Cleethorpes Music Festival 2025

14th June 2025

By Sally Benson

The sun shone brightly as the day of the Cleethorpes Festival of Music and Words dawned and 27 members of the Abbey Belles Chorus boarded the bus. There was an added cause for the celebratory atmosphere as birthday banners adorned the windows - our very own bass Bernice was marking her 86th year! She arrived with a placard announcing her age in case anyone didn't believe her - and who would?

We arrived at our seaside destination without a hitch and after a VERY warm warm-up (this was an English summer's day at its best) the competition kicked off. We were first up in the first category, Stage Musical Ensemble, with Anthem. And we were awarded first place! A great start.

Next came the Ladies Choirs category, with stiff competition from Main Street Sound and Zero Degrees. Our pairing of Somewhere Only We Know and Make Your Own Kind of Music was praised by the adjudicator, who commented there were no weak links in our performance faces - our hard work is paying off! Second place here with Main Street Sound taking the top spot.

Our fabulous quartets, Jabberwocky and Sic Note - along with Noteworthy from Main Street Sound - entertained us all in the next category and all earned excellent comments from the judge. The winners' trophy went to Jabberwocky, with Sic Note coming a very respectable third.

Abbey Belles came out on top again in the Barbershop Chorus section, taking first place with our convention package "When She Loved Me" and "Where The Lost Things Go". With a clutch of trophies and certificates in hand, we were delighted for Noteworthy who were awarded the rose bowl trophy for best performance.

A welcome hour out in the sunshine gave us the chance to walk along the prom, have some much-needed refreshments and then it was off to the pier for fish & chips (what else?!). With many of our fellow competitors also there, it became an afterglow complete with party hats and more singing - including of course Happy Birthday to our Bernice.

Back on the bus, we basked in the evening sun and in our achievements, a day of fun, friendship and fabulous singing success finally coming to a close.