Manawatuneful winners

A mournful ballad and an upbeat love song have rocketed barbershop chorus The Manawatunes to a national title.

The local harmonisers beat stiff competition over the weekend, to top the small chorus section at the New Zealand Association of Barbershop Singers Convention in Hamilton.

In a bizarre twist, the 20-piece chorus took home the same trophy they donated to the competition 10 years ago – the Manawatunes Trophy. But they had not won it themselves until now.

Up against 11 other choruses, from Hamilton's Mighty River Harmony to Nelson's Bays Barbershop Boys, the Manawatunes won judges over with Where The Southern Roses Grow and The Moment I Saw Your Eyes.

Manawatunes publicity officer and lead singer Griff Davies said the men had been fine-tuning both songs for a year in the lead-up to the contest.

Soulful ballad Where the Southern Roses Grow was chosen because it tugged on the heartstrings, while The Moment I Saw Your Eyes allowed the group to display their lively side.

"We showed a variation in ability, if you like," he said.

As one of the last groups to appear, The Manawatunes weren't able to hear any of the previous choruses and gauge their performance – so had a nail-biting two hours to wait before results were called.

"We weren't sure ... it's very difficult to know," Mr Davies said. "You can hope you've improved enough, but you never really know until you've been graded. And you're always nervous."

The group have been singing since 1996, but recent years have seen a dip in numbers from 28 to the current 20.

The Manawatunes will next perform with women's barbershop group the Manawatu Overtunes in a concert in November.

- © Fairfax NZ News