Jill Foskett
I first started singing Barbershop about 20 years ago. I currently sing in a Mixed Voice Chorus and a Mixed Voice Quartet. I am a BABS Performance Judge and love to Coach Choruses and Quartets in Performance skills.
Why D&I is important to me
During my career, I have had a great deal of experience in working with people with a range of disabilities and hope that I can help to remove physical and environmental barriers to enable people to sing Barbershop. I would also like to help Choruses to support singers effectively and encourage greater diversity in their membership.
Josh Rees
Josh marked the start of his barbershop journey in the beginning of 2020. He initially sang with his university acapella group – amongst his group was how he discovered the world of barbershop.
During the 2020 pandemic, Josh sort after choruses where he could continue to express his passion for the genre – he started singing with Fusions Mixed and Male voiced choruses. This led to him craving more barbershop, he then joined MUBS where he could participate in more regular rehearsals online.
In 2022 Josh started singing with The Great Western Chorus in Bristol, where he also manages their social media channels! Josh recently competed for his first time with the GWC family at Sing 2023! He loves singing with his chorus and can’t wait to compete again!
Outside of Barbershop, Josh is a recent photography graduate from The University of South Wales Trinity Saint David. He has been working as a wedding photographer for the past 5 years and loves being able to document great moment at Barbershop events! He has been fortunate to be asked by several choruses to photograph concerts being held too and is always willing to provide photographic needs!
Within BABS Josh now works with the Social Media Channels, Hex Editor and now Diversity, equality, inclusion and belonging team. He loves being involved with BABS and is always happy to help when he can!
Why D&I is important to me
Josh not only identifies as a gay man but has lived with an autoimmune disease from a young age. I feel it is important that minority groups within the barbershop community are visible, in hope of making it more accessible and retain and attract new and existing members and ultimately keep barbershop alive!
John Beesley
John is a broadcast journalist who discovered Barbershop when he joined West London’s Capital Chorus in 2009. As well as Capital he now sings with The Royal Harmonics and EQ Rendezvous. Since 2015 John has been producing the Harmony UK Podcast which aims to bring the sound of British Barbershop to a wider audience.
Why D&I is important to me
Barbershop brings people together. But, sadly, our love of singing is not a panacea for our misunderstandings or misplaced perceptions about one another. As a visually-impaired singer I sometimes find myself having to explain my own disability and deal with the misconceptions that surround it. Others will have their own experiences and I’m keen to help develop a positive framework which helps in practical ways to develop a culture of acceptance and encouragement for all.
Sue Wilbraham
Sue is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Psychology and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; her research focuses on how learning and teaching can support wellbeing. As an academic with ADHD she is a member of the university Disability and Neurodivergent staff Network. She currently sings in a mixed voice quartet and is head of music team for UK Harmony Brigade.
Why DEI&B is important to me
I have worked in Higher Education since 2008 and have seen the huge number of barriers that students from diverse backgrounds face. All elements of our practice as educators can influence accessibility and inclusion; the ways in which we teach and assess work, the content in our curricula, and the way we help students interact and feel part of a community. We can develop diverse and welcoming educational settings where everyone can flourish.