Member Spotlight
| Type of post: | Barbershop news item |
| Sub-type: | No sub-type |
| Posted By: | Phil Gill |
| Status: | Current |
| Date Posted: | Wed, 21 Aug 2024 |
In 2014, having recently arrived in Sheffield, Chaou set about trying to find an all-male chorus to sing with. Previous experience of singing in SATB choirs at school and church where he was sometimes drafted in to cover other parts due to lack of singers, with mixed success, led him to conclude that his vocal range would be better suited to a male voice ensemble, in particular singing the baritone part.
Chaou’s first exposure to barbershop singing was seeing Disneyland’s traditional quartet, the ‘Dapper Dans’. However, at that stage, he was not aware of the ‘barbershop’ label. Later, when browsing choral music clips on YouTube, he found a video of Westminster Chorus kindling his fascination with barbershop singing. A Google search of male choral groups in Sheffield revealed the existence of Hallmark of Harmony, so Chaou made an approach and was soon attending his first rehearsal. ‘I very quickly realised it was I had been looking for’ recalls Chaou.
Since joining the chorus, Chaou has valued the journey of improvement that Hallmark has taken him on. It is a journey that, thanks to Project Horizon, continued after he had to move away from Sheffield in 2017 for work. Chaou has helped Hallmark to medal success on five occasions and has travelled widely with the chorus to BHS International Convention, Holland Harmony and IABS. For many, the beauty and purity of Chaou’s singing voice first became known to them when, memorably, he sang a solo verse of ‘Silent Night’ in Mandarin at Hallmark’s annual sing-out for St Luke’s Hospice at Sheffield Station.
As well as singing, Chaou’s musical achievements include playing the electronic organ since the age of five and learning to play the guitar. Away from music, he likes to keep fit with regular visits to the gym to do weightlifting, as well as spending two weeks each year visiting his family in Malaysia. A particular passion of Chaou’s is going for long walks exploring scenic stretches of the British coast where he enjoys singing at the top of his voice and filling the air with music!
