Saturday 30th October in Portsmouth brought together LABBS members for a day of joyful music making in Spinnakerland. The LABBS SE Hub was an industrious hive of activity from start to finish expertly headed by our Vice Chair, Colleen Potter. Our UC’21 Team worked wonders prepping the welcome area, performance hall, refreshment areas filled with croissants and brioche, with scrumptious homemade cakes in reserve for break times, raffle tables weighted with truly spectacular prizes to raise funds for our charity Hants and IOW Air Ambulance. The weather wasn’t kind but Team Car Park braved the rain greeting arrivals with a welcoming smile. Team Tech were sizzling all day, videoing all of the showcases for the LABBS Live Stream. Huge thanks to Team COVID Health and Safety plus 1st Aiders who focussed on keeping us all safe.
We were honoured to have LABBS Gold Medal Chorus Amersham Acappella join us, also members of Cascades, Thameside Harmony, The Pitchpipers, CAL and the lovely Jacqui Edwards LABBS Liaison Officer.
Our fab event MC Mike Cook, got proceedings underway introducing excellent Warm Up Teams from both Spinnaker and Amersham who whipped us into a frenzy of physical and vocal readiness.
Then it was all systems go for 7 hours of wonderful singing, harmony, fun, laughter, friendship and CAKE. Our special guests Chromatix Quartet (BABS Gold Medalists) and The Minims (Surrey Fringe 2019 Junior Quartet Champs) delighted us with their performances during the day. Spinnaker and Amersham’s stunning showcases were inspirational and the mass polecat singing stirred the emotions with wonderful ringing chords filling the room. Our photo booth, with chorus star photographer, Ron Hobden, proved to be extremely popular.
Late afternoon our venue was transformed for a glittering Afterglow, with subdued lighting, sparkling table cloths, a bar and a programme of entertainment from small groups and scratch quartets.
Thank you to EVERYONE who made the event such a success it was a perfect day spent with great friends doing what we all love, we are most definitely family!
(Tracy Daniel PRO Spinnaker)