The Pitch Pipe January 2023

The Pitch Pipe

January 2023 | Volume 76 — No.3 | www.pitchpipemagazine.com.

Sweet AdelineS internAtionAl

Elevating women singers worldwide through education, performance, and competition in barbershop harmony and a cappella music.

INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS

Tammy Talbot

Chief Executive Officer

Kim Berrey

Editor-in-Chief Stacy Pratt Staff Writer

Ben Larscheid Graphic Designer Joey Bertsch Staff Photographer

INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

May 1, 2022 – April 30, 2023

Thérèse Antonini, International President

Joan Boutilier, Immediate Past President Mary Rhea, President-elect Jenny Harris, Secretary Janice McKenna, Treasurer

Sharon Cartwright Vickie Maybury

JD Crowe Julie Starr

Paula Davis Valerie Taylor

Annika Dellås

EDUCATION DIRECTION COMMITTEE

Marcia Pinvidic, Chair

Joan Boutilier Betty Clipman

Mary Rhea

EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD

Joan Boutilier Mary Rhea

Elaine Hamilton Kate Towne Michelle Neller

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From Our President

Let the Celebration Continue!

What a joy it is to be celebrating our international competitors and champions again!

And what an amazing kickoff we had to that celebration when we met in Phoenix in 2022. To every singer who crossed the stage, to every member who sat in the audience, to everyone who tuned into the webcast, we owe a debt of gratitude.

Our quartets who qualified in our regional competitions of 2022 showed a sense of adventure in finding ways to be ready for in-person competitions or to compete in ways that we had never competed before. Our competing choruses took chances planning for competition amid a swirling storm of uncertainty, and it was inspirational and emotional to experience the milestone of our first international competition since the onset of COVID, provided through the hard work and diligence that brought our performers to the stage in Phoenix.

I was astounded at the quality of singing and performance we experienced in both the Quartet and Chorus Semi-finals. I had anticipated that this competition might be heavily impacted by the months of forced remote rehearsals. I have never been so happy to be wrong!! My nephew, attending a Sweet Adelines competition for the first time, summed up my feelings beautifully with this question to me: ‘How many groups can I put in the top ten?’

In the Harmony Classic, Quartet Finals and Chorus Finals, we returned to the glory of our performance packages. The stories told with heart, humor and above all, creativity, served such a variety of delightful experiences. It is clear that our performers are embracing the clarity and new perspectives found in our revised Visual Communication category. That has left me looking forward with excited anticipation about what will come next!

Add to that excitement the thrill of welcoming over 700 new members through our Ignite the Sound initiative and the future is indeed looking bright. To those of you who have most recently joined, we welcome you with enthusiasm and joy! You remind those of us who have been members for years of our own origin stories as you prepare for your series of firsts – first coaching sessions, first performances, first competitions and forming your first connections within people within the organization. I wish you a long and rewarding time with us.

And speaking of long and rewarding times, I had the distinct honor to meet with our 50 and 60 year members in Phoenix, and the stories that they shared deepened my appreciation for the extensive impact our organization has across entire lifetimes. The vibrancy and energy that these members have sustained through so many years is inspirational and has been instrumental in sustaining us as we move into our 78th year!

As we stand at the beginning of a brand new calendar year, a world of possibilities is available to us, and I thank each of you in advance for how you will contribute to how those possibilities unfold. We have excellent input from our Member Perception Study that we will take into strategic planning for the coming years, and we look forward to engaging you in more discussions and involvement as those plans unfold.

Read on – and let the celebration continue!!

In harmony and thanks (for everything you do),

Thérèse Antonini

Come for the Music, Stay for the Friendship, Live the Empowerment

ur recent Member Perception Study confirmed what we have observed over our 78 years – that our members come for the music, stay for the friendships, and remain because of the empowerment they experience as a member of a womencentric organization. Sweet Adelines International’s Guiding Principle of Personal Empowerment and Leadership has further embedded this premise in our commitment to empower everyone to lead from where they stand. We further foster individual skills, nurture personal growth, and provide education and mentoring to develop strong, effective leaders on and off the stage.

We saw this empowerment in full swing at our recent International Convention and Competition in Phoenix. The performances we witnessed were a tremendous example of this guiding principle in action. In Sweet Adelines, there are countless stories of members who have experienced unexpected surges of personal confidence and empowerment as a byproduct of their participation in their chorus, quartet, leadership roles, and the robust education programs available to them throughout the organization.

One such member is Lori Dreyer of 2018 International Champion Quartet, Lustre and Harbor City Music Company Chorus, Region #19. Lori shared that “Sweet Adelines gave me a community when I first moved to Baltimore. Next, it gave me a journey. Most of my personal growth took place in my Sweet Adelines life (both chorus and quartets), and my career benefited from that growth as I became a more confident person, performer, and leader. I love that the journey continues and is always new and challenging. I love that I have built multi-generational friendships within Sweet Adelines, and I just don't know where else that might have come to be.”

Education is one of the most important means of empowering members, and our education programs were clearly on display at the 2022 International Education Symposium as well as at the International Convention and Competition in Phoenix. Through the education Sweet Adelines offers members, we are able to empower them with the knowledge, skills, and self-confidence necessary to become their best selves. In fact, our Perception Study validated that empowerment was one of the strongest reasons members remain involved with Sweet Adelines. It confirmed what we have always suspected – that the weekly rehearsal is so much more than music; it’s a safe haven to be among members who all

Ohave varying degrees of shared experiences and a unique ability to support one another on and off the risers.

Michele Sims, a member of Alaska Sound Celebration Chorus, Region #13 states, “I really had no idea how much being a member of Sweet Adelines would add to my life experiences when I started attending rehearsals a long time ago. There are so many ways it has, from gaining self-confidence to expanding my music knowledge to learning how to get the most out of my singing voice, to making some wonderful friends, watching some awesome performances at competitions, seeing how focused work results in reaching significant goals...I could go on. The bottom line is that it’s been a wonderful experience. I hope many future singers can participate and join in the fun.”

As CEO of Sweet Adelines International, I have witnessed the empowerment of members first-hand. I am proud that members have the ability to promote their sense of self-worth, determine their own choices, and have the right to influence change for themselves and others. We have witnessed how through participation with Sweet Adelines, we are helping to increase the capacity of individuals to make choices to transform their circumstances and themselves. It represents the transition from I can’t to I can. Deb Ferenc, of the Greater Cleveland Chorus, Region #17 says it well: “I’ve been given so much by Sweet Adelines. I’ve learned much more than how to sing. I’ve learned about Excel, how to balance a budget, how to use QuickBooks, and manage a business. I learned how to build a show from scratch and manage the show. How to handle a crisis, how to handle difficult situations…And I’m still learning how to sing. My new director has even taught me how to breathe! What I’ve learned in my time as a Sweet Adeline is almost indefinable.”

It is heartwarming to know that our vision of inspiring and empowering voices to joyfully harmonize the world is being actualized through our member experiences. I could not be prouder knowing that Sweet Adelines are contributing to the continued growth and empowerment of our members.

So what will the next 78 years hold for us? Recognizing the importance of empowerment for our members, the future is looking bright, and I have no doubt that the resilience and commitment we have experienced over the last few years will continue to make all of us Sweet Adelines strong.

In harmony,

Tammy Talbot, CEO

2023 International Board of Directors Election Results

The election to fill three expiring terms on the International Board of Directors (IBOD) concluded on November 30, 2022, at 3 p.m. CST (9 p.m. GMT).

Elected to a three-year term were Joan Boutilier, River City Sound Chorus, Region 3, Annika Dellås, Rönninge Show Chorus, Region 32, and Vickie Maybury, Skyline Chorus, Region 8. The term runs May 1, 2023, through April 30, 2026.

The Board also appointed one member to serve a one-year term beginning on the same day. The appointee is Mary Teed, Alberta Northern Lights Chorus, Region 26.

Sweet Adelines International President Thérèse Antonini said that participation in the 2022 election stood at 94 percent, higher than the 92 percent participation recorded in the 2021 election. This year, 10 regions achieved 100 percent chapter vote participation: Spirit of the Midwest Region 5, Coastal Harmony Region 9, Heart of the Blue Ridge Region 14, Greater NY/NJ Region 15, Lake Ontario Region 16, Heart of America Region 25, Quartet of Nations Region 31, Nordic Light Region 32, Southern Cross Region 34, and New Zealand Region 35.

Joan Boutilier

Vicky Maybury

Annika Dellås

Mary Teed

Demystifying the Song Assessment Tool: An Origin Story

Part 1 of a two-part series on the Song Assessment Tool

For a closer examination of the “why” of the Song Assessment Tool, we recommend viewing the first brief video in the 8-part series, Song Assessment: A Closer Look. Find links to the complete series on the SAT web page.

Join SAT volunteers in this important work! Email songassessment@sweetadelines.com to learn more about volunteer opportunities.

In support of our commitment to increasing Diversity & Inclusion and fostering a Culture of Belonging as expressed in Sweet Adelines International’s Guiding Principles, the Song Assessment Tool (SAT) was made available to all members in 2020. This robust musical research process and database, initially created by the Diversity & Inclusivity Task Force, is now maintained and operated by the Song Assessment Tool Subcommittee of the permanent Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Council. Unlike anything existing anywhere else in the barbershop world (or music world), this resource provides a method for deepening our understanding of the music we perform. This first article in our two-part series will examine how and why the SAT came about.

Background

The former Diversity & Inclusivity Task Force spent several years developing a set of tools intended to assist Sweet Adelines chapters in their DEI efforts. These have come to be known as the “DEI Chapter Toolkit,” or the “Chorus Toolkit.” Among the various tools developed was the Song Assessment Tool, a questionnaire designed to guide members’ research of their songs and to promote understanding of each song’s message, history, and lyric, as well as awareness of how DEI-related issues could be presented (or not) by the music we perform. This research would be compiled in a running list of songs that could be accessed by any Sweet Adeline.

In the summer of 2019, the International Board of Directors (IBOD) announced the Guiding Principles. Two of these (Diversity & Inclusion and Culture of Belonging) speak directly to how much we, as an organization, value our individual differences and how we hope to ensure that all feel valued and included.

A Synergy

To align our policies and procedures with the Guiding Principles, leadership announced in 2020 that songs with racist history, lyrics, and messages are inappropriate for performance by Sweet Adelines ensembles and would no longer be permitted on the contest stage. Determining whether a song is inappropriate on these grounds is not always an easy task. It was therefore important to provide a method for ensuring clarity and uniformity in the determinations. The IBOD wisely realized that the SAT already under development was the perfect tool to assist in this process.

Consequently, the Task Force finalized the SAT and it was released in advance of the rest of the Chorus Toolkit. The first iteration was designed to provide members with the tools to dig deeper into the meaning and history of songs. It also provided an organizational approach to address the question of whether or not a song is admissable for the contest stage. Members would do the research and submit songs through the tool, then a team of volunteers would review and assess the research to determine an admissibility rating, following standardized and documented guidelines and procedures for consistency.

Much More than Compliance

Because the SAT was released in connection with the new judging rule, it is sometimes misunderstood that its primary purpose is to support compliance with that rule. Nothing could be further from the truth! First and foremost, the SAT is an educational aid. By either examining the research already done

by others and available in the Song Evaluation Database, or by walking through the SAT research questions ourselves, we can gain a much deeper understanding of our music. As of the writing of this article, over 2,300 arrangements have been evaluated and their corresponding song research has been made available through the SAT.

