Member Spotlight - John Faben
| Type of post: | Barbershop news item |
| Sub-type: | No sub-type |
| Posted By: | Phil Gill |
| Status: | Current |
| Date Posted: | Mon, 24 Mar 2025 |
Since joining our bass section in 2012 at the age of 74, John has become a much-loved and admired chorus member, whose warm personality and enthusiasm for barbershop singing epitomises what it means to be part of Hallmark. His long and varied life story reveals the foundations upon which his wisdom, wit and care for those around him are based.
Hillsborough born and bred, John’s earliest memories of music making were as a member of the choir at the local Baptist church. At the age of 12 he went to Firth Park Grammar School, where the sharp intellect we still recognise in him today propelled him to the status of school chess champion. Another early memory is being on the terraces at Hillsborough stadium (John is a proud life-long Wednesdayite) when crowds of up to 50,000 were not unknown.
John has spent his whole life in the city, other than a couple of rather unhappy years' National Service (his hopes of foreign travel, which was otherwise unattainable at the time, never came to fruition). After returning to civilian life, John pursued a wide-ranging career including a spell as a door-to-door brush salesman, and various office jobs for local industrial firms. He also worked for British Rail at the former Bridgehouses Goods Station, close to The Wicker, where his role was tracing missing consignments, including massive ingots of steel. He recalls that it was always easy to find work in those days.
When he was in his late thirties, John decided to change careers, and signed up to Totley Teacher Training College. However, before long John had found that teaching was not for him, so he took another change of direction, this time becoming a social worker employed by the city council. It was in that capacity that he responded to a call for people with suitable training to help with the city’s response to the Hillsborough disaster in April 1989, being assigned to support relatives of those who were either missing or who had died, many of whom were children. Understandably, such a harrowing experience has left a lasting impression on John.
Outside work, John has enjoyed his leisure time to the full. He remembers being an avid consumer of culture and entertainment, with visits to the many theatres the city boasted back then, such as the Empire, the Lyceum and Playhouse, as well as twice-weekly visits to any of the 50+ Sheffield cinemas at that time. He was also a keen follower of the local jazz scene which, fortunately (given John’s well-known interest in beer), was based mainly in pubs. One of John’s friends at the time played clarinet in one such jazz band, and also started teaching John to play the instrument. Whilst this was a short-lived venture, John did learn to play ‘Summer Time’!
Which brings us to John’s singing career. In spite of finding barbershop relatively late in life, he has achieved and experienced much in his 12 years with Hallmark, including winning 2 gold medals, 4 silvers and 2 bronzes. He travelled with Hallmark to Pittsburgh in 2015, and to Holland Harmony in 2019.
John’s contribution to Hallmark off-stage has been equally impressive, including a spell serving on Exec as Public Relations Officer, and many years as chief Afterglow organiser (a role that involved many hours spent selflessly researching pubs and, for a while, checking that we could bring an under-age Nick Bryant with us!). John cites singing to an audience, particularly an unsuspecting pub audience, as being amongst his happiest moments with Hallmark. John’s position, at the heart of the Hallmark community, has been recognised on many occasions, including being voted ‘Barbershopper of the Year’ by his fellow members in 2016, and ‘Social Superstar’ in 2022!
