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What do you get when you connect two local Choruses together on a cold and wet night in December? If this sounds a bit like the start of a Christmas Cracker joke, then the answer has to be ‘organised chaos’!

On 9th December 40 singers from Ocean City Sound and the Kingsmen got together on Zoom. As the photo evidences, all went that extra mile to follow the dress code for the evening – Christmas jumpers, hats, scarves; tinsel; and fancy dress (yes, Elvis was in the ‘zoom’!)

The evening was topped and tailed by ‘words of wisdom’ from ‘two wise men’ or as they are otherwise known, the two Club Chairmen – Stu Newberry (Kingsmen) and Alan Homer (Ocean City Sound.

Sandwiched into a fun packed 90 minutes was:

• A talk about Quartet singing given by Roger Williams (DCD Ocean City Sound) and Roy Hann (MD the Kingsmen); both ex-Pilgrimaires. Roger and Roy talked about the rewarding experience of singing in a Quartet and of their time together in Quorum (Roger as Baritone and Roy as Bass); and Roger relayed the story of the run up to him winning a Gold Medal in the Quartet Gilt Edge in 1985 and of their subsequent visit to the USA
• Time in Sections for a chat and catch-up; an opportunity to share singing/learning experiences; and a run-though of Winter Wonderland
• A joint sing-along of Winter Wonderland and Can You Feel The Love Tonight?, introduced by Bethany Lowe (CD Ocean City Sound)
• Telling and voting on the top 5 Christmas Cracker jokes from each Chorus
• The announcement of the ‘best dressed’ member from each Chorus
• A joint sing-along to Let’s Get Together Again and Keep The Whole World Singing.

And what’s a fun evening without an Afterglow? No, it’s not the start of another Christmas Cracker joke! After a few farewells and ‘Zoom waves’ goodbyes, around 20 hardy souls grabbed a glass or two, told some more Christmas Cracker jokes and giggled their way through an audience participation version of ‘knock knock’! How inventive we’ve all become in ‘lockdown’!

The last ‘singer standing’ at the Afterglow was Shaun Fewtrell, Tenor Section Leader of the Kingsmen, before Zoom was finally switched off at the end of a wonderful evening of Christmas fun, friendship and singing.