This education is critical to supporting SA’s Guiding Principles in that members come to understand the importance of our song choices in the impression we make on audiences and prospective members, as well as in fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging among current members. By working to understand the songs we sing, we can better grasp how songs that may seem fun and innocuous to us could impact others in far different and potentially hurtful ways. Using the SAT includes examining not only issues of race and ethnicity (the sole focus of the judging rule), but also issues of gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, and visible physical difference, to name a few. The SAT prompts us to view our songs through the lens of others who are different from ourselves. Thus, we can strive to ensure that the songs we sing truly spread joy.

Now What?

Understanding the SAT as an opportunity to dive deeper into our music is an important first step. In our next installment, we will look at how the SAT empowers us as artists and performers.

Adelina Zottola has been a member of Sweet Adelines International since 1999 and is chair of the Song Assessment Tool Subcommittee. She sings baritone with Scottsdale Chorus in Region 21 and tenor in a comedy quartet.

Bridget Barrett is a member of the Sweet Adelines International Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Council, and serves as the Membership Coordinator for Region 11. She sings baritone in Santa Monica Chorus and in Crush Quartet.

The Song Evaluation Database (SED) of the SAT has been upgraded! To see the new and improved SED, log into the Sweet Adelines International website here.

EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS

A talk with Sweet Adelines International donor Peg Faithful

We had to act quickly to catch Peg Faithful for an interview. She spoke with us the day before she and her husband, Bob, left on a cross-country tandem bike ride. They dipped their back tire in the Pacific Ocean in Florence, Oregon on May 19, 2022 with plans to dip the front tire in the Atlantic in Connecticut – and then, for the fun of it, ride on to North Carolina to visit family. And they had to fly from Alaska to Oregon with their bike and equipment to get started!

A member of Alaska Sound Celebration Chorus, Peg is clearly not afraid of adventure. For her, Sweet Adelines International is an integral part of her adventurous life. That is why she has been a long-time donor to the organization, often to the Greatest Need Fund, which is used to support new projects, programs, and member services that are a current priority to the organization.

Peg, a baritone, began her Sweet Adelines membership 45 years ago with what was then Anchorage Sourdough Chorus.

“Singing barbershop is so visceral because it is you making that harmony,” she says. “The first time I heard overtones, I thought, ‘gosh, what showboat tenor is singing an octave off, for Pete’s sake?’ Then I realized, ‘Peg, you and your friends are making that note that you hear up there. It’s just magic!”

When she attended the 1981 International Convention & Competition in Phoenix, Arizona (USA), she was so amazed by the experience that she has not missed one since.

“Get yourself to an International Convention one way or another because it will widen your Sweet Adelines horizon immeasurably,” she says. “You don’t ever hear anybody bad onstage. Even the people who come in last are champions. They got there because they’re good. You can sit there like I did at my first convention and have goosebumps. You owe that to yourself – to see how hard the organization works. It’s just so uplifting. It will help buoy you through those inevitable hard times in your own singing career. If you have that vision of a wider world, you will know that Sweet Adelines is so much more than just your chorus. I would advise people to just try to say yes to experiences. Embrace the people you’re singing with and tell people you love them. Don’t wait.”

Eventually, Peg joined Cheechako (later renamed Top of the World) Chorus, and she was there when they joined up with her former chorus to become Alaska Sound Celebration. She has been their baritone section leader for many years and served in several music-related roles and adventures over her career – including playing a lead role in Alaska Sound Celebration’s incredible, longrunning melodrama, Fur Rendevous, a fundraiser for the chorus which runs for several weeks and attracts sellout crowds.

She is grateful for the people she has met through Sweet Adelines.

“I’m so grateful to the organization for bringing me together with dear, dear singers whose paths I never would have crossed otherwise,” she says. “I’m not into makeup, dressing up, all of that. I always thought I am representative of the people who walk through the door and might be intimidated by all the extra things involved in performing. Especially in the early days, I felt like I was kind of embodying the left field of Sweet Adelines, but I love the music. I love the harmony, and all the rest of the stuff can be set aside. This organization gives us the opportunity to love people who are different from us.”

Peg and her husband took a detour from their cross-country trip to attend the 74th Sweet Adelines International Convention & Competition in Phoenix, Arizona (USA). After the convention, she wrote, “It was such a moving experience to be together again. Many good tears were shed. Now it’s back to my adventure— 4300 miles down, 700 or so to go!”

On October 8, the Faithfuls reached their destination –Peg’s 96-year-old mother-in-law’s home in Ashville, North Carolina – after 5,025.6 miles of riding.

A true adventurer, both on and offstage, Peg continues to inspire.

To find out more about donating to Sweet Adelines International, contact Chief Philanthropy and Administrative Officer, Susan Smith at philanthropy@sweetadelines.com or visit www.sweetadelines.com/give

IT WAS A HOT JULY NIGHT

Mission Valley Chorus returns to live performance

On a hot Saturday night in July, Mission Valley Chorus (MVC) took to the field to sing the U.S. national anthem at Excite Park in San Jose, California (USA) before the hometown minor league baseball team, San Jose Giants, took on the Visalia Rawhides.

For MVC, this event was years in the making. The process started when the chorus was forced into Zoom rehearsals during the pandemic. Like many other performing groups, in an effort to continue sharing their music, MVC recorded several songs individually in their kitchens, dens, backyards, and bedrooms. The recordings were then skillfully melded together by chorus members Susan Zarchy and Randy Sahae, resulting in video performances of four-part, a cappella harmony.

Master Director Angela Suraci had the foresight to choose the versatile Star Spangled Banner (the U.S. national anthem) as one of the first recordings. The anthem recording was played on numerous occasions by both the San Jose Giants and the major league baseball team, San Francisco Giants, when in-person performances were not allowed.

When live performers were welcomed back for the 2022 season, MVC was in contact with the San Jose Giants and was scheduled to sing on July 16. When the Giants had their season opener, so did the chorus.

First, MVC held a kick-off skit to jump-start ticket sales. Members wore baseball regalia to rehearsal that Tuesday evening in April, and there was a corn hole game on site for loosening up pitching arms. The fun continued each week as the chorus rehearsed the national anthem and sold tickets to Section C at the stadium.

Finally it was Game Day. The chorus, attired in red, white and blue (the colors of the U.S. flag), gathered outside the gates before

the park opened and was escorted through the stadium, through the field entrance at the first base line, and onto the field for a short mic check. Clustered around one microphone in the hot sunshine, the chorus sang the anthem a couple of times. Then they quickly left the field to make way for the teams’ batting practices.

Prior to the game, the chorus gathered along the first base side. MVC’s ace pitcher/baritone, Sarah Clish, threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and the crowd went wild. The chorus was honored to be present for the retirement of jersey #38 in honor of the years that longtime General Manager Mark Wilson served the team.

Then it was time for the ballgame and the national anthem. The San Jose Giants took to the field and faced the flag, each accompanied by a young fan. The chorus made its entrance onto the field and clustered around the microphone. They took their first (and only) pitch, a B-flat. They took a unison inhale (“singer’s breath”), then MVC hit that first chord confidently.

It was a splendid two minutes! The tenors’ glorious high voices sailed into the stratosphere on the tag, and the crowd again went wild. MVC members victoriously left the field, joined cheering family and friends in a packed Section C, yelled for the Giants – who won in extra innings – ate churros, and delighted in the post-game festivities and spectacular fireworks. The evening was worth the wait!

Carol Gerwitz sings with Mission Valley Chorus, #12. She is a former member of the MVC management team and the winner of their 2022 Sweet Adeline of the Year Award.

A version of this article originally appeared in the September 5, 2022 issue of The Campbell Press.

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?

Perspectives from the Judging Panel

Have you ever wondered what the judges are listening for in your contest performance? All judging categories share some common elements: vocal skills, unity, energy, and ultimately, musicality. Judges evaluate each of these areas through the lens of their category. In this first article of a five-part series examining each of those areas, we’ll begin with vocal skills.

Sound Category

The Sound Judge evaluates vocal skills by assessing the voices and how they are used to produce ringing, resonant, balanced barbershop sound. Commonality of approach to vocal production affects unity and harmony accuracy. The technical elements of Unit Sound on the Sound scoresheet all contribute to the degree of unit accuracy in performance, which is the basis of blended ensemble sound. Once a stable, consistent vocal product exists, the “decoration” of the sound can begin using vocal character/textures, dynamic shading, and other artistic techniques. Some artistic devices require an advanced level of vocal skill; however, elements of artistry can appear at any level. The Sound Judge evaluates the vocal skill of the ensemble and their success in executing the demands of their vocal performance plan.

Music Judge

The Music Category Judge views vocal skills through the lens of the elements of the barbershop style in performance. Harmony accuracy is the foundation of clear, ringing barbershop chords in the song and arrangement presented. Note and interval accuracy determines chord quality and is dependent upon freely produced and aligned voices with matched vocal production. The ability of the ensemble to fulfill the requirements of a song and arrangement impacts the precision of tempos and rhythms that results in chord clarity and alignment. The interpretive plans for phrasing and dynamics require vocal flexibility, breath stamina, and support. Artistry in the music category can be achieved when vocal skills are beautifully applied to a song and arrangement that matches the vocal skill set of the group so that the dots on the page disappear and the music comes to life.

Expression Category

Expression Judges approach vocal skills evaluation through the perspective of communication. Clarity in the lyrical and musical message is imperative for effective communication. Unified, resonant vowels delivered from a strong foundation

Part 1: Vocal Skills

of breath support and breath energy are needed to propel the lyrical and musical message. With those elements in place, phrase ends are lifted, words are clear and understandable, and artistry emerges, enhancing emotional communication. As vocal skills are elevated, musicality, artistry, and communication are enhanced, creating even greater opportunities for authentic emotional communication.

Visual Communication Category

The Visual Communication Judge evaluates vocal skills through the viewpoint of how well the performer can connect with their audience visually and authentically while maintaining musicality. Reasonable proficiency in the basics of good vocal production provides a foundation for a creative visual plan that enhances unity in characterization, physical expression, energy, body alignment, and stage presence. These elements contribute to effective visual communication and open the pathway to audience connection.

While judges in all categories include vocal skills assessments in their adjudication, each category has a unique perspective on how those skills affect other areas in that category.

All judges, regardless of category, begin their judging with an assessment of the vocal skills of each competitor. That is why the judges often have similar scores. From that initial vocal skills assessment, each category judge then focuses on their particular category elements, and that focus leads to scoring variations. For instance, if an ensemble shows evidence of vocal skills knowledge, but is not yet consistent with them but they are joyful and engaged in their performance, often the Expression and Visual Communication Judges may give a slightly higher score than Sound and Music because the performers are stretching themselves in artistic areas of emotional communication or audience connection listed in their category.

The bottom line is this: Vocal skills are important!

This article was compiled by members of the Sweet Adelines International Judge Specialists Committee: Paula Davis (Moderator), Beth Smith (Sound), Jana Gutenson (Music), Vickie Maybury (Expression), and Di Porsch (Visual Communication).

Fired Up in Phoenix!

After two years of cancelled conventions, Sweet Adelines reunited in Phoenix, Arizona (USA) with tears, hugs, laughter, and, of course, world-class barbershop singing!

