Let’s get together!

When Roger met Paul

In 1972, the Costa Barber's chorus director, Roger Gallant, left the USA, where he sang Bass with a Barbershop quartet and chorus. He tried to start a Barbershop group in Holland and Germany. Although he was unsuccessful, he may have planted the seed, as Barbershop is now very popular in those countries.

In 1980, he retired to Spain, where he met Paul Freeman. Paul, while pursuing his own performance career, still sings with the chorus. The two of them managed to find a baritone—and finally a tenor.

In July 1988, the Costa Barber singing group was born.

‘Costa Barber’

The Costa Barber singers come from far and wide. Most members are English, but from the very beginning there have been singers from countries such as Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands—and the chorus director is an American.

From their homes all over Marina Alta, they gather in Benissa to practise the art of barbershop singing, as they have done for 32 years. Since March 1989, they have carried out over 300 singing engagements. They have staged or taken part in 7 full shows with visitors from the USA, the UK and from Southern Spain. Their close harmony songs, old and modern, have thrilled audiences and helped raise thousands of euros for all sorts of charities.

Under the leadership of musical director Roger Gallant, they rehearse every Thursday night (apart from during the summer recess) at the Casal d'associaciones (Sala de Juntes, Aula 5) in Benissa, and welcome members of the public to sit in on their efforts to polish their extensive repertoire.

They are always happy to welcome new members.

Roger Gallant

Roger was born in Massachusetts, USA, where he attended Grammar school, High school, College, and University.

He worked in the USA until 1972, for Boeing in Seattle, for Fairchild Jet Engines on Long Island and for Raytheon in Massachusetts, before coming to Europe as European Director for Computervision in Amsterdam and Applied Materials in Munich. He had offices in Sweden, England, Italy, Belgium, France and Germany.

In 1980 he retired to Spain. Currently he spends his time tending his ‘Castle’ on a hilltop of 7,000 square metres, hosting a weekly quiz, and doing Spanish taxes for about 100 people.

As well as directing the Costa Barber chorus, he sings bass in a quartet, and enjoys his weekly session of Dixieland Jazz.

The Costa Barber singers: December 2019

Tenors	Leads	Baritones	Basses
Jeff Howlett Fred Mackay	Paul Freeman Andy Lawrence Ed Morley Bob Smith	Mike Evans John Turner	Brian Norbury

The chorus

Tenors

Click on a photo to find out more

Jeff Howlett

Jeff works as an antique dealer / restorer in Jalón. He thinks that barbershop singing is the best fun he's had without paying. (He claims that his only previous singing experience was in the shower.)

Fred Macay

Fred comes from the Highlands of Scotland, but has spent most of his life overseas, working in the oil industry. He has sung in a rock group (in Tunisia), and enjoys traditional Scottish and Irish music—playing guitar, fiddle and tenor banjo as well as singing.