The accountants who are going from choirmaster to Business Masters

STAFF from the Leeds office of accountants RSM will be hoping they hit the right note as they sing in front of their biggest audience to date at next month’s Yorkshire Business Masters.
 
The 25-strong workplace choir will sing three songs in front of 400 people from across Yorkshire’s business community, a year after the group was formed.
 
RSM partner Neil Sevitt was inspired to create the group after watching choirmaster Gareth Malone on television.
 
“The first thing was to see whether anyone in the office was interested,” he said. “We have over 250 people in the Leeds office. After a presentation to the staff 25 people said they were interested and so the choir was born.”
 
Ten weeks of rehearsals, tutored by Andy Guthrie from The Workplace Choir Company, got the group ready for its first performance in front of their own staff colleagues last May.
 
Further performances followed in the autumn and most recently the choir sang at the opening of Yorkshire Bank’s Business and Private Banking Centre in January.
 
“Only two or three of the 25 sing regularly in choirs, but it works really, really well as a group,” said Mr Sevitt.
 
“It’s great fun and we have had great reviews from those who have heard us perform , but in terms of team building and creating a feeling of belonging to the firm, the feedback we get is there’s nothing as good as this for teamwork and camaraderie – not just for people in the choir, but people who have pride in what their colleagues are doing.”

Related article: 2016 Business Masters shortlist announced 

The best of Yorkshire businesses will come together on March 17 for the 2016 Yorkshire Business Masters, sponsored by Investec Wealth & Investment.
 
The awards, which are also being supported by RSM, Clarion and UKTI, will be held on Thursday, March 17, at New Dock Hall in Leeds and hosted by BBC presenter Dan Walker.
 
Tickets are now on sale, priced £135+VAT each, or £1,200+VAT for a table. To book, contact Catherine Godsland at catherine@outthereevents.com.