Click on the play button icon to relive the wonderful performances from Phoenix!

International Convention & Competition 2022

Every minute was a joy. My heart is full.

– Lori Jo Whitehaus (Facebook)

Most Entertaining

(Left) Harmony Classic: Alamo Metro, #10 (Above) Pearls of the Sound, #32 (Below) Song of Atlanta, #14

Novice Quartet Award Most Entertaining Quartet

Saving Grace, #10

Lady A Capella, #4

– Dana Lawlor Dunlevy (Facebook)

Region #10

Score: 2876

Songs:

(D. Wright)

Sweet Adelines have watched The Ladies grow up, from their 2016 Rising Star Championship to their many personal accomplishments as singers to Top 10 international finishes in 2018 and 2019 to their moving performance in Phoenix, where they earned their crowns.

The Ladies say friendship and barbershop music have kept them as close as their harmonies through many life changes.

“I’ve loved barbershop since I was 13, and I’m very thankful for barbershop specifically in the context of this quartet because these are my best friends,” says Kim Newcomb, baritone. “I was in all of their weddings. Some of us have lived together before. Ashley, Caroline, and I went to college together. Our lives have been beautifully intertwined, and now that we’re living in three different states, barbershop is what allows us to spend time together. We get to make music and beautiful memories in a barbershop bubble where it’s safe and fun and happy and there are so many supportive humans.”

Ashley on joining The Ladies, her first barbershop experience

My life is so different now from before. I had not been on an airplane. I had barely traveled. I found my husband through barbershop, among other things. Barbershop just means a lot to me. It's opened up a whole other world that I didn't know existed, and there are so many amazing people involved. Without these wonderful women that I get to sing with all the time, I don't know that I would be the person I am today. Barbershop allows a really safe space, like Kim said, to be yourself and to express yourself. I love how welcoming the community has been, and I've just learned a lot about myself and what music is by being a part of barbershop.

Quincie on returning to in-person barbershop in 2022

After the pandemic, we didn't see each other for almost two years, so we were really glad to be back together, singing and enjoying the community of barbershop. Anybody who sings in a chorus or a quartet knows how much we missed being together during that time. I think we really dove in head first when we were able to compete again. We were like, “Let's just go for it. Let's just do all the things!” And we did all the things. We competed four times this year, we've been so happy to be able to be a part of all these competitions, all of these gatherings of people, in a year when we haven't been able to see our barbershop friends for years. It was an awesome year, a little bit overwhelming sometimes, but overall, if I were to look back and look at the year and just say, “How do I think it went?” I would say it was the best year ever.

Caroline on love and legacy

I'm excited to be a part of an amazing legacy of Queens, and I love everyone!

Kim on the importance of barbershop community

I think that a big key to our success is that so much of our time together is at an event: a contest, a youth camp, things like that. We are around a lot of really knowledgeable humans, and it's just a great place for us to play. All of our learning happens in the context of these high-pressure, but high-quality, events. We're very fortunate to have high-quality humans all around us, both as musicians and as people. We have so much opportunity for growth, and we're not planning on going anywhere. We get to party this year as the Queens of Harmony. We get to be of service and share barbershop in any way, shape, or form we can because it has given us so much. We gotta spread the awesomeness that is barbershop!

Top 10 Quartets

Titanium • 2nd Place

Connie Light (t) Rich-Tone Chorus Melody White (l) Rich-Tone Chorus Holly Fisher (bt) Rich-Tone Chorus Lindsay Chartier-Holdeman (bs) Chapter-at-Large, #25

Region: #25, Frisco, Texas, USA Score: 2876 Songs: Into The Unknown (T. S. Chapman); Change The World (D. Sharon & D. Wright); Feels Like Home (N. Shumard); Thank You For Being A Friend (J. Neel); I Got Rhythm (D. Wright)

Lady A Cappella • 3rd Place • Most Entertaining

Stacey St John (t) Chapter-at-Large, #4 Deidra Ekins (l) Chapter-at-Large, #4 Kerry Denino (bt) Scioto Valley Chorus Gretchen Holloway (bs) Scioto Valley Chorus

Region: #4, Grove City, Ohio, USA Score: 2713 Songs: It's a Most Unusual Day (J. McHugh & H. Adamson); There's a Fine, Fine Line (R. Lopez & J. Marx); They Don't Let You in the Opera (If You're a Country Star) (D. Lipton & D. Rossmer)

Presto! • 4th Place

Lindsay Patrick (t) Chapter-at-Large, #14 Jennifer Cooke (l) Scenic City Chorus Kathe Schellman (bt) Song of Atlanta Chorus Kris Wheaton (bs) Chapter-at-Large, #4

Region: #14 Madison, Tenn., USA Score: 2702 Songs: Making Our Dreams Come True (M. Field); I Got Rhythm (D. Wright); Children Will Listen (M. Hine); After Today (J. Giallombardo)

Tenacious • 5th Place

Shannon Lange (t) Scioto Valley Chorus

Chelsea Selvaggio (l) Scioto Valley Chorus Tracy Marcarello (bt) Scioto Valley Chorus Connie Brant (bs) Scioto Valley Chorus

Region: #4, Powell, Ohio., USA Score: 2691 Songs: From Now On (S. Lange); Lover Come Back To Me (E. Waesche); A Tisket A Tasket (D. Harrington); True Colors (Matthew Brown)

VOCE • 6th Place

Deanna Sargent (t) Millenium Magic Chorus

Cheryl Brusket (l) Millenium Magic Chorus

Angie Kunasek (bt) Millennium Magic Chorus Beth Paul (bs) Millennium Magic Chorus

Region: #1, Agawam, Mass., USA Score: 2580 Songs: Theme from Cheers (L. Wright); Cry Baby (M. Hill and N. Bergman); I Love Being Here With You (A. Dale)

Duly Noted • 7th Place

Raegan Stauffer (t) Toast of Tampa Show Chorus

Madison Slamka (l) Spirit of the Gulf Chorus

KaleyAnna Raabe (bt) Toast of Tampa Show Chorus

Emily Hitt (bs) Toast of Tampa Show Chorus

Region: #9, Springhill, Fla, USA Score: 2552 Songs: That's Life (Barbershop Harmony Society); Somebody Loves Me (C. Hine); The Place Where Lost Things Go (M. Hine); You Can Fly (C. Hine)

Lucille • 8th Place

Erin Cardin (t) Scottsdale Chorus

Jennifer Recker (l) Chapter-at-Large, #17

Emily O’Brien (bt) Harborlites Chorus Loren Vaughn (bs) Chapter-at-Large, #15

Region: #17, Burbank, Calif., USA Score: 2528 Songs: Bananaphone (K. Kitzmiller); Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (M. Hale); Cheer Up Charlie (J. Henry); The Night We Called It a Day (R. Rhea); On a Slow Boat to China (D. Wessler)

Last Call • 9th Place

Lizzie Loomis (t) Skyline Chorus

Becky Maybury (l) Skyline Chorus

Lily Radack (bt) Skyline Chorus

Laura Barnick (bs) Skyline Chorus

Region: #8, Centennial, Colo., USA Score: 2524 Songs: Where Everybody Knows Your Name (Cheers TV Show Theme) Hooray For Love (L. Wright); Cheer Up Charlie (B. Beck); I Love Being Here With You (A. Dale)

First Class • 10th Place

Wendy Pool (t) Vocal Standard Chorus

Stacy Schumacher (l) Vocal Standard Chorus

Kristin Drummond-Mance (bt) Vocal Standard Chorus

Maria Christian (bs) Song of the Lakes Chorus

Region: #5, Louisburg, Kansas, USA Score: 2501 Songs: Cry Me A River (B. Graham); Crabbukit (M. Hine); Dream On (A. Bock); It Don't Mean A Thing (Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC & EMI Mills Music, INC.)

Resilience.

Rich-Tone Chorus 2023 International Champion Chorus

After Rich-Tone Chorus won the 2022 Sweet Adelines International Chorus Competition in Phoenix, they had a special guest at rehearsal.

“One of our original members visited us,” says Master Director Dale Syverson. “She is 89. Her daughters took her on a road trip and brought her to our rehearsal. It was just heartwarming to see her. She represented the beginning of my relationship with the chorus, and we were in the room with the people who got us through COVID. Everything has come full circle, and it was very cool.”

A chorus doesn’t reach its sixth international championship without being resilient, but Rich-Tone Chorus reached theirs after some of the most challenging years Sweet Adelines have ever known.

“It hasn’t been easy for anyone, and we’re a very social bunch,” says Dale. “As much as I like to think I’m all about the music – and I seriously am all about the music – there is such a strong community and family aspect to what we do, and that’s part of what we take on stage. If you don’t take that on stage, you’re leaving something important out of your performance.”

Rich-Tone Chorus brought it all – the emotion, the performance, the singing – to a show whose theme reflected the experience of so many Sweet Adelines: Resilience.

Performance Notes

Region: #25, Richardson, Texas (USA) Score:2876

Songs:

For Once In My LIfe (J. Minshall); Uptown Funk (K. Kitzmiller); Stronger (K. Kitzmiller); All By Myself (J. Minshall, E. Moriarty); Joy (K. Kitzmiller)

Adjustment

The Rich-Tones found ways to connect online, then later outside at a safe distance, but they had to make some real adjustments on their way to the international stage.

Rich-Tone Chorus President Kelli Hinton: I will give a shout-out to Dale. We were all on mute, so she couldn’t hear us. When we were finally back in person, it was very different. We rehearsed in a huge church with a big echo, and we were distanced and masked. She kept at it and it was hard because it wasn’t the Rich-Tone sound that we were used to. It took us a long time to get back to feeling like we sounded like The Rich-Tones.

Resilience

Dale Syverson: Since this happened, I’ve more than once told my chorus that I’m amazed at their resilience. Our finals package was kind of a story of us and this unbelievable journey we’ve been through. We found our bootstraps and yanked them hard because we had two COVID outbreaks in the chorus.

There we were at the beginning of August, and we had to go back to Zoom rehearsals for two weeks. We had three weeks left until international contest after that. Talk about a lesson for me in setting priorities. I kept having to set them, re-set them, then re-set them again. The ground kept shifting under us. But when we got back from Zoom rehearsals, they started singing and sounded better than before our two-week break!

Success

Dale Syverson: Our international performance and its outcome had an awful lot to do with these women just drawing on everything they’ve ever been taught and their own personal musicality. They’re survivors. They got it done.

