european
champions 2009
Who are The White Rosettes?
The White Rosettes were formed in 1977 by a small group of women wishing to pursue their own barbershop singing after husbands and partners had joined the local men's group. The White Rosettes were lucky to have Clive Landey as their first Musical Director who, along with his wife Sandra, led the chorus to their first seven LABBS Chorus Gold Medals. We now have more than 50 members from all walks of life: from teachers to bank managers, secretaries to pub landladies.
Since our formation we have been fortunate to have many wonderful moments including reaching the semi-finals of Sainsbury’s Choir of the Year Competition in 1990 and 1994, and the finals in 2000 where we won the title 'Sainsbury’s Single Voice Choir of the Year'. In 2005 we competed in the Final of the BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year Competition, coming 2nd in the adult category and were Category Finalists in 2006.
We are twelve times National Champion Gold Medallists of the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers. We won our last gold medal in October 2009.
In 2006, we went on our first trip to Spain, where we performed in the Benidorm Palace Theatre. In March 2008, we went to Coleraine, Northern Ireland to compete in the Coleraine International Choral Festival 2007 where we won the Light Entertainment Category and were judged overall Competition Winners.
Our success has been due to the dedication of our leaders past and present, Musical Director, Sally McLean, a dynamic music team and of course the commitment and enthusiasm of all our members, drawn from all walks of live and united in their love of barbershop harmony singing.
Awards at LABBS Conventions
2008: Past Champions in Harrogate
2007: Gold in Bournemouth
2006: Past Champions in Harrogate
2005: Gold in Cardiff
2004: Past Champions in Harrogate
2003: Gold in Harrogate
2002: Silver in Harrogate
2001: Past Champions in Bournemouth
2000: Gold in Harrogate
1999: Silver in Harrogate
1998: Silver in Brighton
1997: Past Champions in Harrogate
1996: Gold in Cardiff
1995: Did not compete in Brighton (attended Buckeye Invitational)
1994: Past Champions in Harrogate
1993: Gold in Portsmouth
1992: Did not compete in Warwick (attended BHS International)
1991: Past Champions in Exeter
1990: Gold in Harrogate
1989: Did not compete in Eastbourne
1988: Past Champions in Harrogate
1987: Gold in Brean Sands
1986: Gold in Blackpool
1985: Did not compete in York
1984: Gold in Warwick
1983: Gold in Exeter
1982: Silver in Loughborough
1981: 4th in Manchester
Sally McLean: Musical Director
Sally McLean has been a singer with the White Rosettes since 1982. Alongside chorus singing Sally enjoys singing in quartet. She has won three quartet golds, in 1987 with 42nd Street, in 1992 with Downtown Express and in 2003 with The Jazz Firm.
In January 1998, Sally became the Musical Director of the White Rosettes and in the same year the chorus competed and won the silver medal. The chorus’ achievements since then have included a further silver medal, four national championship in 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2007, Single Voice Choir of the Year (2000) in the prestigious Sainsbury’s Choir of the Year competition and runners up (2005) and Category Finalists (2007) in Radio 3 Choir of the Year, winning the Coleraine Choral Festival (2007) and finallists in the Llangollen Eisteddfod Choir of the World (2008).
Sally is committed to the future success of the White Rosettes. She is passionate about the creative process involved in producing music to performance level and knows that without the dedication of the chorus members this would not be possible.
