Countdown to 75 years
1980-1989: BIG HAIR, BIG CHORDS, BIG CHANGES The name of our game is barbershop harmony — perhaps a little “hokey” sounding to the woman of the 80s. Nevertheless, it is our special kind of harmony, that “lock and ring,” that hooked each of us into this organization — Bev Miller, International President, 1987-1989
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The stories in this article are gleaned from past issues of The Pitch Pipe magazine. All issues can be found in the archives at Sweet Adelines International Headquarters in Tulsa, Okla.
Growth: As the 1980s began, we had chapters in the U.S., the U.K., the Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden. In the early 80s, we gained prospective chapters in Venezuela, Germany (West Germany, at that time), and Grand Cayman in the British West Indies. In 1984, Yarra Valley Chapter of Melbourne became our first chartered Australian chapter, followed shortly by Perth Harmony Chapter. At the 1985 convention, the New Zealand flag was raised, and a Scottsdale “mini-chorus” sang a song in Māori in honor of the newly-chartered Wairoa Chapter and New Zealand prospective chapters. (For more on New Zealand Sweet Adelines, see our profile of 2019 Ann Gooch Award winner Patti Cooke on page 32.) In 1988, we gained the Rheinland-Pfalz Chapter of West Germany and in 1989, the Porvoo Chapter from Finland. In 1982, we had 33,703 members in 759 chapters, and in 1989, we had 29,389 members in 672 chapters.
when [Dzintar Chorus] sang the Latvian national anthem, rarely performed publicly since the country was taken over by the USSR,” reported a Sacramento Valley member in The Pitch Pipe. In 1989, Pat Butler Elementary School, which is still in operation in Paso Robles, California (USA), was built and named after Cuesta Belles Chorus Director Pat Butler in honor of her years as an educator. The school opened the following year.
Iowa City Chorus members pose at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Sweet Adelines hold flags representing countries with chartered chapters.
Sharing, Caring: While in Minsk, Russia, Grand Rapids Chorus performed for children whose families had been displaced by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster. In the late 80s, Santa Fe Trail Chorus participated in a “Concert of Giving” to benefit Kansas City area AIDS patients. “Although we perform at many charity events, this concert was a particularly moving experience,” reported Santa Fe Trail Vice President Beryl Silberg. In 1989, Sacramento Valley Chorus exchanged songs with the 90-woman Dzintar Chorus, an a cappella ensemble visiting from Riga, Latvia (USSR, at the time). “The most touching moment occurred
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Computers: In 1983, Sweet Adelines used a bequest from member Jane Gould of 264 ½ shares of AT&T stock and cash to offset the cost of installing the first computer system — the Wang VS45 — at the headquarters building. A July 1986 article in The Pitch Pipe reported the result of a member survey on computer use: “A few people mentioned owning modems and communications software and commented on the future possibility of a telecommunicating network for Sweet Adelines. This network could provide the exchange of ideas and information across the whole organization without using the mail.” The survey revealed that the most popular computers with Sweet Adelines were the Apple IIe and “the MacIntosh,” along with IBM-PC, Compaq, and Kaypro II.
