The Acapella Calling story
How we met
Once upon a time in the musical heart of South Devon a visionary composer and choir director named Helen Yeomans founded a vibrant performance choir called Glorious Chorus. Over two decades, Glorious Chorus became renowned for its dynamic sound, bold harmonies, and uplifting spirit, thanks in no small part to the extraordinary community of singers Helen inspired and led.
Among those singers were Vern, Mike, and Gary, whose musical chemistry sparked a side project – a gigging trio that would be known by many names, but most memorably as GC3. Their passion for close harmony singing and live performance gave GC3 a life of its own, delighting audiences far and wide.
In 2023, Glorious Chorus gave its final performance as Helen stepped down from her role, closing an incredible chapter of community music-making. But as one door closed, others joyfully opened.
How it began
In order for the choir community to continue to be able to sing together, Helen passed on the pitch pipe to Vern (who was incredibly courageous to take on the responsibility), and the choir performed one last season under a new name, Rechoired.
Afterwards, former members of Glorious Chorus found new musical homes in local choirs such as Dartsong Chorus and Totnes Harmony, keeping the spirit alive.
Meanwhile, one of GC3‘s members went on an extended trip and the remaining GC members wanted to keep singing, so they invited a couple of old choir colleagues to join them for some fun open mic nights. This sparked the next evolution, and what began as GC3 & Friends singing at open mic nights, organically grew and blossomed into a fully-fledged twelve-voice ensemble with a new identity under the leadership of our very own Vernon Davis – holder of the pitch pipe as well as anything that makes a noise (he has been found shaking pepper and salt mills when a shaky egg was wanting!).
After a brief flirting with names such as The Average Waist Band and One Call Away, the group finally landed on: Acapella Calling.
Where we are now
Today, Acapella Calling is a joyful continuation of that original creative spark – a group of friends and performers who simply love to sing together Acapella. We feel it is our Calling to sing and share our joy of singing with others.
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