Chartered: February 13, 1968

Number of Current Members: 117 International Championships: 6 1992, 1995, 1998, 2006, 2009, 2023

Website: www.richtones.org

Rich-Tone Chorus

Members on Stage

Anne Fenton

Ashton Corum

Barbara Wells

Beth Hybarger

Beverly McNamara

Brandy Darrow

Carol Kalbac

Caroline Rocco

Cathy Collins

Celina Oropeza

Charlotte Branch

Cheryl Bettenhausen

Christine Hocker

Cinda Crews

Cindy Barisof

Connie Light

Cory Cummings

Dale Syverson

Debbie Fairchild

Deidra Brown

Donna Moody

Eileen A. Turner

Elizabeth Brite

Ellen C. DeLoach

Ffion Zarcaro

Gail Poskey

Genevieve Samson

Gretchen Blackburn

Gwen Smith

Heather Wallace Helen Swanston

Holly R. Janda

Jacque Grau

Jamie Bearden

Jan Steele

Jane Quinn

Janet Bresler

Janet Hendrix

Jen LeClaire

Jennifer Crowder

Jennifer Scogin

Jeri Horton

Jessica Edwards

Joanne Armstrong

Karen Brazell

Kayla Sanders Fuller

Kelli Hinton

Linda Reese

Lisa Hurst

Lisa McIntyre

Marianne Lamont

Marinette Tran

Marla DeCuir

Melissa Hall

Melissa Linnenburger

Melody Streit

Melody White Monica Seeley

Norine Pernilla Cherry

Pam Lauffer

Pamela Thompson

Paula Smyth

Peggy Blake

Peggy Gram

Pinney Sill

Ronna Fly

Roxanne Holmsen

Sara Firm

Sarah Kavanagh

Sharon Hammer

Sharon Titterington

Sherry Wood

Susan Taggart

Susan Zura

Susie McCoy

Teresa C. Block

Terri Hollingsworth

Tiffani Kiger

Trish Koran

Valerie Clark

Vicki Jo Allen

Wendy L. Smith

Top 10 Choruses

Skyline Chorus • 2nd Place

Region: #8 Denver, Colo. Director: Vickie Maybury Score: 2815 Songs: Poor Unfortunate Souls/I Put A Spell On You (M. Parks); Witchcraft (D. Briner); Somewhere Over The Rainbow (C. Hine/A. Reimnitz); Spread The Love Around (M. Gellert)

Song of Atlanta Chorus • 3rd Place

Region: #14 Roswell, Ga. Director: Becki Hine Score: 2756 Songs: Mighty Mouse Parody (M. Hine); League of Superhero Rejects (C. Hine); Nobody Does It Like Me (C. Hine); Me Too (M. Hine)

Pearls of the Sound Chorus • 4th Place

Region: #32 Helsingborg, Sweden. Directors: Rasmus Krigstöm & Anna Rosenberg Score: 2747 Songs: Kaval Sviri (P. Liondev); Dona Nobis Pacem (R. Krigstrom); Agnus Dei (S. Barber); Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (R. Krigstrom); Symphony No 5 In C-minor Opus 67 (Beethoven's 5th) (R. Krigstrom); Nessun Dorma (R. Krigstrom); In The Mood (R. Krigstrom); Mister Sandman (R. Krigstrom); (You're The Flower Of My Heart) Sweet Adeline (R. Krigstrom); Tomorrow Is Promised To No One (R. Rund and F. King (Chorus 1&2). Modified by (R. Krigstrom); Don't Stop Me Now (R. Krigstrom); Don't Stop Believin' (R. Krigstrom); Stop In The Name Of Love (R. Krigstrom); Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now (R. Krigstrom); U Can't Touch This (R. Krigstrom); Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (R. Krigstrom); Can't Stop The Feeling (R. Krigstrom); Closer (R. Krigstrom)

Top 10 Choruses

Sprit of the Gulf • 5th Place

Region:

Westcoast Harmony Chorus • 6th Place

Region:

Metro Nashville Chorus • 7th Place

Region:

# 9 Fort Meyers, FL Directors: Karen Breidert & Deanna Kastler Score: 2659 Songs: I Feel the Earth Move (L. Wright); The Loco-Motion (J. Minshall); Up On The Roof (None-sung as a duet); One Fine Day (M. Zwicker) You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman (L. Wright)

#26 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Director: Anne Downton Score: 2652 Songs: I Can See Clearly Now (M. Hine); My Romance (J. Minshall); Sing Sing (J. Minshall); Go the Distance (A. Dale)

#4 Nashville, Tenn. Director: Kim Wonders Score: 2534

Songs: Big Heart Candy Company (Harrigan); I Love Being Here With You (A. Dale); If I Give My Heart To You (J. Clancy); Undecided (F. King); Shine (J. Minshall)

Motor City Blend Chorus • 8th Place

Region: #2 Detroit, MI Director: Leann Hazlett Score: 2507 Songs: We've Got Tonight/Old Time Rock N Roll (G. Lewis); Material Girl/Into the Groove Medley (A. Dale); May I Never Love Again (R. Craig); Ain't No Mountain High Enough (J. Minshall (1/04) & Rev. C. Garriock (7/05)

The Woodlands Show Chorus • 9th Place

Region: #25 The Woodlands, Texas Director: Betty Clipman Score: 2357 Songs: Dallas Theme (TV Show) (S. Donahue); With Plenty of Money and You (D. Wright); Electricity (B. Beck); Together Forever / We Go Together (M. Hine)

Liberty Oak Chorus • 10th Place

Region: #15, Freehold, N.J. Director: Katie Blackwood Score: 2334

Songs: Celebration/Ladies Night Medley (B. Mastrull); Can't Take My Eyes (L. Wright); Flying Sinatra Medley (R. Payne & E. Waesche); One Moment In Time (D. Wright)

“An Expectation of Quality” Carolina

Harmony Chorus

2023 Harmony Classic Division A Champion Chorus

Region: #14, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

Director: Susie Smith Score: 1148

Songs: Born To Be Wild (J. Minshall); Oh, Look At Me Now (A. Dale); I Wish You Love (D. Wright); Sweet Caroline ("Street Adelines" word changes) (L. Rochefort), Sing (L. Wright)

Carolina Harmony Chorus rocked the house in Phoenix wearing leather and denim with Street Adelines, a bold, biker-themed performance that had the audience clapping along by the end. With a storyline that featured a romantic relationship between two women, dramatic dynamics, and the clean, precise sound the chorus is known for, the performance brought Carolina Harmony their third Division A champion medal.

It didn’t happen by accident.

“Carolina Harmony has an expectation of quality,” says Director Susie Smith (celebrating her 25th year in front of the chorus). “We know what we want to do and we know we can do it. When something’s not good enough, you have to keep working, keep

polishing, break it down and work and work and work. We expect a lot of ourselves. Everybody who comes in wants to be part of the chorus because they want to sing at a higher level.”

Chorus President Suzanne Eckes agrees.

“We are definitely competitive,” she says. “We are known for our sound, and it draws people from far away to come to rehearsal. We are a small chorus with some members who drive two and a half hours every week. There are choruses who just sing for fun, but that’s not us. Susie has expectations for everyone, and that makes us good.”

Watch the video above to hear more about how they brought Street Adelines to life.

Members on Stage

Ashley Thompson

Audrey L. Suehs

Barbara Reed

Christine Tenekjian

Dawn Valois

Donna O'Brien

Ellen Policastro

Heather Day

Joyce Strand

Judith A. Martell

Judy L. Drtina

Mara Saltz

Mary

Sarah O'Bryan

Rochelle D. Collis

Susanne Eckes

Susie P. Smith

Vicki Martin

“It Just Felt So Good”

Susie Smith, Director: It was really thrilling to finally get on the international stage because, of course, international competition was canceled in 2020 and 2021, and our 2022 regional competition was a video contest –which we won, with 16 singers onstage in masks. With only 18 people at international, it was fairly nerve-wracking. You can’t afford to spare anybody. But we made it on stage, and it just felt so good to have everyone there.

A Motivating Director

Suzanne Eckes, Chorus President: Susie is so motivating. Without Susie, we wouldn’t be where we are. She won’t brag on herself, but I have to say it. She was there every week on Zoom and then when we were able to meet in person again. She was just always there, rooting for us. I’m sure she didn’t always feel as positive on the inside as she was showing us.

“An Amazing Year”

Susie Smith: We did the whole Zoom thing, and had guests in a few times. Renee Porzel choreographed our uptune, and we learned it on Zoom. From there we progressed to outdoor rehearsals, then eventually indoors with masks on. I think it helped having a goal of international coming up, even if we didn’t know when that

would be. That goal helped us progress forward and keep working. It’s my 25th anniversary of directing Carolina Harmony this year, and we won our region and then won international small chorus, so it’s been an amazing year.

Advice for Small Choruses

Susie Smith: You have to support each other. You have to encourage each other, and you can’t just accept “good enough.” Our section leaders work with everybody, and that is real important in a small chorus. People need to have an open spirit of helping each other and a desire to get better, to keep working, and to accept small successes. When you have a singout and the audience loves it, that’s a success. You say, “Yay! What more can we do?”

A lot of the coaching requests I’m getting are from midsized choruses that are now small choruses. They are asking me how to be a small chorus, and I feel like I can speak very well to that. When I first joined Carolina Harmony in 1980 or so, we had 60 people. Over the years, we have gotten smaller, and we had to learn to become a small chorus. It’s a slightly different mindset. In a small chorus, everybody is exposed. There’s no hiding beside a stronger singer. Each person in our chorus has won 1/18th of the championship. At regional competition, we had one tenor, and I said, “Barb, you are the first place tenor in this region. You won it single-handed.”

Annette Jasper

Rebecca Whetten

We Loved to See Them Be Brave!

OK City Chorus

2023

Harmony Classic Division AA Champion Chorus

Region: #25, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

Director: Mary Rhea Score: 1314

Song: The House Is Haunted (K. Bromert); Nine To Five (J. Nicholas); All The Things You Are (J. Minshall); That Man (R. Griffioen, adapted C. Prietto), Brave (Carole Prietto)

OK City Chorus is great fun to watch – and the whole internet knows it, thanks to a viral video from their 2019 Christmas concert that is still making the rounds three years later! The OK City fun is genuine, created by hard work and a strong chorus identity.

“I love that our energy and entertainment level is recognized because we pride ourselves on being an entertaining chorus,” says Master Director Mary Rhea.

Mary was joined by OK City scriptwriter Donna Smith and promotions coordinator Casey Lambert for a Zoom interview following the chorus’ championship performance in Phoenix. Donna and Casey played the roles of the mother and daughter in the championship performance. Hear all three talk about their winning performance in the video above.

Members on Stage

Audra Haney

Afton Gilliland

Amanda Coon

Barbara Underwood

Betty Coleman

Carla Hale

Carol Pruitt

Carrie Price

Casey Lambert

Charity Stubblefield

Cheryl Standage

Christy Pollock

Courtney Curtis

Debbie Farris

Debbie Hamilton

Chorus Identity

Donna Smith

Ellen Engh

Felicia Brummett

Frances "Scotty" Frakes

Gina Sloniker

Jacque Glasgow

Janet Hankins

Jen Foster

Jenifer Allbaugh

Jennifer Parker

Jennifer Spinelli

Judy Moore

Julie Moler

Julie Robinson

Karen Andrews

Karen Celeste flemming

Karen Fox

Karen Phillips

Kirstan Boyd

Leah Coleman Arnold

Linda Hammett

Lyn Graham

Lynn Rogers

Marilyn Norris

Martha Thomason

Mary Rhea

Mary Sandhop Wells

Melynnie Williams

Michelle Simpson

Nancy Nortz

Nicki Austin

Nicole Wilson

Paula Reed

Paula Scott

Reba Osburn

Ronda Hall

Sandy Peters

Sara Anders

Sarah Montgomery

Susan Gertson

Tammy Atwood

Victoria Cassidy

Vivian Wilson

Zon Kordic-Binkley

Donna: It’s a positive chorus. We enjoy each other, and I think we know who we are. We know our personality as a chorus and as individual singers, and we don’t try to be something we’re not. We’ve got singers from a wide range of ages, and we are friends. We’re peers. We all love to sing, and we have that in common. I think it’s wonderful.

