 |
|
| August 2007 |
|
|
This newsletter is intended to inform, encourage and inspire you on your journey towards chartering as a Sweet Adelines’ chorus. We hope you enjoy this issue. Please send your stories, letters, articles and photographs for the next issue to commdept@sweetadelineintl.org. Best wishes and happy reading! Communications
Department |
|
|
In May, a number of us met to begin the process of organizing a prospective Sweet Adelines
chorus. We were lucky enough to find a wonderful church that was
willing to let us use their facilities to host our guest night and
to hold rehearsals for a min Of course, we needed money. Our first fundraiser was a garage sale held in July. We earned enough money to pay rent and allow our finance people to breathe easier. We also learned for the future that although hot dogs don’'t necessarily sell well, chips and sodas do! We now have several people attending Thursday night rehearsals on a regular basis and are working on Holiday music. Our goal is to qualify by October so that we can accept holiday performances. As of this writing, we have had seven women pass their auditions. We are on our way! In Harmony, Charlotte Hoffman, director Prospective MetroWest
Harmony Chorus As of March 21, 2006, director and veteran Sweet Adeline, Laura Murray, is pleased to announce the first anniversary of the Prospective MetroWest Harmony Chorus (MWHC) of Marlboro, Mass. The MWHC has already grown from eight to 20 members and range in age from 17 to 82 years young! As the MetroWest Harmony Chorus moved through the chartering process, we had the exciting opportunity to sing for our peers at the January 2007 Regional in Danvers, Mass., where Jennifer Wold, educational coordinator for Region 1, gave us her seal of approval for public performances. All of us at MWHC would like to extend a big thank you to all who were there and gave us such a warm welcome. Our first public performance was held on March 17,
and This summer we are working hard, learning a terrific new music package, finalizing our contest songs, and preparing for a very busy fall season. A membership drive, more coaching, several performances, and a long-anticipated charter party is in the works. Laura Murray has worked very hard over the years and feels incredibly proud to be directing her own chorus. The MetroWest Harmony Chorus is incredibly fortunate to have her as our director. She brings excellent direction, energy and infectious enthusiasm to every rehearsal and performance –- and it shows as the quality of our sound improves weekly. The Prospective MetroWest Harmony Chorus is quickly moving toward our goal of being chartered and entering competition in May 2008! Laura Murray and all of us in MWHC would like to thank everyone in Region 1 (and beyond) who continue to encourage and support us in our journey! Karen Dematos Prospective Pride Of The Pacific
Chorus One day in March, the original idea to start up a new chorus came to a group of six of us as we sat in gridlock traffic during our two-hour commute to rehearsal. Knowing that Dr. Greg Lyne is living in the area and directing the new men's chorus, Voices In Harmony (who came in 6th at International this year), the question was posed, “"Do you think Dr. Lyne would be willing to direct a women's chorus locally?” I've known Greg for a lot of years and gave him a call. He answered right away with a resounding “Heck Yes!” We told him we would ask around a bit and see what kind of interest there would be. We were surprised and happy to have about 40 ladies, most of whom had gone Chapter-At-Large, who were very interested. He supplied us with a couple of songs and we set up a rehearsal. Thirty of the 40 ladies showed up. We loved what we learned and how we sounded. Many of these same ladies had sung together in other choruses over the years, so it was like old home week. Greg has a personal style of directing and teaching that we love and are adapting to quickly. He has a wonderful sense of humor and has endeared himself to our fledgling group. Of course, the VIH guys who come and watch our rehearsals say he is a lot nicer to us. I suspect as we improve, the bar will be raised accordingly and we will work as hard as they do. He stresses and demands that we sing always on the high side of notes and that we always sing with elegance. We are tossing bad habits to the wind. We currently have six songs of which are off paper and two new songs that we are working on diligently. Currently, we have about 50 on our member roster. Most are Sweet Adelines members, and we have about eight new ladies who will become members of Sweet Adelines soon. Our youngest member is 10-years-old and is a fabulous tenor. Because we started our chorus during the time right after Regional, and in the height of wedding and graduation season, we have had new singers popping in and out. It took about two months to settle in with a solid nucleus of singers. We are in the midst of Step Two of our chartering process. We are nearly ready to do a test show for the RMT. We are diligently writing Standing Rules and setting up our Bylaws. We have many willing participants and are thoroughly enjoying the ride! That's our story, and we're sticking to it! In Perfect Harmony, Judy Kimball, team coordinator Prospective Manawatu
Overtones Greetings from Palmerston North, New Zealand. We
thought we'd better write from the prospective point of view before
it's too late, as we hope to be chartering before the end of the
year. We would love to have you visit us! Olwyn Jones, musical director
January 2007 saw the members of Central Coast Harmony Chorus (CCHC) return from holiday break having used the time to ponder on what direction we wished the chorus to take. Members came to the conclusion that sadly, after 18 years, it was time for a parting of the ways; one group of 30 members left CCHC to form a new prospective chorus, leaving 18 members of CCHC to carry on under the new name of Coastal A Capella. Happily, the split was an amicable one and all members remain cordial towards each other. Prospective Spirit of the Coast Harmony has been firing on all fours since its inception in May, from choosing a name, working its way through all the chartering processes and reconnecting with our local community under our new banner.
