Friendship and community in perfect harmony

Music plays an essential part of Christmas for many. Whether you attend a local carol service, or a Christmas concert, song and rhythm bring out the festive magic. However, imagine no instruments, backing tracks or accompaniment and instead using your voice to create the perfect harmony.

What started as a four-piece barbershop chorus based in Athlone has turned into an all-female five-time national champion winning a cappella group with over 40 members. Athlone A Cappella was set up in 2012 by David Farmer from England, who was heavily involved in barbershop all his life.

David’s wife Patricia who was also a barbershop singer then came on board, along with three friends. Pretty soon after, they started to expand and take on more singers, distributing flyers around the local community in Athlone.

A cappella is a form of barbershop chorus that uses four-part close harmony. It requires hard work, lots of practise, a great ear, and the ability to collaborate with others, with no back-up instruments.

“We have four different voices; the basses are the lowest and the tenors are the highest. The leads tend to sing the tune most of the time. The baritone section fills in the notes that aren’t being sung by the others, to make up the chords,” says musical director, Hilary Roche.

After seeing an advertisement in a local newspaper, Hilary, who is a music teacher decided to join the group.

“At the time, my boys were going on six and eight, and I wanted to do something for me. I felt at that time in my life that I was mammy Hilary, teacher Hilary and wife Hilary, and I wanted to be just Hilary. I always wanted to sing in a choir, and I hadn’t sung since college,” she says.

During COVID-19, the group had to stop rehearsing and performing due to the restrictions and regulations, which was difficult at the time.

“We were out of action for two years. When we reassembled after COVID-19, David decided to retire and I took over as musical director,” she says.

Although Hilary is now ‘sergeant major’ she sometimes misses the singing aspect now. During a competition routine in October, while the group were performing You Don’t Own Me, she turned around and joined in.

Her responsibilities include deciding what songs to sing, getting the tracks and putting it all together. Then Hilary has to add her own stamp once the group knows the song as it is all up to interpretation.

There is a great sense of community. A lot of women have made lifelong friends in the group, myself included. Our oldest member is 80

The Irish Association of Barbershop Singers (IASBS) hosts its annual convention on the first weekend of October every year. Athlone A Cappella took home second place at the competition in KIllarney this year and has won the overall title five times.

“We went to the convention this year wanting to improve on last year’s score, that was the only thing we wanted, which we did. As a result, we’re going to the European Barbershop Convention in Sweden next May,” says Hilary.

One of the best parts for Hilary is seeing a new song come together.

“When everyone gets it, and you see the joy and the pride when it all works and slots together, it’s fantastic. There are loads of different highlights in producing a new song, that’s great. Then there’s the excitement when we get to perform it for the first time, and even better if you win a prize,” she says.

It is not just a matter of getting up on stage and performing, there is an enormous amount of work and preparation that goes into each song the group sing. They rehearse every Wednesday in Our Lady’s Bower Secondary School in Athlone, with some members travelling from Roscommon, Mayo and Cork.

“You don’t just turn up – when we’re going to learn a song, most of the group can’t read music, so a lot are following the pattern on the notes. We would always have learning tracks, so everyone gets their part on one track and another track has the four parts together. We encourage everyone to practise at home and come to rehearsal to put it together,” says Hilary.

Athlone A Cappella is just a music Within the group, the members have become great friends, providing each other with support and an outlet away from their busy day-to-day lives.

“There is a great sense of community. A lot of women have made lifelong friends in the group, myself included. Our oldest member is 80 and we have another lady who is 80 next year, they are powerhouses, the two of them are absolute dynamos. They say themselves that [being part of] the group has kept them young,” says Hilary.

The group spends a few months preparing a song, fine-tuning it and making changes until it’s perfect.

Gráinne Dooley and Anne Fagan are two members who have benefited from returning to the world of music and getting away from the farm and home to take time for themselves.

Gráinne Dooley

From Feakle, west Clare, Gráinne grew up surrounded by traditional Irish music.

“There would have been a great love of singing in my family. None of us were great singers but you don’t always have to be to sing in a choir, you just have to do your background work,” she says.

In 1987, it was very difficult to get a job in Clare or Limerick, so Gráinne moved to Ballinasloe, where she met her husband, Ronnie. They now live on an organic sheep farm in Roscommon.

I would have heard a few barbershop sounds, but I never realised that’s what it was. When I came for my audition night, I sat and listened to them sing, and I was just blown away

“I work in a school so I don’t do much on the farm, I help with the paperwork and I’m around to support during the lambing season. I don’t think people realise how hard it is,” says Gráinne.

As a teaching principal, with two girls, she didn’t have time for a hobby as she was also traveling up and down to Clare to her father. Without knowing what a four-part harmony was, Gráinne saw a poster for the group in a hotel.

“I would have heard a few barbershop sounds, but I never realised that’s what it was. When I came for my audition night, I sat and listened to them sing, and I was just blown away. I joined in 2019, and I wasn’t ready to perform, but I was determined, so I went off and learned 20 songs in two months,” says Gráinne.

Anne Fagan

Originally from Athlone town, Anne moved to the countryside in Glasson where she married Eamonn 35 years ago. Not knowing anything about farming, Anne worked off-farm as a primary school teacher and ‘stood in a gap’ when needed. She taught for 41 years before becoming a principal in 2018.

“It is a brilliant job; I loved every minute of it, and I retired in October. I still do a bit of Irish dancing with them,” she says.

With five children at home, life was busy but she wanted an outlet for herself.

I find it so relaxing – even though we’re working hard at the harmony, it’s just a feeling of joy

“I was friendly with Hilary, and when I was 50, my youngest was 11 and I had a bit more freedom. Once I started on that Wednesday, I’d say there’s only a handful of nights I’ve missed since – it’s just addictive. I find it so relaxing – even though we’re working hard at the harmony, it’s just a feeling of joy,” says Anne.

Christmas is a special time of year for the group, especially when they sing by candlelight. Some of the songs they will perform include Carol of the Bells, White Christmas, Silent Night, Jingle Bell Rock and Ding Dong Merrily on High.

The Samaritans Christmas Concert on 5 December kicks off the festive season for the group and they will also be singing Christmas carols in the Golden Island shopping centre in Athlone on 18 December and at local nursing homes.

The new year looks bright with a spring festival in 2025.

See Athlone A Cappella; athloneacappella.com or irishbarbershop.com