“We Really Do Love Each Other”

Casey: We laugh a lot, and that builds camaraderie. No matter how stressful something might be, we try to enjoy the time we have together, especially now that we have experienced the pandemic and know, firsthand, what can get taken away so quickly. It changed a lot for us. When we finally got back together, we realized, “Yes. We really do love each other.”

The Zoom Whisperer

Director Mary Rhea recalls that the chorus started Zoom rehearsals the first week of lockdown, and attendance remained strong throughout that challenging time. Donna and Casey say Mary became “the Zoom whisperer,” creating interesting and fun lessons and traditions that kept the chorus learning and connected.

“Every week, I found a different recording of We’ll Meet Again and played it at the end of rehearsal,” Mary says. “Sometimes there were themes, like a creepy one for Halloween or a winter one when we were in an ice storm. Then the chorus learned it as a surprise for me.”

Right Place, Right Time

“There have been performances where we put it all out there and were proud of our performance even if we didn’t place where we wanted,” says Casey. “Sometimes you peak before you hit the stage, but Mary did a great job of pacing our growth. We were comfortable in the warmup room and in rehearsal. We were still in the mindset that we had work to do and were going to do it. Then we peaked onstage. It all worked out exactly as it was supposed to, and it was the most incredible feeling.”

OK City Chorus performed last, and Mary was backstage with the team coordinator after the performance.

“We had no feedback,” she says. “I didn’t even have my phone, so I had no idea what anyone else had done, but I know all the other choruses are wonderful. I felt like we had done what we wanted to do onstage and connected with the audience, and I was at peace with that. When we won, it was a great surprise. It was thrilling, actually.” Chartered: 1956 Website: www.okcity.org

Harmony Classic Division A

(Featuring choruses with 30 or fewer singers)

Valley Forge Chorus 2nd Place

Region #19, Valley Forge, Pa. Director: Debbie Dahlen-Kirsch Score: 1108

Songs: Come On Get Happy (A. Dale); This Is The Moment (B. Graham); The Joint is Jumpin' (N. Bergman)

Alberta Northern Lights Chorus 3rd Place

Region: #26, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Director: Lisa Hunszinger Score: 1095 Songs: Come On Get Happy (A. Dale); Making Our Dreams Come True, Addams Family, I'll Be There For You (2a - S. Cope, 2b - E. Palmer, 2c - J. Nicholas); Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart (J. Minshall); Where Everybody Knows Your Name (Theme from Cheers) (L. Rochfort); Better When I'm Dancin' (Elaine Gain); I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together (N. Bergman);

Grand Traverse Show Chorus 4th Place

Region: #2, Traverse City, MI

Director: Jill Watson Score: 1004 Songs: Hernando's Hideaway (B. Sellers); Charleston (N. Bergman); Ain't Misbehavin' (L. Rochefort); And All That Jazz (A. Minihane)

Harmony Classic Division AA

Alamo Metro Chorus 2nd Place

Most Entertaining

Region #10, San Antonio, Texas

Director: Ryan Heller Score: 1264 Songs: I Love A Piano (J. Bescos); Chopsticks (R. Heller); You Make Me Feel So Young (M. Hine); Hold On (D. Wright)

No Borders Show Chorus 3rd Place

Region: #31, Venray, Netherlands

Director: Stuart Sides Score: 1252 Songs: Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love) (C. Porter); Night and Day (C. Porter); So In Love (C. Porter)

York Harmony Chorus 4th Place

Region: #16, Sharon, Ontario, Canada

Director: Martha DeClerq Score: 1076 Songs: I'm In Hurry (J. Dale); MAgic To Do (D. Wright); All The Things You Are (J. Minshall); Never Gonna Let You Down (C. Prietto); MAgic To Do - Reprise (D. Wright)

Vocal Harmonix Chorus 5th Place

Region: #19, Lancaster, Pa.

Director: Lori Jo Whitehaus Score: 1072 Songs: Cups - Phoenix Medley (Cups: D. Sharon, Phoenix: G. Lloyd); Take The Next Left (L. Wright); Never Gonna Let You Down (C. Prietto);

Chapter Longevity Awards

Chapters listed in order of anniversary date.

70 Years

City of Lakes Chapter

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, #6

Toast of Champaign Chapter

Champaign, Illinois, USA, #3

Golden Sands Chapter Long Beach, California, USA, #11

65 Years

Song of Atlanta Chapter

Roswell, Georgia, USA, #14

Magic of Manatee Chapter Bradenton, Florida, USA, #9

Montana Sapphire Chapter Billings, Montana, USA, #8

Spirit of Syracuse Chapter Syracuse, New York, USA, #15

Voices United Chapter Fresno, California, USA, #11

Festival Sounds Chapter Stratford, Ontario, Canada, #2

Cincinnati Sound Chapter Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, #4

Coldwater Sweet Adelines Chapter Coldwater, Michigan, USA, #17

60 Years

ChannelAire Chapter

Ventura, California, USA, #11

Celebrity City Chapter Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, #11

Evergreen Chapter

Poughkeepsie, New York, USA, #15

Skyline Chapter

Denver, Colorado, USA, #8

Jet Cities Chapter

Federal Way, Washington, USA, #13

Jacksonville Harmony Chapter Jacksonville, Florida, USA, #9

Scottsdale Chapter Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, #21

Cedar Harmony Chapter

Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA, #5

Scenic City Chapter

Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA #4

Pocatello Showcase Chapter Pocatello, Idaho, USA, #8

Columbia River Chapter Vancouver, Washington, USA, #13

55

Years

Vienna-Falls Chapter

Fairfax, Virginia, USA, #14

Spirit of Evansville Chapter Evansville, Indiana, USA, #4

Southern Star Chapter

Pueblo, Colorado, USA, #8

Pacific Edge Chapter Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, #26

Flagship City Chapter

Erie, Pennsylvania, USA, #17

Idaho Falls A Cappella Chapter

Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA, #8

North Metro Chapter Toronto, Ontario, Canada, #16

45 Years

Lone Star Chapter

Fort Worth, Texas, USA, #10

Heart O Wisconsin Chapter

Marshfield, Wisconsin, USA, #6

Sound of Sunshine Chapter

Orlando, Florida, USA, #9

Greater Eugene Chapter

Springfield, Oregon, USA, #12

River Raisin Chapter Monroe, Michigan, USA, #17

Capitaland Chapter

Albany, New York, USA, #15

Greater Richmond Chapter Richmond, Virginia USA, #14

River Bend Chapter

South Bend, Indiana, USA, #17

River Magic Chapter

Huntington, West Virginia, USA, #4

Valley Shore Acappella Chapter

East Lyme, Connecticut, USA, #1

40 Years

Heart of Illinois Chapter

East Peoria, Illinois, USA, #3

Palo Duro Metro Chapter

50 Years

Peace Arch Chapter

Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, #26

White Sails A Cappella Chapter

Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, #26

Laurel Harmony Chapter

Greensburg, Pennsylvania, USA, #17

Mid-Lakes Chapter

Plainwell, Michigan, USA, #17

Acapella Soundsations Chapter Bremerton, Washington, USA, #13

Capital Acapella Chapter Okemos, Michigan, USA, #2

Carolina Style Chapter Conover, North Carolina, USA, #14

Canyon, Texas, USA, #25

Chisholm Trail Chapter

Temple, Texas, USA, #10

Spirit of Southeast Texas Chapter

Beaumont, Texas, USA, #10

Bella Voce Chapter

Craig, Colorado, USA, #8

Skyline Harmony Chapter

Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, #14

Northumberland Chapter

Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, #16

Liberty Oak Chapter

Freehold, New Jersey, USA, #15

Battlefords Blend Chapter

North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada, #26

Heart of the Valley Chapter

Northampton, Massachusetts, USA, #1

Tulsa Metro Sound Chapter

Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, #25

35 Years

Post Road Chapter

Worcester, Massachusetts, USA, #1

Pride of Toledo Chapter

Toledo, Ohio, USA, #17

Pearls of The Sound Chapter Helsingborg, Sweden, #32

Christchurch City Chapter Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand, #35

Toast of Tampa Show Chapter Tampa, Florida, USA, #9

Lock Cities Chapter Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, USA,#2

30 Years

Dunedin Harmony Chapter

Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand, #35

Nebraska Pride Chapter Kearney, Nebraska, USA, #8

Simply A Cappella Chapter Tempe, Arizona, USA, #21

Coastal a Cappella Chapter Erina Heights, New South Wales, Australia, #34

Solent Sounds Chapter Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom, #31

SouthCity Soundz Chapter Auckland, New Zealand, #35

Surrey Harmony Chapter Coulsdon, Surrey, United Kingdom, #31

Harmony Heights Chapter Uppsala, Sweden, #32

Key Town Eskilstuna Chapter Eskilstuna, Sweden, #32

Ringing Hills Chapter Pottstown, Pennsylvania, USA, #19

25 Years

Northwest Harmony Chapter Vancouver, Washington, USA, #13

South Florida Jubilee Chapter Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, #9

Sheffield Harmony Chapter Sheffield, United Kingdom, #31

Sound of the Strand Chapter

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA, #14

Women of Note Chapter

West Palm Beach, Florida, USA, #9

Northern Beaches Chapter Belrose, New South Wales, Australia, #34

Southern Oregon Sound Chapter Medford, Oregon, USA, #12

East City Sound Chapter Boronia, Victoria, Australia, #34

20 Years

Hearts of Harmony Chapter

Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, #26

River Lights Chapter

Modesto, California, USA, #12

Rhythm of the Rockies Chapter Calgary, Alberta, Canada, #26

Prairie Rose Chapter Dickinson, North Dakota, USA, #6

Valley Chords Chapter Hartford, Vermont, USA, #1

Note-ably North Texas Chapter Allen, Texas, USA, #25

Talk of Tulsa Show Chapter Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, #25

Brisbane City Sounds Chapter Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, #34

15 Years

Phoenix Chapter

Potton, United Kingdom, #31

A' Cappella Bay Singers Chapter Hervey Bay, QLD Queensland, Australia, #34

RiversEdge Chapter Spokane, Washington, USA, #13

Oregon Spirit Chapter Salem, Oregon, USA, #12

Carillon Belles Chapter Simcoe, Ontario, Canada, #2

Freedom Valley Chapter Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, USA, #19

Bytown Beat Chapter

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, #16

Emerald City Chapter Goddard, Kansas, USA, #25

Manawatu Overtones Chapter

Palmerston North, New Zealand, #35

10 Years

Greeley Harmonix Chapter

Greeley, Colorado, USA, #8

Honolulu Blend Show Chapter Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, #21

Bella Acappella Harmony Chapter Bend, Oregon, USA, #12

The Woodlands Show Chapter

The Woodlands, Texas, USA, #10

Aoyama Harmony Chapter Tokyo, Japan, Sat. Area #30

5 Years

Ignite UK Chapter

Belper, Derbyshire, United Kingdom, #31

Bridges of Harmony Chapter

Jacksonville, Florida, USA, #9

East Central Harmony Chapter Charleston, Illinois, USA, #3

“Gratitude and Joy and Happiness”

Installed as president just weeks before pandemic lockdowns began, Joan Boutilier led Sweet Adelines International through two of the most challenging years in the organization’s history. Joan helped the organization navigate through the shock, grief, worry, and challenges of that time with grace and courage. As a singer and director, she experienced it all alongside the Sweet Adelines under her leadership.

