Welwyn Harmony are affiliated with the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers (LABBS), an independent organisation for women whose primary purpose is to educate its members in the musical art form of a cappella, four part, barbershop harmony.

We have a chorus of 33 members who come from a wide range of backgrounds and day time occupations including full time mothers, accountants, shop assistants, teachers, secretaries, pensioners, social workers to name but a few - but the one thing that we all have in common is . . .

We love to sing!

A Short History of Welwyn Harmony...

Way back in 1989 a Barbershop Singer from Texas called Doris Ellis found herself living in Hatfield, England having married a British pilot. Missing all her Barbershop Singer friends she decided to look for a chorus in the area, but of course there wasn't a chorus within miles - not to be beaten she decided to start her own chorus! She enlisted the help of the Welwyn and Hatfield District Council who sponsored her activities so that the first show could take place. The inaugural show featured the then Sweet Adeline Gold Medallist Quartet "Whisperwood", the Purbrook Chorus from the West Country and another quartet by the name of "Sound Innovations". A small intrigued audience turned up wanting to know what this "Barbershop for Women!?" was all about.

Following a fine performance by all involved the seeds were sown for the birth of the then "Garden City Chorus" under the direction of Mike Barratt. Six people turned up to the first rehearsal but with Doris's experienced enthusiasm and Mike's expertise we tried our best, bringing along friends to try it out for themselves and hopefully join.

In the following 3 years the chorus slowly gained strength, we changed rehearsal venue to our present meeting place, changed our Musical Director twice and changed our name to Welwyn Harmony! We began the process of chartering in earnest and finally met all the criteria to join Sweet Adelines set i.e. chorus of 20, Chapter rules written and approved and the standard of performance required. This happened in February 1992 and we were presented with our Charter the following May at the convention in Derby. Since this time the chorus has gone from strength to strength and we now number over 30 members.

This website is maintained by Carol Indge