King’s Ely Ex Choristers A Cappella Success
KING’S Ely’s all-boys a cappella group has qualified for a prestigious competition. All the members of the King’s Barbers are all former cathedral or college choir choristers
The group, who celebrated their 25th anniversary last year, has got through to the National Youth a Cappella Competition which takes place at the University of Birmingham in April and is open to university groups.
Entries for the contest were submitted by video and judged by a panel to assess which groups should qualify. This is the second time that the King’s Barbers will have taken part in the competition, and last time they were runners-up.
The King’s Barbers sing everything from timeless classics to contemporary a cappella songs. Former members have gone on to sing in some of the most important and successful groups in the a Cappella scene, including All the King’s Men and Out of the Blue.
Head of Voice at King’s Ely and founder of the King’s Barbers, Peter North, is understandably proud of the boys. He said: “The boys are on fine form at the moment and seem to be looking forward to the day with their customary enthusiasm. When I started the group 26 years ago, my main aim was that we should have fun singing. The sheer enjoyment that the boys get from their singing continues to shine through year on year and I wish them all the best for the competition on April 14th.”