Thirty Years of friendship, fun and harmony!
| Type of post: | Choir news item |
| Sub-type: | No sub-type |
| Posted By: | Chloe Roberts |
| Status: | Current |
| Date Posted: | Mon, 20 Oct 2025 |
Thirty Years of friendship, fun and harmony!
What a night we had, at our fantastic party on 18th October, celebrating 30 years of fun, friendship and harmony - which is just what Fascinating Rhythm is all about! Thanks must go to our organising team who did an absolutely sterling job - a great venue, delicious food, a fun Photo Booth and an excellent band, with lots of dancing!
It was particularly special to have three of our former directors there to celebrate, along with friends who have since left the chorus - a proper reunion! It also gave us the chance to recognise and thank two of our former directors, Wendy Elliot and Pete Nugent with a gift.
Celebrating our FR Legends Jo Thorn and Ali Jack
The event was also a more formal opportunity to say goodbye to and thank you to Jo Thorn for all the hard work and dedication she gave to Fascinating Rhythm as a singer and as our wonderful Director for 16 years. She received a wonderful speech from our current MD (Wendy Howse) and was presented with a special gift from the chorus.
Barbershop was always in Jo’s blood — from singing at just 12 years old in her grandmother’s chorus, competing with Bristol Fashion, forming Havoc quartet and winning gold in 2007, to leading Fascinating Rhythm and helping us achieve real progress. Her love for harmony, teamwork and performance has inspired so many over the years.
As our Musical Director, Jo worked so hard with us, guiding us to reach significant achievements. Every year we could see improvements and we were in the top 5 of the LABBS chorus finals for a number of years. With her trademark mix of humour, hard work, and heart, she brought out the very best in us — musically and personally.
From retreats and conventions to the challenges of lockdown, Jo kept us connected and believing in ourselves. Her leadership, patience and friendship have left an indelible mark on our chorus.
Wendy thanked Jo, for everything she has given — her passion, her energy and her love: she will without doubt, always be part of the very fabric of Fascinating Rhythm – a living legend!
Lesley Beswick made the final presentation of the evening. In recognition of our wonderful chorus manager and tenor, Ali Jack, who was one of the founding members of Fascinating Rhythm and forms the beating heart of our chorus. From the very beginning, her consistency, kindness, and quiet strength have been the foundation of everything we’ve achieved. She also helps us stay in tune by reliably blowing the pitch pipe for us before each song.
Though she’ll tell you she’s shy, Ali has always stepped up — supporting every Musical Director, guiding new singers, and sharing her warmth, humour, and calm professionalism. From her early quartet days with De-ja Vu to winning gold with Havoc, Ali has inspired us all with her dedication and love of barbershop.
Behind the scenes, she works tirelessly to keep the chorus running smoothly, organising our attendance at conventions and helping singers across the barbershop community. Her selflessness, encouragement, and musical knowledge have touched countless lives.
Les thanked Ali for her passion, her energy, and her unwavering devotion. Simply put, she is the bedrock of FR and we are so lucky to have her!
After a delicious meal, we danced the night away with music from Ride the Edge. There was much hilarity as many of us took advantage of the Photo Booth, dressing up and posing with props, we had fun, danced and sang along.
We couldn’t end the night without a song or two and Happy Together and Thank you for the Music struck the perfect note to end a fantastic evening!
Here’s to the next 30 years!
What a night we had, at our fantastic party on 18th October, celebrating 30 years of fun, friendship and harmony - which is just what Fascinating Rhythm is all about! Thanks must go to our organising team who did an absolutely sterling job - a great venue, delicious food, a fun Photo Booth and an excellent band, with lots of dancing!
It was particularly special to have three of our former directors there to celebrate, along with friends who have since left the chorus - a proper reunion! It also gave us the chance to recognise and thank two of our former directors, Wendy Elliot and Pete Nugent with a gift.
Celebrating our FR Legends Jo Thorn and Ali Jack
The event was also a more formal opportunity to say goodbye to and thank you to Jo Thorn for all the hard work and dedication she gave to Fascinating Rhythm as a singer and as our wonderful Director for 16 years. She received a wonderful speech from our current MD (Wendy Howse) and was presented with a special gift from the chorus.
Barbershop was always in Jo’s blood — from singing at just 12 years old in her grandmother’s chorus, competing with Bristol Fashion, forming Havoc quartet and winning gold in 2007, to leading Fascinating Rhythm and helping us achieve real progress. Her love for harmony, teamwork and performance has inspired so many over the years.
As our Musical Director, Jo worked so hard with us, guiding us to reach significant achievements. Every year we could see improvements and we were in the top 5 of the LABBS chorus finals for a number of years. With her trademark mix of humour, hard work, and heart, she brought out the very best in us — musically and personally.
From retreats and conventions to the challenges of lockdown, Jo kept us connected and believing in ourselves. Her leadership, patience and friendship have left an indelible mark on our chorus.
Wendy thanked Jo, for everything she has given — her passion, her energy and her love: she will without doubt, always be part of the very fabric of Fascinating Rhythm – a living legend!
Lesley Beswick made the final presentation of the evening. In recognition of our wonderful chorus manager and tenor, Ali Jack, who was one of the founding members of Fascinating Rhythm and forms the beating heart of our chorus. From the very beginning, her consistency, kindness, and quiet strength have been the foundation of everything we’ve achieved. She also helps us stay in tune by reliably blowing the pitch pipe for us before each song.
Though she’ll tell you she’s shy, Ali has always stepped up — supporting every Musical Director, guiding new singers, and sharing her warmth, humour, and calm professionalism. From her early quartet days with De-ja Vu to winning gold with Havoc, Ali has inspired us all with her dedication and love of barbershop.
Behind the scenes, she works tirelessly to keep the chorus running smoothly, organising our attendance at conventions and helping singers across the barbershop community. Her selflessness, encouragement, and musical knowledge have touched countless lives.
Les thanked Ali for her passion, her energy, and her unwavering devotion. Simply put, she is the bedrock of FR and we are so lucky to have her!
After a delicious meal, we danced the night away with music from Ride the Edge. There was much hilarity as many of us took advantage of the Photo Booth, dressing up and posing with props, we had fun, danced and sang along.
We couldn’t end the night without a song or two and Happy Together and Thank you for the Music struck the perfect note to end a fantastic evening!
Here’s to the next 30 years!
