Waterford Airport serenaded by over 700 barbershop singers

Passengers arriving to and preparing to depart from Waterford Airport got an unexpected bonus when they were serenaded with some high-quality singing by dozens of barbershop crooners.

More than 700 barbershop singers from several countries are in Waterford for the weekend for their 24th annual convention, and among the participants are 47 singers from Derbyshire, England, who arrived on the 12.05pm flight from Birmingham into Waterford Regional Airport.

After limbering up their voices on the short hop across the Irish Sea, the all-female DaleDiva group burst into song upon making their way to the arrivals hall with a lively rendition of, appropriately, ‘How I Sang Today’.

They were joined for the flashmob-type performance by the Red Rosettes group, who happened to be on the same flight.

The airport café was full at the time and patrons were delighted by the unexpected interlude, while travellers waiting to take off on the 12.30pm flight to Birmingham lingered a few minutes to enjoy the musical send-off.

“We are just delighted to be here,” founder and director of DaleDiva, Ally Law, said afterwards. “It is our first time to come and perform in Ireland and so far we have had just a wonderful reception.”

The convention is being hosted by the Irish Association of Barbershop Singers and will include 700 singers taking part in a variety of free performances at locations across Waterford City as part of a Barbershop Trail.

Quartets will be a key feature of the event, while larger choruses will also be based at the Theatre Royal and Tower Hotel, venues for a number of competitions.

Singers have travelled from all over Ireland as well as the Britain, the US, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands for the convention.