Member Spotlight
| Type of post: | Barbershop news item |
| Sub-type: | No sub-type |
| Posted By: | Phil Gill |
| Status: | Current |
| Date Posted: | Sat, 19 Oct 2024 |
A popular and well-known member of the chorus, Graham Porter brings a smile and bucketloads of enthusiasm each time he comes to rehearsal. Born and raised in North Yorkshire, his work took him to Essex before moving back up north to Chesterfield in 1988. He first became aware of barbershop singing about 30 years ago, but it was only in 2017 that he decided to pursue his interest further and started looking for a local chorus to join. Fortunately, he found Hallmark of Harmony!
He remembers feeling a bit of an outsider in the early months after joining; how would he ever get to know everybody? However, he is grateful for the friendship and support he received from people like Paul Mason and Steve Mate, who was on the welcome team at the time. Of course, over time Graham settled in very well, and he is now a key member of the club, having been part of Exec and the Events Team; for example, he has received much well-deserved praise for his role in organising Horizon rehearsal venues, in particular, Retreat.
Graham makes no secret of his love of singing, in particular the technical and musical aspects of barbershop, such as chord structures and harmonies, and confesses that he tends to learn the lyrics of a new song only after he has a firm grasp of the notes. The sensation of singing along with other parts to create rich and, hopefully, ringing chords is something that Graham loves. Singing in a foursome gives him a special thrill, and he never refuses if invited to join a scratch quartet.
The experience of performing to a large audience as part of the chorus is another thing that Graham finds rewarding. He recalls occasions when audience members are visibly moved by a performance, or when they come up afterwards to express their emotions. However, he acknowledges that performing in a quartet is more nerve-wracking, something he has been keen to work on. Judging by his recent achievements with his fellow Yorkshire Puddings, this is already having a positive effect.
During the week, Graham is busy serving local homeowners as a plumber. However, this doesn’t necessarily get in the way of singing, as empty rooms can provide a useful personal rehearsal space with good acoustics, but only if there’s nobody else in the house!
Looking to the future, Graham harbours an ambition to win a quartet medal. He says he is on a journey of self-improvement and is grateful for the support and advice he has had from more experienced singers, like Tim Briggs who has been his work colleague over recent years. Graham also hopes to have the opportunity to compete with Hallmark at Internationals one day. Whatever the future may hold, we look forward to Graham’s continuing presence on our risers for many years to come.
