Our Judges for 2023

Rhiannon Owens-Hall
SINGING JUDGE

Rhiannon is in her 50th year of involvement in barbershop singing across the UK, Europe (Ireland, Holland, Germany and Spain), S. Africa and the USA. She has been a Musical/Choral Director for adult and youth groups, is a Singing Judge for both barbershop associations, a Coach, an Arranger, and has several British gold medals as a Director and Quartet singer. She has also judged several non-barbershop singing competitions in the UK and directed many musical theatre productions and shows as well as preparing singing groups for UK wide television recordings.

Martin Proctor
SINGING JUDGE

Martin started his professional musical career by enlisting in the Military Band of Her Majesty’s Scots Guards at the age of 19 as a Percussionist & Singer. Having played and sang all over the world during that career of 22 years he is now a freelance player, singer & teacher. 
His father was a trained operatic Tenor, so singing has been an integral part of his life from a very early age.
He started Barbershop Singing, as a Tenor, with Thames Valley Chorus in 2013 and was their AMD before moving to the Great Western Chorus in 2018, singing with them at BHS Orlando Convention in that same year, and is honoured to have been their Lead Section Leader.
He also sang Lead in “Bagatelle” Quartet 2019 (& 2020!) Senior Champions & 6th on the planet at Seniors International in Pasadena in 2022!! Missing out on 5th by 0.1% 😊 
As a qualified BABS Singing Judge he has attended many sessions on Vocal Pedogogy from Rob Mance, Steve Scott, Jay Butterfield & Travis Jordan, with personal voice coaching from Rob & Steve.
The area of the ageing of the voice, and its effect on vocal production/quality, is of particular interest and he has done many presentations to our UK Organisations members.
This is something that affects us all whatever our age!

Melody Hine
MUSIC JUDGE

Melody Hine has been singing barbershop in various quartets and choruses since she was 14. She earned her music education degree from the University of Georgia, and after that spent a year working for Disney World and Universal Studios before beginning her teaching career at Duluth Middle School and then continuing to teach chorus at Roberto Clemente Middle School in Germantown, Maryland. 

Melody is proud to be a member of Harmony Incorporated, Sweet Adelines International and the Barbershop Harmony Society. Her roles currently include  certified BHS Music Judge and Musical Director of Parkside Melody, the upper voices ensemble of the Hershey Chapter of the BHS. She also sings baritone in the Song of Atlanta Show Chorus as well as the 2019 HI Harmony Queens, Hot Pursuit. Melody loves arranging and coaching groups of all levels, and she especially enjoys being a part of barbershop youth events.

Bob Croft
MUSIC JUDGE

-Bob was first inducted into the Music Category of the BABS Guild of Judges in 1996 and has continued to judge both quartet and chorus competitions at the national British, Dutch and Irish barbershop conventions.  He also provides private coaching sessions for both choruses and quartets on request.
 
Bob first joined the British Association of Barbershop Singers in 1987 as a member of “Saffron Sound” chorus.  In 1990, he co-founded as asst. director -and latterly Musical Director - of the “Cambridge Chord Company” chorus which went on to achieve many repeated championship successes over the next 27 years both in the British, Irish, Dutch and European barbershop conventions.  CCC were proud to represent BABS three times in the new millennium in the USA at the BHS international convention, achieving the highest score by a British chorus.  He also directed the ladies chorus “Green Street Blues” to their first LABBS silver medal in 2008.  In 2019 he formed and continues to direct a new mixed a cappella chorus, “Cameo”.
 
Over this same quarter century Bob sung lead in the ever popular “Cambridge Blues”, the BABS 1997 Champion Quartet and then later in “Gentleman Jack” and more recently as bass in “Loose Chickens”, the 2013 & 2022 IABS Gold medallists.
 
With a lifelong passion for playing the guitar and piano, Bob has always enjoyed making and performing music and has written many successful a cappella song arrangements for both competition and entertainment. 
He has also enjoyed strutting the boards in drama and stage musicals and is still a stalwart member of the “Newton International Pantomime Company”. 
Oh yes he is!!

Sandra Lea Riley
PERFORMANCE JUDGE

Sandra has many major successes as a Performance coach and is the new Performance Category Director of LABBS.
 
As well as coaching Sandra is also a National, top 12 International and European Quartet Champion and a National and European Chorus Champion.
As a coach, her skill, her love of people, her energy (superpower!), creativity and sense of fun all combine, opening up the real possibilities for the group she is coaching and are a pleasure not to be missed.
 
Sandra can’t wait to see you all cross the stage and is looking forward to another fabulous Convention in beautiful Killarney.

Gene Spilker
PERFORMANCE JUDGE

Eugene (Doc) Spilker is a 38-year, 3rd generation barbershopper (in a 4 generation barbershop family) with a diverse background. He has been a proud front row member of the Ambassadors of Harmony and part of the visual team for most of his barbershop endeavor. He is a certified Performance Judge with BHS since 2010. He has coached and choreographed visual packages for men and women’s chorus and quartet productions. His unique style and positive energy is intended to express the heart of the music to provide an experience for both the performer and the audience. He hopes to bring honesty, entertainment, and musicality out of every performance. He recently completed a second doctorate in health profession education. Eugene is a chiropractor, a clinical educator, interprofessional collaborator, and Dean of the School of Chiropractic at Universidad Central del Caribe.