In spite of the hard work we tackle on so many different levels the members are having a great time with one very successful fundraising event already under our belt. The costume team is organizing new outfits and our seamstress, Olwyn, is working her fingers to the bone for numerous upcoming performances. On a cold winter evening the residents of one of our local retirement villages were delighted to find out they were our first “outing.” They gave us tremendous applause and an invitation to come back to do a Holiday show for them. At a recent citizenship ceremony for our local council, Wyong Shire (who is always so supportive), our new rendition of Waltzing Matilda moved one man to tears, so he later told us. A small group from the chorus sang live on a radio segment for ABC Central Coast 92.5 FM “- Smart Arts” section, which gave us an opportunity to reach a wider audience and tell them about the great joy of barbershop singing. This performance brought in many inquires regarding our New Members Program and requests for dates of our next performances. We were only able to sing one song but the Sweet Adelines adage of leave them wanting more certainly seemed to work. The chorus also performed at a very well patronized and fabulous afternoon show put on by another local radio station, Radio 5-0 Plus, which was a rollicking success. These initial performances have already given us the enthusiasm to go forward with increased confidence. Preparing us for the future is the fabulous New Zealand coach, Virginia Humphrey-Taylor, whom we were fortunate to have visit us for a productive and motivational workshop during the month of June. We are all looking forward with great anticipation to her return in November. Add to this the tireless and inspirational efforts of our own music director, Thayer Donaldson, we feel blessed that we can move forward, focussed and in friendship. Our quartet New Horizons was privileged to perform for Prime Minister, John Howard, and local politicians when he visited the Central Coast recently. The visit was to thank our tireless State Emergency workers who were a tower of strength during the huge floods and storms we experienced in June. On the near horizon we have two concerts, both of them at the Laycock Street Theatre, which is Gosford' s major performing arts venue. The first concert is on Wednesday, August 22, where we are on the bill with a world-renowned quartet called Encore. They perform everything from opera to pop, on their “One Night Only Tour.” The following Sunday, August 26 we are in concert with the Sydney Male Choir and a local young opera singer, Rene Lopez. Needless to say we are rehearsing hard and really looking forward to both of these performances. We are grateful to the many members of other choruses
and the Region 34 management team who have given us their support,
advice and encouragement. Our extra special thanks to Lea Baker,
Jill Wardrop, Sandy O'Neill who through their experience and expertise,
have made our quantum leap into this new venture a little less daunting.
Also thanks go to our local Central Coast Leagues Club for their
ongoing support with a rehearsal room every week, and “Soundwaves”-
our local Men's Barbershop Chorus who kindly lend us their risers
and give us support. Mavis Whitehead, publicity officer Prospective
Saratoga Soundtrack Chorus Hello from Saratoga Springs in upstate New York. I would like to introduce you to Prospective Saratoga Soundtrack Chorus. We currently have 16 members, including our director. Our members range from experienced singers to those of us who are new to a cappella singing and performing. We recently held elections for our management team who are busy working on chorus bylaws and setting up committees. We had our music evaluation visit on July 30 with Sue Melvin from Region 16 and are now advancing to Step Two of the chartering process. All of us are very excited. Our director, Nancy Faddegon has many years of experience in Sweet Adelines as both a chorus member and Regional Quartet Champion. Under her wonderful guidance the chorus will continue to grow and perfect our craft while enjoying the fun and camaraderie that a Sweet Adelines chorus provides.
