Sunshine, huge happy crowds, and the excitement of some of the world's top athletes racing past as we sang.  There's no doubt that the London Marathon is always one of Capital Chorus's favourite gigs.  On Sunday April 22nd we were invited once again to spur on the competitors and entertain spectators in the heart of Docklands with some of our best-loved songs, all performed in the Barbershop Style.

The day was almost as much of a marathon for the chorus as it was for the runners themselves. We gathered to warm-up at the roadside at 9am, then between 10am and 2pm we sang one set of songs per hour - five sets in total. With 14 songs in the full set, that amounted to well over 60 individual performances during the day.  All that singing makes bottled water an absolute necessity for those involved, and a quick coffee grabbed between sets quickly becomes one of the delights of the day.

We'll probably never find out whether, as he flashed by, Mo Farah felt urged onwards by our spirited rendition of "Hello Mary Lou" but we did receive many cheery waves from those further back in the race as they pounded past the 18 mile marker. It was a privilege to be able to offer encouragement and a pleasure to exchange a quick word with some who came over to say hello.

The London Marathon was only the beginning of what will be an exciting and very demanding couple of months. Keep an eye out for our new "pop-up" quartets who'll be performing in some surprising places around West London as they spread the word about our latest Sing in Harmony Course, which begins on Monday June 4th at Kingsdown. 

Over the next six weeks we'll also be preparing in earnest for the annual contest to be staged at the end of May by the British Association of Barbershop Singers. For the first time this year we'll be singing two songs which have been specially arranged  for us by Sam Hubbard and our own musical director, Pippa Goodall, Last year the chorus achieved 11th position, our highest ever placing. With 36 choruses competing in Harrogate this year we'll be determined to do our best once again. 

 Watch Capital Chorus at the 2018 London Marathon