Our Judges for 2019

Rhiannon Owens-Hall
SINGING JUDGE

Rhiannon lives in North Wales and is now in her 43rd year as an active barbershopper as singer, director, coach and judge.
   She has directed choruses within LABBS and BABS winning several gold, silver and bronze medals as well as gaining 2 quartet gold medals. She began her judging career as an Arrangement judge, and experienced first-hand the developmental changes of all the judging categories. She is now a Singing judge in BABS. She has judged at barbershop competitions in Holland, Germany and Ireland as well as judging non-barbershop singing competitions in the UK.
   She has coached in Europe and the US. She was a member of the Shadow Judging panel in the BHS International Convention in 2014, and in 2015 was a member of the Shadow Judging panel at the BHS Mid-Atlantic District quartet and chorus competition. She is delighted to be back in Ireland judging for IABS once again.

Paula Taylor-Williams
SINGING JUDGE

Paula’s love of barbershop began in 1997, and with the talented Rod Butcher as her mentor, she’s never looked back!
   She joined the Belles of Three Spires as their director in 2004 and during her tenure, the chorus made an unparalleled improvement from 15th place in LABBS to place 4th twice. Paula has also won two LABBS quartet medals.
   In 2008 life changed big-time, and she moved to Hampshire to be with her partner Mike, whom she married in 2009. Mike is also a barbershopper, (bass of BABS 2012 Champs, “iQ”). Paula and Mike love working together and are so proud to have co-directed Spinnaker Chorus to several Sweet Adeline UK chorus medals.
   In 2011 life changed even bigger-time, with the arrival of their daughter Georgina. As wonderful a blessing as she was a surprise, she has changed and enriched their lives beyond measure, and is now a fun-loving 7-year-old who also loves singing!
   Paula is in demand as a vocal coach and as a faculty member at Barbershop education events: teaching both singing and directing. A teacher by profession – Paula loves nothing more than guiding others to be the best they can be! Paula has been a LABBS Singing Judge since 2006 and has held the posts of Singing Category Director and Chair of LABBS’s Education and Judging Committee. Paula was honoured to judge at the 2010, 2013 and 2017 European Barbershop Contests.
   As the newly appointed Executive Director to BABS chorus - Ocean Harmony, after two years of being the main coach to the chorus, Paula is looking forward to continuing to build on the success they have already achieved together.
   Having been a primary school teacher and headteacher for 27 years, Paula decided a complete change was in order, and bought a ‘Monkey Music’ franchise. She now teaches music to little people. Paula says she is in her ‘happy place’ when working with her little monkeys from 3 months to 4 yrs.
   Georgina describes her mum as being: happy, loving, pretty, helpful, kind and huggable! Paula is looking forward to having a great convention weekend!

Dr David Wright
MUSIC JUDGE

David's achievements span historical research, arranging, directing, coaching and teaching — not to mention being a delightful guy and trusted mentor. 
   Anyone involved in barbershop music will know his work well. He is one of the most successful and creative arrangers currently active, having worked with many of the world’s champion quartets of the last two decades, including Zero 8 and Lemon Squeezy.
He also has a day job, Chairman of the Mathematics Department at Washington University in St. Louis.
   Now, we all know about just intonation -- we live and die by ringing chords by nudging around just so.  Wright discovered through his research in Mathematics and Music, a subtle use of microtonics during a chord change. In shifting from one chord to another, three of the singers changed notes, while the fourth held on to his note across the chord change — or should have, based on the notes on paper. In practice, the sustained note shifted frequency by a small fraction of a semitone to maintain just intervals with the notes of the second chord.
   We welcome David to IABS Convention 2019 on this our 30th Annual event!

Alex de Bruin
MUSIC JUDGE

Alex de Bruin's barbershop journey began at secondary school, where the head of music ran a barbershop group for some of the more advanced members of the choir.
   When starting university in 2007, he was one of the first members of The University of Bristol Barbershop Singers (TUBBS). In February 2009 everything changed when the Great Western Chorus of Bristol, the then BABS champion chorus, ran a workshop with TUBBS. Alex instantly fell in love with 'proper' barbershop and hasn't really looked back since, throwing himself into this world as much as possible as a section leader, quartetter, director, coach, arranger, and Music Category judge.
   Outside of barbershop, Alex is a research scientist for a big chemicals firm, and so he is, naturally, a Baritone.

Sandi Wright
PERFORMANCE JUDGE

Sandi Wright is the director of the award-winning Harmony Incorporated Chorus, St. Louis Vocal Project.  She has been a member of Sweet Adelines International for 50-years, a member of Harmony Incorporated for 20-years and a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society for 10-years.  She sang baritone in two international championship Sweet Adelines quartets - The Tetrachords and Ambiance.  She also has a two international silver medals and a bronze  medal in Blaze and Great Day - both are affiliated with Harmony Incorporated.  Sandi is a Certified Showmanship Judge in Sweet Adelines and a Certified Performance Judge in the Barbershop Harmony Society and Harmony Incorporated.  She is a member of the BHS Harmony University Faculty and is a certified international faculty member with Sweet Adelines.   Sandi has been married 34 years to David Wright

Sandra Lea-Riley
PERFORMANCE JUDGE

Sandra has been a successful Performance and Showmanship coach for 34 years and has been at the heart of many major success stories coaching champion British choruses such as Cheshire Chord Company, Cottontown Chorus, and her own Heartbeat Chorus. 
Sandra has also enjoyed personal success in quartet winning the Region 31 contest four times, and two times gold medalist in both LABBS and European Quartet Championships with her past quartets Eu4ia and The Mix.Having sat on the judging panel for Female contests and Mixed Contests she is now looking forward to her first experience of judging all the contests at the Irish Convention in Killarney. 

Contest Administration Team

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Catherine Lyons
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Peter Hughes
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Yvonne Hughes
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Alison White
The hardworking Contest Administration team includes Chair of Judges Catherine Lyons, joined by Peter Hughes. Yvonne Hughes and Alison White.

Catherine started singing Barbershop in her native Cork with Champagne Cork in 2010. She also sings with the newly formed mixed chorus Munster Mix, based in Bandon, Cork. She is currently a member of IABS Executive Committee as Treasurer and a vital member of the IABS Convention Team. 

Since 2017, Catherine began her training under the direction of the BABS Guild of Judges to become a Contest Administrator and we in IABS are so proud to have her as our Chair of Judges in Killarney, her first 'gig' with us. Wishing Catherine and all the Contest Admin Team the very best of luck at IABS 30th!
Evaluations for National Quartets and Choruses
A written evaluation will be sent by email to each quartet and chorus in the Nationals.  Please be patient as this could take a few weeks to complete after Convention. 
 
Extract from IABS Contest Rules (June 2019)
ARTICLE 5: SCORING
5.1    Contestants shall be judged in the three scoring categories – music, singing and performance.
  1. Contestants shall be ranked with the cumulative total scores of points awarded by the panel of judges.
  2. Ties – if two or more contestants are awarded the same total score, ties will only be broken for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. The method used for breaking ties will be:
  3. The highest total score awarded by the Singing Judges will be ranked as the “Tie-break” and that contestant will be ranked above the other(s) in the tie.
  4. If a tie still exists the highest total score awarded by the Music judges will be ranked as the “Tie break” and that contestant will be ranked above the other(s) in the tie.
  5. In the event where a tie cannot be broken for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place, joint medallist status will be awarded.