We meet every Monday night in Saratoga Springs New York and welcome all visitors. You can go to our web site at www.saratogasoundtrack.org to learn more about us. In Harmony, Barbara Castelli, corresponding
secretary Prospective
Emerald City Chorus On August 11, 2007, the members of the Prospective Emerald City Chorus (PECC) welcomed two Region 7 representatives to the Diva Den. Janet Davis, membership coordinator for Region 7, along with Nancy Goldberg, director of the Omaha Chorus, visited PECC to listen to the new chorus. For this special occasion, the members of the chorus initiated their terrific new casual performance costumes. Codirectors, Judy Alterman and Dana Evans led the chorus through an entertaining 30 minute program, consisting of zippy uptunes and romantic ballads. The PECC standing rules have made their way through
team meetings and will soon be submitted for final approval. We
are hoping that this process will soon be behind us and we can forge
ahead as a full-blown chapter in Region 7. Other news about PECC: In July, six members of the Prospective Emerald City Chorus drove to Denver to attend the Men's International competition which was held at the Pepsi Center. Making the trip were Lisa Murry, Carla Elkins, Rachel Klein, Pat Norris, and one of our newest members, Mary Ann Barstow. Mary Ann joined up with PECC just a few months ago. She is a former music teacher and will surely prove to be a wonderful asset for us as we continue to grow. As you can see from the picture, four PECC members returned from Colorado as Westminster Girls. The official Prospective Emerald City Chorus website
is now up and running at Rachel Klein, communications coordinator 61st
Annual International Convention and Competition This year the voices of Sweet Adelines will fill the mountain air in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. For the first time in 30 years the international convention has moved outside of the U.S. With heart-pounding chorus competitions, spine-chilling quartet competitions, music education classes, and camaraderie with old and new friends, this year's convention will keep you captivated. Although convention may have all you need to stay occupied, experience Calgary, Heart of the New West™, and all it has to offer. Entering the city alone will draw your eyes directly to the amazing skyline that is spanned by Alberta's majestic Rocky Mountains. Situated on the banks of the Bow River, Calgary has something to offer every enthusiast. From the Calgary Stampede to the trendy downtown nightspots, you can enjoy a world-class rodeo, award-winning cuisine, a wealth of cultural attractions, live performances, a shopper's paradise and much more. Find all the information you need on the convention schedule and events, how to register, where to make hotel reservations and learn more about the endless attractions offered in Calgary by visiting the Sweet Adelines International Web Site. We can't wait to see you there! International Convention Webcast The 61st Annual Convention and Competition will be streamed live via the Internet. Enjoy watching up to 36 hours of your favorite barbershop competitors and gear up to see who will become the next world champions of female barbershop harmony. Don't miss seeing the world's best compete this year in Calgary! Webcast Shout Out Webcast Needs Your Support Click
here to make a secure online donation. Or send a check to headquarters: Announcing the International
Education Symposium In 2008, and nearly a decade after the first IES, it will be time to Kick It Up a Notch - Sweet Adelines style! In what could very well be the best year ever in IES history, Sweet Adelines and friends from around the world will converge in San Antonio to hear, see, learn and sing! Kick it Up a Notch with more than 200 educational classes and learn from awe-inspiring featured faculty. Sweet Adelines International icons Peggy Gram and Dale Syverson will kick off the week with a session guaranteed to accelerate your vocal skills. Vocal RX- A First Aid Kit for the Voice* is a must-see session for all singers! Experience top-notch educator Dr. Jim Henry, the booming bass voice of International Barbershop Harmony Society Champions, Gas House Gang. Dr. Henry is also the acclaimed director of the 160-member Ambassadors of Harmony Chorus and holds degrees in vocal music education, music theory and music composition, including a Ph.D. from Washington University. Dr. Henry travels the world as a guest conductor, coach, and lecturer. Excitement abounds when it's kicked up a level never seen before! Keep your eyes posted for more exciting details. *Vocal RX features performances by Rumors, 1999 International Champion Quartet. Publicity/Membership Resources Page A plethora of publicity, marketing and membership resources are now available for easy access and/or download. Visit the Resources Page on the Sweet Adelines International Web site. You will find the following downloadable tools and much more to help promote your chapter:
Sweet Adelines on MySpace Check out the Sweet Adelines’ MySpace page at: www.myspace.com/sweetadelines. This page is a resource tool and intended to be informational for women interested in singing. We hope to make many new friends and inspire many new people to try barbershop. Be sure to spread the word and let your friends know to check us out. For contact details for all prospective choruses, go to: http://www.sweetadelineintl.org/ProspChorusContacts.pdf.
|
|
|
|
|
imal
fee. On June 21, 2007, we held our first guest night. We served
cookies, cupcakes, sandwiches and punch, and provided information
about our group to guests.
our
first coaching session was held on March 30 and 31 with international
judge, Jo Lund. Punctuated by outstanding coaching and PVIs, the
hugely successful coaching weekend has improved our confidence,
quality and cohesion. Thank you, Jo Lund! 
A
few of us went to our regional competition last year and were hugely
inspired by the musical role modeling we witnessed there and the
sense of camaraderie. Two thirds of our chorus managed to fly down
to regional competition this year and we had a ball. Many more of
us were able to observe the high standards and experience the joy
of beautiful harmony. We also sang in the Star Chorus, under the
direction of Shirley Kout and were able to experience
the thrill of being on stage.
We
currently have 33 members, the majority of whom have been long standing
members of the Sweet Adelines family. Wilma Walsh, our chorus manager,
was one of the original chorus founding members 18 years ago. On
August 1 we began a six-week program to recruit new members to
our chorus; everyone is so excited. Rebalancing our four musical
sections is a high priority; some current members have even elected
to learn new parts to enable our chorus to go forward with the best
blend of sound possible. 
Our
director taught a continuing education class this past spring which
was a lot of fun and introduced women to our art form. Being taught
at one of our local high schools it was open to any women who wanted
to know more about a cappella singing. The class learned God
Bless America and then sang it for some of the other classes
that were offered. It gave us a chance to show what the course was
about and what we had achieved in a short four weeks time. We hope
to offer a class again in the near future and we're also planning
a membership drive.