Since the New Year Synergy under the direction of MD Owen McCarthy have been putting the finishing touches to their competition pieces to be presented at the Bangor International Choral Festival in Northern Ireland to be held this week.
Founded in 1993 by Roberta Dunlop, the festival was developed to create that environment for choirs in Northern Ireland but wanted to attract choirs from further afield to visit Bangor and compete in a friendly atmosphere but also establish friendships for the future.
Over the years the Bangor International Choir Festival has welcomed choirs from Philippines, Italy, Austria, Iceland as well as closer to home from across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland for a programme of school and adult competitions as well as culminating in the gala evening on Saturday for the prestigious open choral competition and Synergy will feature in both. In addition, they will enter the barbershop category.
Quartet ‘The Howlers’, will be competing in another category in their second visit to the festival, having won the Newcomer class in 2023 and runner up in the barbershop category. A new Octet, ‘Shorething’, made up from other Synergy members will compete for the first time in the newcomer category this year showing the versatility of voices within the choir.
Synergy members have taken the opportunity to refresh their outfits and will be sporting a bright new look for the first time whilst in Bangor. It is very costly to transport, accommodate and dress a choir and Synergy are grateful to Richmond Accountancy, a family run business based in Abergavenny for a contribution towards their outfits.
Synergy is a multi award winning A-Cappella chorus based in Abergavenny which comprises a 30-member chorus of male voices from their thirties to their eighties.
Formed in 2006, they offer a wide range of close-harmony material sung and performed with the highest level of musical precision as well as lots of fun. They fuse “traditional” male voice choir music with barbershop, and sing everything from beautiful Welsh classics like Myfanwy to Queen and Elvis.
They perform in village halls as well as in concert halls including Venue Cymru and just love wowing their audiences! Whether it’s ‘songs from the shows’, classic barbershop, easy listening, covers from the likes of The Beatles, Queen or Snow Patrol, Synergy really think that they can add something very special to your life!
“When we come together, we create something special with the music we make and the enjoyment we share. Much more than the words used to describe us. We really are louder than words,” said a choir spokesman.
The group rehearses every Thursday evening at 7.30 at St Michael’s Centre and are always on the hunt for new talent, so if you feel like joining them to sing and have a bit of fun, get in touch via email at [email protected] or visit the website: synergysingers.co.uk