Lancaster community choir wins 'People's Choice' award in county contest

Barton Road Community Choir was announced as winner of the People's Choice Award at the Lancashire Choir of the Year finals on Thursday.

The award was voted for by the public, after Barton Road Community Choir reached the final six in the Lancashire choir competition.

The choir performed alongside other finalists at a celebration concert at the Great Hall at Lancaster University.

Barton Road rounded off the evening's performances in a cheery pastel display of pinks, lilacs, blue and green, first performing a traditional version of Better Place, before performing an arrangement of the A-Ha classic Take on Me.

The conductor and singers encouraged audience participation, with other choirs and guests clapping and waving their arms.

Their enthusiasm was infectious and they clearly don't take themselves very seriously with sections of the song sung in a way that made the audience laugh, including one that was 'instrumentalised' by the singers.

They were very cheerful and the perfect end to the final, with the loudest and rowdiest clap of the night!

Barton Road Choir meets fortnightly at Barton Road Centre. Most of the 30 members live within walking distance the centre.

Choir leader Janine Bebbington said: “This is the stuff those feelgood films are made of! We started the year off as the best choir on Barton Road, and are ending the year having performed at the Grand Final of the Lancashire Choir of the Year Competition where we were crowned the People’s Choice Choir of Lancashire! I’d call that a good year!

“When we sent off our video entry for the Lancashire Choir of the Year over the summer, we did not imagine in a million years that we would reach the final six! It all came as a bit of a shock - but everyone rose to the challenge and for the last 12 weeks, choir has worked really hard to learn not one but two brand new songs for the final.

"This is a minor miracle because normally it takes us 18 months to learn one song!

"Reaching the final has been hard work but such a brilliant, galvanising experience - I’m hugely proud of what we’ve achieved together.”

Alto Linda Smith has been singing with the choir for two years. She said: “I was absolutely thrilled when we had made the final six. We had such fun learning two new songs in quick succession.

“I just love being part of Barton Road Choir. Singing together is really invigorating, releasing endorphins which make you feel good.

“Taking part in the final was a wonderful experience. Winning the People’s Choice Award was our ultimate goal and we did it!”

Soprano Sue Rennie said: “The choir is just really life affirming and really good fun. It’s so nice to be in a bunch of people that you see every week that look after each other.

“Reaching the finals of Choir of the Year was just amazing.”

Alto Kath Bird said: “When we got up on the stage I was so nervous my legs wouldn’t stop shaking. However, once we all got going, I found it totally exhilarating, joyous, life-enhancing even. When can we do it again?”

Baritone Russel Haigh added: “It definitely was not one of the things on my list for 2024 but I’m really glad to have been part of it. I just couldn’t believe what a great response we had from our audience on the night.”

Overall winners of Lancashire Choir of the Year was the Leyland-based Red Rosettes Show chorus.

Runners-up were The Capricorn Singers and the Basic Vocalise Choirs.