Solent City have received many accolades at local music festivals over the years, some of them very imaginative. Being told that the smoothness of our singing was like bathing in hot chocolate remains one of our favourites. But an adjudicator confessing that our singing made her cry is a first.
Fortunately it was crying in a good way, as renowned international musician and teacher Christina Thompson explained at the Isle of Wight Music Festival in early March. Ms Thompson made her comments while awarding first prize to the “Solent City Polecats”, a group of eight Solent guys competing in the small Barbershop Group class. Their moving and intimate version of “Love Letters” was the song that most impressed the adjudicator, prompting her to place the performance in the “outstanding” category.

The full Solent City Chorus was also a prize winner on the evening, taking first place in the Community Choir category with two songs from the film “The Greatest Showman”. Solent also achieved second in the Barbershop Male Voice Choir class, just being pipped by neighbours Wight Harmony.