Bella Acapella Honorary Members

The Bella Acapella Honorary Membership is the highest honour that the Board can give. It is bestowed on individuals, past or present, to recognise their outstanding contributions to our chorus. These honoraray members have had a special impact on the chorus and have been key in its growing success. The following are the names of those who have been awarded Honorary Membership of Bella Acapella.
 

Emmy Wijsman-Veraar (2024)

 Emmy joined Bella Acapella in 2009, shortly after the chorus was founded. And ever since she joined the chorus, she has been a dedicated and hard working member. Not only was she a loyal and steady baritone but she was also a direct support for the consecutive MD´s. Her administrative skills have helped a lot and her weekly emails, full of information ánd inspiration have been essential in creating the Bella Acapella spirit of loyalty and enthusiasm. She even managed to contact the current MD who just arrived in the Algarve and made him enthusiastic to take over the ´baton´. She has been a board member until 2022 as the chorus secretary.  

As much as she loves the chorus, life brought Emmy and Dick back to the Netherlands where she now lives more relaxed and enjoys the happiness of having her children and grand children closer by.

Sylvy Hinton-Keenan (2016)

 Sylvy´s career was in the ambulance service and when she and her husband were made redundant they decided to move to Portugal. There she found out about the Choir based at the Museu do Trajo in São Brás. There she met a lady who introduced her to four women who were looking for a new choir leader.  And so Bella A Cappella  (now Bella Acapella) was born in January 2008. In addition, Sylvy created in 2007 a quartet called Cleftomania in which she has sung lead.

Her incredible energy and drive made the the chorus an immediate success! She made the connection with SABS Barbershop Association in Spain and during the very first participation in Málaga, the Bellas won a Silver Medal in the Chorus Competition. 

Sylvy and Ralph returned to the UK in 2016. Bella Acapella awarded both of them the honorary membership and the chorus members still welcome Sylvy them whenever they visited.
 

Ralph Keenan (2016)

When Ralph’s wife, Sylvy, started Bella A Cappella back in 2008, she invited Ralph to join them as a Bass. Ralph had never sung barbershop before and was hooked from day one. He became an accomplished bass singer and medal-winner both with Bella and his quartet, Cleftomania. 

Unfortunately Ralph passed away in 2024. We remember Ralph as a positive, fun spirit with a wicked sense of humour and a great voice! With his energetic presence, dry humour and musicality, he made quite an impact. Ralph will be missed as a singer and as a friend.