That is just one of many reasons she was chosen to receive the 2022 President’s Lifetime Achievement

director of Choral-Aires. Directing choruses has also been a fulfilling part of her Sweet Adelines career – and she started directing only a few years into her chorus membership. She currently directs River City Sound Chorus.

“When my kids were little and I was at home with them, I often wondered what my purpose in life was,” she says. “I found that purpose through my singing. When I became a director, I was contributing to the world in a different way and eventually came to an acceptance that I don't have to keep looking for what I do. This is what I do. It’s helped me develop as a person. Even though I was confident musically, I was not so secure in my own abilities to relate to other people. I think I'm less self-conscious now and more confident, though I'm always, always looking for some way

Joan became a Certified Judge in the Sound Category in 2014 and has served in several regional and international roles. She wants all Sweet Adelines to know that there is a place for them, no matter where they are in their lives,

A couple of months after she joined her first chorus, Country Chords Chorus, in 1989, Joan joined her first quartet and continued quartetting for many years. When she joined Four Bettys, she knew she had found something special.

“Right off the bat, I said to my husband, ‘This is really rare and I'm just gonna stay in it and enjoy it because I don't think this comes along every day.”

Four Bettys eventually became the 2008 International Champion Quartet. They retired in 2015, and she continued singing with long-distance quartet Spritzer until 2018. Asked if she is looking for a new quartet to sing with, Joan said yes! She would like a quartet within driving distance – which is exciting news for quartet fans.

She has been a member of Country Chords, Melodeers, and

“What you’re able to do will be different depending upon your stage of life,” she says. “My first few years, I did nothing inside the chorus but sing, but as I had more time and confidence, I took on small roles and then larger ones.”

However, she reminds Sweet Adelines that it all starts with singing.

“Each person should do their best to be a good singer,” says Joan. “If you’re in a chorus, do your homework to make the experience good for you, not because the director or the musical leaders are requiring it or they have evaluations or whatever but so you feel good about your own preparation and progress as a singer. I think that's the best thing you can do for yourself. Get to know people, listen to other people, and find out how you can contribute and be a part of the community.”

That is certainly what Joan did and continues to do, and Sweet Adelines are grateful!

Joan Boutilier

2022 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Joan Boutilier

2022 Ann Gooch Award Recipient Nicky Salt

Aquick visit to barbershop social media reveals that Nicky Salt is everywhere. A busy and popular vocal coach, Nicky works with singers from all over the world, much to their delight. She is known for her humor, energy, and skill. That fun personality is genuine, but the 2022 Ann Gooch Award recipient has had her share of challenges — and has persevered.

Nicky was with Phoenix Chorus when they later chartered with Sweet Adelines International. She eventually found herself singing bass with international finalist Finesse Quartet. From 2010 to 2015, Finesse finished in the top ten at Sweet Adelines International Competition, placing third in 2014. A few years later, she left the quartet.

“When I stopped singing with Finesse, it was a bereavement,” she says. “I'd been singing at such a high level, and then suddenly I wasn't in a quartet anymore. I didn't know who I was. I was really, really lost, and it was just a really confusing time.”

At the same time, she had uprooted her life to move to France.

“I was living in a different country and navigating a very turbulent and toxic relationship,” she explains. “Trying to navigate that and the loss of Finesse was just awful. Because of that relationship, I was cut off from all my family and friends and because I was in a different country, I didn't have anything else. Then the first year I went back to regional

“Sweet Adelines Gave Me My Life Back” Nicky Salt

“Suddenly I was involved again, and then my coaching took off, and now I'm busier than ever,” she says. “All these things happened because I was a member of Sweet Adelines. It’s gonna sound really dramatic, but it's just a fact: Sweet Adelines gave me my life back, gave me something to do, someone to be – a purpose. I felt really valued. It was incredible.”

The Ann Gooch Award is presented to members from outside North America “who have contributed significantly to the furtherance of barbershop in the worldwide area.” As a singer, as a coach, and as a person willing to share so much of herself, that is what Nicky has done and continues to do.

“Incredibly Grateful”

2022 NAfME Award Recipient Sarah

Clay-Lindvall

Sarah Clay-Lindvall proudly declares herself “a third-generation barber-brat.” Her grandmother and mother sang in Suncoast Chorus (#9). Her grandfather and father sang barbershop in passion for barbershop and music education from such an early age,” she says. “I attribute much of my identity as a performing artist and educator to my barbershop upbringing, and I am extremely grateful for all of the experiences I’ve had, thanks to my incredible family.”

For her years of teaching vocal music, Sarah was named the 2022 National Association for Music Educators (NAfME) Award recipient.

I have been able to experience throughout my life thanks to barbershop and all those who have been such an influence within it. For that, I am incredibly grateful.”

Sarah Clay-Lindvall

BACK IN BUSINESS

After two completely virtual shows, the Coronet Club was finally Back in Business in Phoenix! Although the show wasn’t exactly “business as usual,” the Coronet Club chorus and several queen quartets performed live for the first time in three years for our Sweet Adelines International (SA) audience. We were also entertained by the comedic stylings of our emcee, Barbershop Harmony Society Hall of Fame inductee and SA Master 700 Director Tony DeRosa. Between live performances, virtual performances, and anniversary videos, the show attendees and the Coronets partied the night away with a live DJ and cash bar!

While the venue wasn’t large enough to accommodate risers, the Coronet Club Chorus found creative ways to perform. The show opened with a virtual chorus number, Back In Business, where the Coronets started out wearing pajamas and transformed into show attire by the end of the song! The next song, This Is Phoenix (composed and arranged by the legendary Renee Craig), began with audio pre-recorded by the Coronet Club for this performance juxtaposed with video from the 1981 show with Renee directing. In the middle of the song, the Coronets rose from their seats among the audience and made their way to the front of the ballroom to finish out the song live with Kerry Denino directing.

The Coronet Club also performed as two small groups in the show. The first small group, directed by Debbie Cleveland, performed David Wright’s catchy composition, Midnight Serenade. The second small group, directed by Pam Pieson, sang When October Goes. That song was originally performed by Pam’s quartet, Panache, and was arranged by baritone Sally Briner’s husband, Dave. It was one of Panache’s most beloved songs, and this performance was a special tribute to their legacy. The chorus closed the show with perennial favorite, Champion Strut, directed by Caitlin Castelino, immediately followed by a live reprise of Back In Business, directed by Deanna Kastler.

We were delighted by live performances from queen quartets Martini, LoveNotes, and Lustre! Martini celebrated their 10th anniversary this year and commemorated their time together by performing a gorgeous medley of their favorite ballads. As part of their performance, the always-entertaining Lustre premiered a wonderful medley of songs by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. LoveNotes thrilled the audience with their Hooked On The Classics medley as well as an impressive new arrangement of If You Hadn’t But You Did. Frenzy also contributed a video for their portion of the show celebrating their fifth anniversary with a walk down memory lane.

While this year’s show was very different out of necessity, some of our show’s hallmarks remained intact. We were able to usher in our brand-new queens, The Ladies, to Pretty Woman. We were also able to honor our anniversary quartets, 4-Star Collection (25th anniversary) and The 4th Edition (50th anniversary), with video tributes compiled by Liz Hardcastle. The 4th Edition’s lead, Lee Davison, was in attendance and regaled the audience with stories about the quartet's rich history. Liz also compiled a video, Iconic, celebrating other notable anniversaries, including the first 75th anniversary in the club’s history: our very first queens, The Decaturettes. The Coronet Club was also finally able to induct Viva! into the club in person.

As always, the Coronet Club loves and appreciates all those who attend our shows and support us year after year. We have been so grateful for your patronage and support during these unprecedented times, and we hope to see you ALL at our show in Louisville next year. More details and information coming soon.

Michaela Slamka-Johnston is tenor of Sweet Adelines 2019 International Champion Quartet ClassRing.

