MUSIC

DIRECTOR

JAN RYDER

Jan has been Musical Director for the Velvetones since January 2003.  For 24 years she has been a member of the Arun Sounds barbershop chorus in England who have been small chorus trophy winners on many occasions.  She now continues her membership with the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers as a member of Chorus at Large.  Over the years she has sung in various quartets,  been responsible for presentation in the Arun Sounds and has coached other choruses and quartets.  For 4 years she attended the Judge Training Programme, specialising in the Presentation Category.

Having been a teacher in senior schools for  25 years, Jan now enjoys teaching the craft and techniques of barbershop singing  and encourages the Velvetones to have fun and give a musical performance to be proud of  and which an audience can enjoy sharing.

ASSISTANT MUSIC DIRECTOR/CHORUS MANAGER

 GAIL GRAINGER

Gail has been involved in barbershop singing for about 15 years initially with Mountain Harmony in North Wales and then when she moved to Yorkshire becoming a member of the 10 times National champions ‘The White Rosettes’, before moving to Spain in June 04 and joining ‘The Velvetones’.  Since Gail joined the Velvetones she has taken on the role of Assistant Musical Director bringing her valued expertise to the group. 

Gail comes from a true Barbershop family.  Her daughter Zoe has also been singing barbershop since the age of 15 and her husband Charles was the Chairman of the ‘White Rose Barbershop Singers’ initiating the amalgamation of two smaller barbershop groups which now sing as ‘The Big County Chorus’ in Yorkshire.

Gail and Charles were married in New Orleans when they attended the SPEBQSA convention there in 1992.  They were delighted to have all their barbershop friends with them when they tied the knot.

JANETTE DIRKSEN

CHAIRPERSON

MAGGIE

ELLIS-PRESS

CHORUS REPRESENTATIVE

/DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON

Has lived in Spain since 1997 and was very interested when she saw Harry Hall's advert for ladies wishing to form a barbershop chorus.  She did not realise there were LADY barbershop singers and went along to the first meeting out of curiousity.

 Harry informed her after testing her voice she was a BASS and at the end of that initial meeting the 9 ladies who attended, who had never met before, created a single note harmonious chord.  Maggie was 'hooked' and was made Harry's 'right hand woman' a couple of weeks after forming the "VELVETONES", since when she has been General, Cook and Bottle washer (Chorus Manager) continuously. 

Maggie wished she had discovered barbershop singing years ago as it is a wonderful hobby and her life would be quite empty without it

CHRIS COPPIN

TREASURER

When she lived in the UK Chris didn't sing at all, and had never heard of Barbershop.  After moving to Spain with her husband Reg in early 1991, she joined a Ladies choir singing in unison.  This was started by some of the wives of the newly formed Torrevieja Barbershop Harmonisers.

She was then shown an advert placed by Harry Hall in the local press asking for ladies interested in forming a Ladies' barbershop chorus, and went to the first meeting on 28th October 1998 with her friend and seven other ladies.   She became a founder member that day and also the Treasurer, the post she still holds today.

History of "The Velvetones"

On 21st October 1998 Harry Hall, a veteran barbershop singer from the UK, placed an advert in the Costa Blanca News asking ladies interested in forming a chorus to attend a meeting at Los Arcos Restaurant.  10 Ladies attended that meeting and within a few weeks were singing chords in harmony.  Less than half had any previous experience in barbershop singing.

 In October 1999 we had our first public performance in outfits bought from "The White Rosettes", a gold medal chorus from Leeds.  We now have  43 singing members and this is increasing rapidly, plus a few social members and from our initial repertoire of 12 songs, we now know a variety of about 40 songs ranging from ballads to rock and roll and have sung in many prestigious theatres on the Costa Blanca, namely The Benidorm Palace, Virgin del Carmen and Palaccio theatres in Torrevieja and the Rojales theatre to an audience of 700 people.  Many of the people who attend our shows come back to see us on a regular basis.  We also sing in a  variety of other restaurants and bars in the area and have sung in more unusual places including caves, churches and airport lounges.

Of the founder members Olive Hall, Judy Phillips, Chris Coppin and Maggie Ellis-Press  are still with the chorus.  Unfortunately Harry Hall passed away in September 2002 and his funeral was attended by "The Velvetones" and "The Torrevieja Harmonisers" (the men's chorus) who both gave harmonious tributes......

Sheila Phillips, a founder member and experienced barbershopper took over the musical direction of the chorus.  Unfortunately after a prolonged illness Sheila died  in June 2004 and again was given a fitting send-off - true barbershop style by "The Velvetones" and  "The Torrevieja Harmonisers".

We were very fortunate to have Jan Ryder, an experienced barbershop singer and judge at Conventions in our chorus and Jan was able to take over the musical direction, since when the chorus continues to go from strength to strength.

In 2005 the chorus attended and competed in the LABBS International Convention in Cardiff wearing specially made to measure gowns purchased from the USA via the Internet (see front picture). 

Die Geschichte der « Velvetones »

 Am 21. Oktober 1998 platzierte  Harry Hall, ein Veteran Barbershop-Sänger aus England ein Inserat in der „Costa Blanca News“. Damen, welche interessiert waren einen Chor zu gründen wurden eingeladen zu einem Treff im Restaurant „Los Arcos“. 10 Damen waren zu dieser Zusammenkunft erschienen und schon wenige Wochen später sangen sie harmonische Akkorde. Weniger als die Hälfte davon war zuvor mit dem Barbershop-Stil in Berührung gekommen.

 Im Oktober 1999 war der erste öffentliche Auftritt in Uniformen welche von den „White Rosettes“ gekauft wurden, einem Chor von Leeds welcher schon einige Goldmedaillen errungen hatte.  Heute sind wir etwa 35 Sängerinnen plus einige Nicht-Sängerinnen welche unseren Verein beleben. Von den anfänglich 12 Liedern sind wir heute bei ca. 40 angelangt, welche sich von Balladen, „Golden Oldies“ bis hin zum Rock and Roll erstrecken. Unsere Gesangsvorträge (wir nennen sie Sing-outs) wurden an allen möglichen Orten abgehalten, einschließlich in Tropfsteinhöhlen, Kirchen und Flughafen-Wartehallen.

Von den Gründungs-Mitgliedern sind immer noch aktiv : Olive Hall, Judy Phillips, Chris Coppin, Maggie Ellis-Press and Willy van Beekum. Unglücklicherweise ist Harry Hall im September 2002 verstorben und beide Chöre, die Velvetones und die Torrevieja Barbershop Harmonisers, haben bei der Abdankung gesungen.

 Sheila Phillips, Gründungs-Mitglied und Barbershop-Sängerin mit viel Erfahrung übernahm die musikalische Leitung. Leider ist auch sie nach langer Krankheit im Juni 2004 von uns gegangen. Auch sie wurde von den beiden Chören im echten Barbershop Stil gebührend verabschiedet.

 Jan Ryder, Chor-Mitglied mit viel Barbershop-Erfahrung und Jury-Mitglied bei großen Gesangs-Wettbewerben hat die musikalische Führung übernommen und von da an hat der Chor große Fortschritte gemacht.

Im Oktober 2005 haben wir am internationalen Gesangs-Wettbewerb in Cardiff teilgenommen und haben dabei unsere neuen, maßgefertigten Abendroben  aus USA getragen. (Siehe Foto auf der Homepage)