About the Mud Monsters
Muddy Stilettos met up for the first time in the summer of 2020 when lockdown slowly began to ease and the rule of 6 was introduced. The first song we ever learnt as a quartet was 'Happy Together' and boy were we happy together!! COVID made it difficult to rehearse on a regular basis, but we persevered and in June 2021, we made it official. We were keen to enter into the Sweet Adeline’s competition in May the following year, so we decided on a name, set up monthly rehearsals, created a set of two final songs, and bought our beautiful outfits! We went into the competition hoping for experience and just wanting to have some fun… Well, what a way to start our competing career! Muddies won the gold and became the champions of Region 31, and were invited to compete in the semi-finals in Phoenix, Arizona that September!
In September 2022, all bags were packed, and we made the journey across the pond. We arrived in Phoenix on the Monday and packed in as much singing time as possible before the competition on Wednesday, including a fabulous coaching session with Nicky Salt. After competing, we made the most of our time in Arizona; a hot-air balloon ride over the desert, a trek through Sedona, and a cowboy show in Tombstone to name a few. We also caught up with our lovely friends from Fortuity and had a cheeky cocktail or two…
We kicked off 2023 with a coaching session with Nicky in Cambridge which, as per, was sensational. The rest of this year is set to be just as exciting! As well as learning new songs and building our repertoire, our lovely bass, Colette welcomed her first grandchild, Mason, and our gorgeous tenor, Hannah got married in the summer.
To top it all off, we won a silver medal in October at the LABBS finals in Harrogate!
We can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Mud Monsters!
Our Lead - Chantel
Chantel is 39 and works as the Medway Locality Coordinator for the Recovery College, part of her local NHS mental health trust. She is also in graduate school studying to become a music therapist. She’s on an esports scholarship and plays video games for Roehampton University. Chantel taught herself all kinds of crafty activities and does cosplay troops with the Rebel Legion, helping fundraise for various U.K. charities.
Our lead loves to “unabashedly embrace her weird” and likes playing Dungeons & Dragons and hanging out with her cats.
Our Tenor - Hannah
Hannah is 28 years old and has just graduated as a Music Therapist 🎵 she currently works at a hospice working with adults and children in music therapy. She loves travelling the world, she has 2 gorgeous doggies and is due to get married in 3 months!!!! Hannah is engaged to Chris's (our bari) nephew, Billy and they have been together for a whopping 11 years.
Hannah is the tiniest member of the quartet and is therefore the nominated stiletto wearer!
Our Bari - Chris
Barbershop has always been in Chris’s family; Ron (Chris’s Dad) founded the Kentones in 1975 and a year later with Barbara (her mum) set up Velvet Harmony, the first two Barbershop choruses in the area. So really there was no escape for Chris!
At 14 years old Chris made her debut in the barbershop world and has never looked back. 44 years later she’s singing with Viva Acapella alongside the Mud Monsters.
But when she’s not singing the sweet sweet notes (not) of baritone, Chris enjoys spending time with her husband Gary and two children Katie and Elliot, or snuggled up with her two other (arguably favourite) babies Ralph and Sidney 🐯🐯
Our Bass - Colette
It’s “all about the bass 🎶 “…….not! Colette is more than just our Bass, she organises us (and everyone around her!) to within an inch of our/their lives. A soon-to-be grandma (god help her daughter Megan) Colette can blow anyone away with her voice and occasionally even her flatulence. Her passion is our quartet followed closely by her daughter, her daughter’s dog (Millie) and eventually her long-suffering husband Shane!