The 2022 Coronet Club Show

Martini Quartet

Viva! Quartet

LoveNotes Quartet

Lee Davidson Tony DeRosa

50- and 60-Year Member Awards Class of 2022

50-YEAR MEMBER AWARDS

Choral-Aires Chapter, #3

Colleen Anderson • Mountain Jubilee Chapter, #8

Nancy Anderson • Scottsdale Chapter, #21

Jacqueline Andress • Agoura Hills Harmony Chapter, #11

Sharon Apple • Bay Area Showcase Chapter, #12

Jo Bader • Member-at-Large

Janell Barkley • Top of the Rock Chapter, #25

Sue Beck • Voices Northwest Chapter, #13

Sandra Bergersen • Lake Country Chapter, #6

Joanne Bischoff • Crosstown Harmony Chapter, #3

Karen Breidert • Spirit of the Gulf Chapter, #9

Jean Danaher • Carolina Style Chapter, #14

Gail Dughi • Choral-Aires Chapter, #3

Diane Fleming • Member-at-Large

Bobbi Foran • Twin County Chapter, #15

Jeannie Froelich • Harmony Celebration Chapter, #15

Rebecca Fye • Kansas City Chapter, #5

Debbie Geiger • Scottsdale Chapter, #21

Joyce Hansen • Festival Sounds Chapter, #2

Phyllis Harreld • OC Sound Chapter, #21

Christine Hinkley • Verdugo Hills Chapter, #11

Jacqueline Hopwood • Greater Harrisburg Chapter, #19

Diane Huber • River Blenders Chapter, #5

Janet Johnson • City of Lakes Chapter, #6

Mary Johnson • City of Lakes Chapter, #6

Jeanne Just • Sound of the Heartland Chapter, #25

Sylvia Kelty • Chapter-at-Large, #19

Dee Ketner • Golden Sands Chapter, #11

Pat Kies • Kansas City Chapter, #5

Marilyn Kujat • Lady Luck Showtime Chapter, #11

Marge Laverack • Magic Valley Chapter, #10

Zina Lemke • Mountain Jubilee Chapter, #8

Marti Lovejoy • Member-at-Large

Jo Lund • Chapter-at-Large, #19

Catherine Martin • Chinook Winds Show Chapter, #26

Sally Massen • Scottsdale Chapter, #21

Susan Nelson • Riverport Chapter, #3

Christine Noteware • Song of the Lakes Chapter, #2

Debra Peters • Melodeers Chapter, #3

Lynda Peterson • Member-at-Large

Roberta Post • Spirit of Spokane Chapter, #13

Kay Preller • Center Point Chapter, #6

Patricia Hickey Price • Scottsdale Chapter, #21

Barbara Read • Metro Mix Chapter, #5

Lynlee Ritchie • Chapter-at-Large, #13

Nancy Saul • Liberty Oak Chapter, #15

Charlotte Saylor • Laurel Harmony Chapter, #17

Patricia Shaw • Member-at-Large

Sandy Smith • Harmony Celebration Chapter, #15

Anita Smolik • Choral-Aires Chapter, #3

Jadine Stenger • Pacific Empire Chapter, #12

Mary Ellen Stepanich • Chapter-at-Large, #21

Marlaine Stevens • Chapter-at-Large, #6

Karyl Stevens • Pratt Chapter, #25

Anne Stickler • City of Lakes Chapter, #6

Janet Stump • Metro Mix Chapter, #5

Dee Thomas • Palo Duro Metro Chapter, #25

Lloyd-Ellen Thomas • Chapter-at-Large, #19

Linda Tracy • Chapter-at-Large, #13

Jan Weber • Toast of Champaign Chapter, #3

Jean Wiechmann • Riverport Chapter, #3

Carolyn Wiles • Greater Harrisburg Chapter, #19

Patricia Williams • O-Town Sound Chapter, #9

60-YEAR MEMBER AWARDS

Ellen Benton

• Motor City Blend Chapter, #2

Sue Brander • Choral-Aires Chapter, #3

Phyllis Brian • Hutchinson Chapter, #25

Deanne Brown • Member-at-Large

Paula Brown • Heart of Michigan Chapter, #2

Zora Burnham • City of Lakes Chapter, #6

Jane Casey* • Member-at-Large

Cathy Conley • Chapter-at-Large, #8

Mary Dick • City of Lakes Chapter, #6

Reta Eriesian* • Chapter-at-Large, #21

Sandra Fitzpatrick • Chapter-at-Large, #2

Marsha Fulton • White Sails A Cappella Chapter, #26

M. Eileen Girard • Chapter-at-Large, #2

Yvonne Richards-Griffith • Houston Horizon Chapter, #10

Sharon Kemna • Member-at-Large

Judy Kimball • Windsong Chapter, #8

Ginger Knapp-Ringdahl • Member-at-Large

Ruth Martin • Member-at-Large

Jan McQuaid* • Member-at-Large

Marilyn Meyer • Channelaire Chapter, #11

Natalie Mitchell • Jersey Sound Chapter, #19

Margaret Monaco • Member-at-Large

Barbara Morrison* • Pocatello Showcase Chapter, #8

Judith Ogden • Bridges of Harmony Chapter, #9

Judy Ringering* • Chapter-at-Large, #5

Kay Seymour • Pride of Toledo Chapter, #17

Katherine Siddall • Chapter-at-Large, #19

Pat Sigmon • Harbor City Music Company Chapter, #19

Greta Somers • Shoreline Sound Chapter, #2

Beverly Staats • A Cappella Joy Chapter, #13

Sonny Steffan • Chapter-at-Large, #15

Gayle Wharton • Chapter-at-Large, #6

Mary Ann Wydra • Alamo Metro Chapter, #10

*deceased

HarmonyRoundup

Where We Sang

Butterscotch Quartet (#34) performed at the Perth Royal Show (an annual agricultural show in Perth, Australia). Delmarva Chorus (#19) Director Carol Ludwig was highlighted in the Freeman Center (Delaware, USA) volunteer newsletter for August 2022. When asked about her other volunteer activities, she mentioned founding and directing Delmarva Chorus for the last 22 years, which led to an invitation for the entire chorus to attend a performance of internationally-known vocal group Il Divo at the Freeman Arts Pavilion as special guests. They write, “What a treat it was…Twenty-one of our members carpooled for the 20-minute drive, sang on the way, sang while going through security, sang God Bless America before exiting, then sang all the way home.”

How We Sang

Bathurst Panorama Chorus (#34) won the open vocal group and open acappella group categories and was joint winner of the Choral Championship (with Scots All Saints College) at the Bathurst Eisteddfod in August. Aberdeen Chorus (#31) performed their show Thistle Be A Reigny Day at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Celebrating a Barbershop

Region #21 Arizona (USA) quartets PHX from Phoenix, Celebration from Tucson, and Desert Blend Barbershop Quartet from Tucson helped celebrate Nancy Bergman’s 95th birthday. (Desert Blend is a quartet from the Barbershop Harmony Society’s Saddlebrooke Chorus, which Nancy directed from 2006-2020.) It was truly an extreme pleasure and definitely a barbershop moment in time. The brunch was hosted by Nancy’s daughter, Ricki Mensching. We’re sure every Sweet Adeline has sung a Nancy Bergman arrangement sometime in their barbershop career. Thank you, Nancy, for so graciously sharing your many talents, from directing to winning an international quartet championship (1954, Mississippi Misses) to hundreds, if not thousands, of musical arrangements over the years.

– Marsha Shaw is a member of PHX Quartet and Westwind Harmony Chorus.

Why We Sang

The Choral-Aires Chorus (#3) sang at the 2nd Annual Kickball 4 Kids charity event in October. Side Hustle Quartet (#34) sang at a Pink Gala Ball in memory of people who lost their lives to breast cancer and in honor of survivors. Voices United Chorus (#11) sang for veterans of a recent Honor Flight. The Honor Flight program enables U.S. military veterans to visit the memorials of the wars in which they fought. Coastal Charisma Chorus (#34) sang at the memorial marking 20 years since the Bali Bombings. They write, “Many of us were moved to tears as wreaths were laid. A truly moving service.” High Desert Harmony (#12) performed on the last day of the Great Reno Balloon Races, Sept. 11. They write, “This was an especially memorable performance. During a commemoration of the tragic events on Sept. 11, 2001, four T-6s from the Reno Air Racing Association flew over the event as we sang the U.S. national anthem. We are also proud that our fabulous lead, Alana Ridge, sang the national anthem on the first day of the Races. It's always so amazing performing for such a large, enthusiastic crowd!”

What do you do to celebrate a barbershop icon's 95th birthday? Well, you sing to her, of course!

Harmony Roundup is a place to share your adventures and achievements!

Let us know what your chorus or quartet has been doing in your community. Email your submissions and photos to communications@sweetadelines.com.

Above: PHX Quartet (#21) with Nancy Bergman Below: Celebration Quartet (#21)

Icon!

Antelope Valley Showcase Chorus (#11) shared barbershop music at the City of Palmdale's Kaleidoscope Art & Music Festival. .

Vocalzone, a chapter quartet of Aberdeen Chorus (#31), was invited to sing for the VIP reception and be the "mic coolers" at the Irish Association of Barbershop Singers Convention in Killarney.

Up All Night Quartet (#14) came in third place at the National Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival competition in San Rafael, California (USA). The festival is the United States’ longest-running a cappella festival and was the inspiration for the television competition The Sing-Off.

Merrimack Valley Chorus (#1) was honored to sing the U.S. national anthem at the graduation ceremonies for the 100th graduating class of the Massachusetts Fire Academy.

In October, Honolulu Blend Show Chorus (#21) sang at the Susan G. Komen More Than Pink walk in Waikiki -- their first sing-out in over two years!

Redland Rhapsody Chorus (#34) spent a beautiful Sunday morning singing at the Redlands Diabetes Walk.

Growing and Blossoming

Thoughts on Developing Skills and Succession

What has gardening got to do with building skills and succession planning? Well, there are a few similarities if you look at it closely. Take a plant seed. It doesn’t outwardly reveal all the potential there is inside to grow and blossom into a beautiful flower, but given the right conditions and nurturing, it will show its full potential. So it is with each member of this organisation. We all have potential in some way or another, and we can help to release that potential by nurturing ourselves and others.

A plant seed needs the right conditions to grow well, and so do we as singers and members of Sweet Adelines. We might not need our roots in soil, but we do need our roots to be full of the energy it takes to grow. ‘What are you talking about, Elaine?’, I hear you ask. Well, when I think of our roots, I think of our individual skills base. For us to grow our knowledge and skills, we need nurturing, as do plants. With a seed, you would probably start by looking at the instructions on the seed packet. The Sweet Adelines equivalent would be to start by listing areas of interest or skills you feel you have already, then make another list of areas where you would like to expand your knowledge and skills. If you struggle to identify your skills, ask a friend to help you. They can guide you to see what you don’t perhaps see in yourself. This would be like asking another gardener how to grow your plant! You might want to become a better singer or develop your knowledge of visual communication, or you might see yourself as a future section leader or management team member so you want to learn more

about teamwork and leadership. You may aspire to be a judge or arranger so you want to learn the skills necessary for those roles.

If you wanted more information on how best to grow a particular plant, you’d need to do some research. The same applies to your development. Think of all the fantastic resources we have available to us in Sweet Adelines: the Sweet Adelines International website, in particular, the Education section; our community of chorus/regional/international leaders; regional and international education events; and programmes such as the Director Certification Program (DCP) and the Arranger Certification Program (ACP). There are also people in your quartet, chorus, or regional communities who would be willing to help you grow and flourish, so why not ask them? A multitude of options surround you to help you on your way, but it’s ultimately up to you to plant the seed.

Using the seed analogy, the plant now has a wonderful root system, i.e., you have developed your skills base. To continue to grow, the plant now needs other things, such as light, water, and nutrients. The next step for you as an individual depends on the path you’re on and what kind of ‘light, water, and nutrients’ might work best for you. For example, if you want to continue to be a better singer, perhaps look at getting a coach to listen and help you to improve further. This could be from within your chorus, perhaps your section leader. If it’s directing skills, enrol in the DCP to develop further. For leadership, volunteer at the chorus level to build confidence in yourself and ask the management

Blossoming

Planning

team what you can do to help. Then, why not ask your Regional Management Team what you can do to help? You’re blossoming now, so look for ways to share your knowledge. Remember there are countless opportunities to develop in many areas within SA, musically, in leadership, and socially.

You may find yourself growing into a leadership role at the chapter, regional or international level and, if you do, then comes perhaps the most important part – identifying and helping your successors. The plant has bloomed, and you want to grow more of them, so you need more seeds! Take a good look around your quartet, chorus, or region and see if you can spot someone else who has potential and just needs to be nurtured. If you’re already a leader, take a moment now to think about who else you know might need more nurturing to reach their full potential and thereby continue the succession. A gardening term for this is ‘propagation.’

The most important job a leader can do is to nurture and propagate the next generation of leaders. Happy gardening!

Elaine Hamilton is a member of Forth Valley Chorus (#31) as well as Region #31 Faculty and Education Steering Group. She is a former member of the SA International Board of Directors and currently serves on the Editorial Review Board and the Regional Leadership Committee.

Sweet Adelines Resources

Grow your barbershop garden with resources from the Education section of the Sweet Adelines International website.

The Education Portal is open to the public and offers resources on vocal skills, music, choreography, virtual rehearsal, and marketing.

You’ll also find information on certification programs, grants and scholarships, music educator awards, and the Young Women in Harmony program.

Log in to the Sweet Adelines International website to access the members-only section of the Education page. There you can find exclusive resources from videos to handouts on a wide variety of topics involving barbershop music, leadership, performance, and more. Click on the Education Content Inventory to find a list of links to all public and members-only resources.

The Pitch Pipe 2023 International Champion Quartet The Ladies

On June 6, 2022 Sweet Adelines launched the Ignite the Sound Membership Growth Initiative encouraging Sweet Adelines choruses to focus on recruiting new members. We decided to reach out to some of our new members to find out what brought them to us – and what led them to stay – in hopes that what we learned will inspire your chorus too.

With the Ignite the Sound contest concluding April 30, 2023, there is plenty of time for your chorus to get involved!

Read on for advice from new members!

Lessons from New Members

The Most Important Thing: A Genuine Welcome

Denise Gardner (Lone Star Chorus, #10) writes, "I instantly felt friendship! I was welcomed, week after week. I stay because I have found ‘sisters’ who love to sing as much as I do! Now I welcome new visitors with that same warm smile.”

Meeting Apps

Nearly half of these new members Googled music groups in their area and happened to find a Sweet Adelines chorus near them. Betsy Girdler (Cinncinnati Sound Chorus, #4) wasn’t even looking for a musical group per se. She downloaded the NextDoor app because she found a lost dog in their yard and found Sweet Adelines through that! MeetUp is a popular app for bringing Sweet Adelines together.

