With Sing2023 (the British Association of Barbershop Singers 49th Convention at Bournemouth) now only a couple of weeks away, the Kingsmen are putting the finishing touches to their two competition songs and getting ‘stage ready’ for their performance on Saturday 27th May.

The Kingsmen added to their trophy cabinet for the second time in as many months following a fantastic performance at the Torbay and South West of England Music Festival on 3 rd March 2023.

2023 got off to a winning start for the Kingsmen with a fabulous performance at the Saltash Music, Speech and Drama Festival. Singing two wonderful songs – The Way You Look Tonight and I Believe, the Chorus came away with a mark of 88, a Distinction, ‘An excellent performance technically and artistically’.

The Kingsmen under the direction of new Music Director Gary Rowe won two trophies at the Torbay Music Festival held in Paignton Festival Hall. Gary was immensely pleased with the choruses performance in both the male barbershop competition and the male choir category obtaining a distinction and commendation respectively. And this was his son Freddie’s (12yrs) first competition. And he performed like a real trouper. So well done to him.

'Enigma' Quartet comprising Peter Goodliffe (tenor), Gary Rowe (lead), Barrington Sowden (bass) and Dave Griffiths (baritone) travelled to St Austell in Cornwall to perform in the annual music festival.

The Kingsmen entered the choir category and came first with a great score of 86% singing 'Breaking Up Is Hard To Do' and 'We'll Meet Again'; they also entered the barbershop category singing 'May I Never Love Again' and 'Taking A Chance On Love' and came first again but with a score of 87% and a distinction. The adjudicator Penelope Rice Jones said this was a thoroughly enjoyable performance by an experienced choir. 

A small group (named K2) of twenty Kingsmen directed by Kingsmen Deputy Music Director Gary Rowe competed in the annual Saltash Music Festival and came away again with the trophy for the fourth year in succession with a distinction, a mark of 87% and glowing comments from the adjudicator Jeffrey Wynn Davies quote: