life but says she was always wanted to make music with other people which is what inspired her to join a choir.
But it was the barbershop-style of music and performance which really caught Jenny's interest.
Barbershop singing is reputed to have begun in the US last century. Groups of men used to gather to improvise four-part harmony to the popular tunes of the day. These songs were written with ordinary people in mind. They were songs with strong melodies to sing around the piano with the family.
Jukeboxes and rag jazz temporarily took precedence but in the 1940s barbershop singing saw a revival and now it is popular around the world.
Surrey Harmony is part of the worldwide Sweet Adelines international network of all-female barbershop choruses.
Jenny says the group would love to involve men in the choir but adds with a laugh: "Either men will have to tighten their underpants or our women will have to grow beards!"
Having been formed in 1990 with just 14 members the Coulsdon chorus is continually developing and has grown to more than 70 singers.
Jenny says there is a great feeling of camaraderie between the women who have become closer having survived divorces, deaths, and happier events such as births. "We don't just sing together, we celebrate together," she says.
"It's never daunting singing unaccompanied," says Jenny. "All we have is a pitch pipe, pianos throw us off!"
But one of the highlights for the group is performing on stage at competitions, which although nerve-racking Jenny says are the most exciting and rewarding.
The chorus has recently scored success winning a double gold award at the UK Championships for Sweet Adelines in Plymouth.
It follows a string of past achievements including the group's first gold award in 1994 when they represented the UK in New Orleans in 1994.
They are now looking forward to representing the UK at the 2006 World Championships which will take place in Las Vegas.
The only stumbling block for the group is the uphill task of raising the money to pay for up to 70 people to travel to the America.
The chorus rehearses every Wednesday at Coulsdon Methodist Church Hall in Brighton Road, Coulsdon. Visit www.surreyharmony.com for further details.
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