See the tutorial to learn more about how choruses can utilize MeetUp.

Guest Night

Eleanor Hamilton (One Voice Chorus, #4) missed singing in college. She followed the Purdue Musical Organizations Instagram account, who posted that One Voice was having a guest night. “The moment I walked into the rehearsal room, I was instantly welcomed with smiles and open arms.”

Want some resources on hosting your own guest night? Check out our open audition article.

Low-Pressure Rehearsal Invitation

Lucinda Long (Lions Gate Chorus, #26) was searching for fun things to do and stumbled across an open invitation from Lions Gate to drop by their Tuesday night rehearsal. The low-pressure invite caused her to drop by, and the chorus members’ genuine welcome helped her decide to stay.

Follow these step-by-step instructions to keep your information up to date on the Find a Chorus page in case a potential member is looking for your rehearsal!

Word of Mouth

Patti Comeau (Carillon Belles Chorus, #2) noticed a sign on a front lawn advertising Sweet Adelines during her daily walk. The timing wasn’t right at the time, but she later joined the horticultural society in her area. She says, “I was working beside a lovely lady who just so happened to be a member and the team coordinator of Carillon Belles. Upon chatting, I realized that it was her house we walked by every day. She was so friendly and encouraged me to come out to a rehearsal. The timing was finally right!”

Branding

Aggie Lazzaro (Columbia River Chorus, #13) came to us because of some Sweet Adelines swag. She says, “I met this smiling friendly lady walking in my neighborhood. I noticed the cap that she was wearing was a Sweet Adelines cap. I asked her about her singing career and she invited me to the CRC Friends’ Night and I was hooked! My biggest regret is that I didn’t receive that welcoming invitation 30 years ago!”

Performance

Karen Sallerson’s sister-in-law attended a Sweet Adelines performance in Chicago and encouraged Karen to find a chorus near her. Now she’s a proud member of Heart of Maryland Chorus (#19). Pam McDonald (Nebraska Pride Chorus, #8) attended a luncheon where a quartet from Nebraska Pride performed. Pam told one of the quartet members that when she retired, she’d like to join. The quartet member remembered Pam and followed up!

Follow Up

Barbara Soper (Spirit of Syracuse Chorus, #15) had a friend approach her about joining Spirit of Syracuse, but Barbara wasn’t able to join at the time. Her friend followed up three years later, and this time, she could join. Maybe now is the time to look through old guest books and reach out to someone who couldn’t join at the time. Maybe the time is right now.

Every member has their own story about how they came to join Sweet Adelines. It’s up to us to spread the word so that other singers looking for what we have can get their own story. Stephanie Huhn (Motor City Blend Chorus, #2) is effusive about what Sweet Adelines offers her. She says, “I have met such kind, supportive, and caring women. I’ve made new friends, laughed and sang, have learned, and have grown my talents. I have felt supported and cared for, and I am growing my sense of community and belonging.”

Let’s go out there and help other singers find that sense of community too

Resources and Contests

Hey, Sweet Adelines! We have a ton of marketing resources to help you share your voice. At whatever stage of the process, Sweet Adelines International is with you every step of the way!

CHECK IT OUT!

WE NEED TO ADD members each day to reach our goal of 1,078 new members by April 30, 2023!

Micro-Contest Winner!

Sweet Adelines went all out for the Ignite the Sound Webcast Watch Party Micro-Contest! Ensembles gathered for themed 2022 International Competition webcast watch parties. “Watch” the video below to see all the entrants, including Heart of Illinois Chorus, who brought home the $1,000 USD prize for their punny entry.

See the April, 2023 issue of The Pitch Pipe for winners of the Show & Share Micro-Contest.

New Marketing Resources

Create an Event Flyer

Create an event flyer in a flash! Use your event flyer to establish the branding (colors, fonts, wording, etc.) for your event. In this tutorial, we will design a flyer using a free design creator program, Canva. Be sure to download the correlating resource document with illustrations detailing each step.

Create Social Media Posts

Modify the event flyer for a Faceook Post. We will keep some of the content, but not all! We need to work with the space to eliminate clutter. What you don’t include in the image can be included in the post copy.

Promote your Event on Meetup!

Share your upcoming event using Meetup! Download the resource document to create your account and then get tips from choruses on how they effectively use Meetup.

WhatRehearsals: Have We Learned? Lessons for singers and directors

Recently I recalled a long-forgotten phrase that had to do with "throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks.” During my years as a novice director, I sometimes tested many different teaching tactics at the same time with the hope that one of them would be successful. This trial-and-error method of teaching and learning helped me discover what worked or did not, and years later I find myself still taking some of the same tools out of the toolbox to use with my singers.

Zoom!

During the pandemic, we threw spaghetti at the wall to find out how to keep going, and one thing which appears to have stuck is Zoom. We found that Zoom was a new way for holding meetings, rehearsals, educational events, and celebrations. We stayed connected emotionally as well, not only with our own chorus or quartet, but with Sweet Adelines within our region, outside of our region, and with people in countries and on continents away from us! Zoom proved to play a critical part in how we endured, and it seems as though it will stick around for a while.

“Come for the music…”

At the same time we were learning to use Zoom for staying together and getting to know one another while learning and singing, many of us also rediscovered what we had taken for granted as singers in Sweet Adelines: the connections with our riser mates. For me, the phrase “come for the music and stay for the friendships” was never truer. When my chorus took steps toward rehearsing in person, of course, I realized how good it felt to sing in person and how much I love being in front of a group of singers, but I also realized how much I cared for each of my chorus members. I felt as though I’d been given an opportunity to start fresh with options and choices

to thoughtfully consider. I had learned some lessons during the pandemic and now was the time to decide what I wanted to preserve and nurture for a real and lasting impact.

Attitude of Gratitude

I do my best to adopt an attitude of gratitude and positivity, and while I’m not 100% consistent with this habit, I am choosing more often to look at what I am grateful for and substitute positive thoughts for negative ones. Buddha said, “The mind is everything. What you think, you become.” Keeping my mind gratitude-oriented and my mental thoughts positive is a daily commitment that has helped me keep things in perspective, recognize the difference between the small and the big stuff, and be more intentional with my thoughts and actions.

Respect

Respecting others’ time and commitments is as important as respecting your own. People have lives, jobs, families, health situations, life crises, and personal needs, just as I do. I cannot possibly know what it feels like to be someone else, but I do have similar demands in my own life and can at least express gratitude for their dedication to chorus commitments on a regular basis.

Let singers sing!

I will always have my own agenda for what I want to accomplish during rehearsal and what I expect of my singers, but I can also allow us to enjoy simply singing songs, without stopping, without judgment, and without correction.

Choose Words Carefully

Don Miguel Ruiz writes in his book, The Four Agreements, “Be impeccable with your word.” Words spoken with each other, to each other, and about each other have the power to build up or tear down. Choosing positive words was a constant challenge during the pandemic when it was easy to be pulled down by the unusual crises we were experiencing. As a chorus director, educator, and leader, it is crucial to choose words intentionally and time them appropriately. This also applies to self-talk: what I say to myself is as important as what I say to my chorus.

Involve Other People

Involving other people in discussions, decisions, and actions has always been my desire, but I’m going to be even more intentional about it moving ahead. During the pandemic, I needed

and relied upon help and support from people as I worked in my Sweet Adelines roles. What I discovered is that humans like to help other humans, especially when they care for each other and when they are working together toward a common goal. Working together has the potential to be a powerful way to uplift and move ahead!

Like all of us, I have learned a lot over the last few, challenging years. These are just some of the ideas I hope will stick with all of us!

Joan Boutilier is the Immediate Past President of Sweet Adelines International and recipient of the 2022 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. She is Master Director of River City Sound Chorus.

River City Sound Chorus, #3 (with guest Renée Porzel) at their final rehearsal before lockdown.

Sing the World with Harmony Travel!

London “Sing In Harmony” Festival • June 14-21, 2023

$2,959

• Perform with fellow Sweet Adelines at historic venues in London and Oxford, UK!

• See the sights with dedicated tour managers.

• Enjoy organized social events.

• Meals, cultural events, ground services, and transportation included.

Featured Guest…2018 International Champion Quartet, Lustre! Harmony Travel will donate $100 USD per participant to Sweet Adelines International via Sweet Adelines Support Life on a High Note.

Add on Tour!

Quartet

Post-festival motorcoach tour, June 21-26, 2023, from Caen to Paris .

For more information, visit www.harmony-travel.net.

photo courtesy of Sweet Adelines International.

In Memory

Fran Pearson, Scottsdale, #21 Reta Eriesian, Chapter-at-large, #21 Barbara Bassett, Barrie Soundwaves, #16 Joanne Kick, Member-At-Large

Virtual Memorial Wall

Honor the memory of a Sweet Adeline by having their name added to the new Sweet Adelines International Virtual Memorial Wall. Memorial donations help continue the legacy of our beloved members by providing funds for the events, education, and other programs that keep our organization thriving.

To find out how to give a memorial gift in the name of a Sweet Adeline, visit www.SweetAdelines.com/Give or email Becky Duncan, Assistant Director of Philanthropy at becky@sweetadelines.com.

• October-December, 2022

Kate McKee, Bridges of Harmony, #9 Barbara Bawden, San Francisco Sound Waves, #13 Anna-Jane Sharrard, North Metro, #16

Memorial Gifts

Former Sweet Adelines honored with a Memorial Gift

Donna Poyet

G. Headen

Jodie Koan

Ruth E. Ramey

Becky Ross

Carol Collins

Kate Mckee

Ursula Hudson

Darlene Rogers

Sandra Collins

Sheila Stinnett

Thelma Atmore

Judy Brinneman

Evelyn Edwards

Doris Whetter

Luverne Johnson Norma Moore

Accolades

Accolades as of November 1, 2022

DIRECTOR CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

Advanced to Approved Director

Tamra

Advanced to Certified Director

Melissa Dalton, Great Lake Sound, #3

Peggy Marruffo, Danville, #3

Jane Krall, Inland Empire, #8

Rajkumar Samaroo, Antelope Valley Showcase, #1

Evelyn Phebus Haussy, Toast of Champaign, #3

Karen Laderman, Harborlites, #21

The Pitch Pipe needs you!

Have you had a meaningful, funny, or interesting experience during rehearsal or performance? Have you spent time reflecting on what barbershop singing or Sweet Adelines means to you? Have you received or witnessed a kindness from your Sweet Adelines family that you’d like to share? We’d love to read it — and possibly print it in The Pitch Pipe!

Send your submissions to communications@sweetadelines.com with “Attn: The Pitch Pipe” in the subject line.

A few general guidelines:

• Tell a story (beginning, middle, end).

• Keep your submission between 500–700 words in length.

• Send your submission as a Word document.

• Send photos. (High resolution is great, but send what you have!)

• Include a 1–2 sentence bio telling your chorus/quartet affiliation, voice part, etc.

• All submissions are subject to editing, and not all submissions will be printed in The Pitch Pipe. (Some may be used for other SA media.)

You will be notified about the status of your submission.

Perez, Sacramento Valley, #12

Advanced to Harmony 500

Annette Lambrecht, Windsong, #8

Advanced to Master Director

Eleanor Blackeby, Lace City, #31

OK City Chorus

2023 Harmony Classic Division AA Champion Chorus REGION #25, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA International Convention & Competition 2022