The White Rosettes make history

Jean Lewis, Publicity Officer of The White Rosettes, tells us about her group's monumental first in barbershop history.

The Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS), based in the USA, holds a week-long annual convention to which the best of the best in the barbershop genre are invited to compete. The first BHS convention took place in 1939 but only recently have female and mixed quartets and choruses been invited to compete in the international contests that are the main attraction of the week’s events. All competitors must reach a qualifying score, based on the BHS scoring/judging system which covers musicality, performance and singing.

This year, my group The White Rosettes (who are based in Leeds) were honoured to make history as the first ever chorus from the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers (LABBS) to be invited to compete. The invitation was made in 2023 following our win at LABBS' own convention in 2022. A year of exciting fundraising and extra coaching ensued, and the chorus finally took their place on the international contest stage this summer on 5 July in Cleveland, Ohio.

The White Rosettes performing It Only Takes A Moment at the BHS 2024 convention

The White Rosettes came at very creditable 19th out of a total of 35 competing choruses. As well as singing in the chorus competition, we also opened The World Harmony Showcase Show on 4 July, and were welcomed into various after-parties to sing as guests as the convention drew to a close on 6 July.

Our Music Director, Sally McLean, had this to say: 'We had an amazing time and learned so much. We met some of our barbershop heroes, we were able to watch some of the top choruses in the world and even drop into their open rehearsals - which is not something that we do in this country. We worked together, sang together, celebrated together and have come home with an even deeper appreciation of just how hard we need to work if we want to maintain and improve our singing. We did our best to include every other chorus from LABBS in the adventure, by taking a small 'token' - a badge, or something similar - from each LABBS chorus onto the contest stage with us. This meant that every ladies barbershop singer within LABBS could be part of the story in spirit if not in person. The first steps to International have been taken and the journey will now continue as more clubs follow suit in the years to come. It can only help ladies barbershop singing in the UK and long may it last!'

The White Rosettes performing The Night Has A Thousand Eyes at the BHS 2024 convention

Find out more about The White Rosettes on their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram