The Pitch Pipe July 2023

From Sweden with Love

The Pitch Pipe

July 2023 | Volume 77 — No.1 | 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

Valerie Taylor, Treasurer

Sharon Cartwright Janice McKenna

JD Crowe Julie Starr

Annika Dellås Mary Teed

Vickie Maybury

EDUCATION DIRECTION COMMITTEE

Marcia Pinvidic, Chair

Joan Boutilier Jenny Harris

Betty Clipman Valerie Taylor

EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD

Alyson Chaney Mary Rhea

Betty Clipman Kate Towne

Michelle Neller

The Pitch Pipe 9110 S. Toledo Ave., Tulsa, OK 74137 U.S.A.

Telephone 1.918.622.1444 • Toll-free 1.800.992.7464 Fax 1.918.665.0894 • www.sweetadelines.com

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Meet the Nordic Light after the Monday Fun-Day at Internationals in Louisville:

Rönninge Show Chorus and Malmö Limelight Chorus with guests!

October, 30 at 5 pm Location: KICC, Ballroom E

Get your tickets at ronningeshow.com or limelightchorus.se – or search for the event on Facebook.

1.918.622.1444 • communications@sweetadelines.com

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Deadlines are 60 days prior to publication. Not all submissions will be published.

THE PITCH PIPE (ISSN 0882-214X)

Copyright 2023 by Sweet Adelines International. All rights reserved.

HARMONIZE THE CYBER WORLD

@SweetAdelinesIntl

Road to the Future

We’ve had so many milestones on our ‘road to the future’, and this competition season is surely one of the most significant! With all 24 regions meeting live and in person, we can feel ever more confident when we say, ‘We’re Back’. We’ve all had challenges to overcome in getting to the stage, and the list of unique personal, ensemble, and regional achievements goes far beyond the official results and awards. Congratulations to all!!

As we celebrate our new champions on the pages of this issue of The Pitch Pipe, we’ll be reminded of the moments we shared together, some of us gathering in person for contest for the first time in four years! In our performances this year we have demonstrated the triumph of resilience and resolve over seemingly insurmountable odds, and in fact in addition to the phrase ‘We’re Back’ we can proudly state ‘We’re Still Here’! I continue to be amazed and inspired by the extraordinary commitment across the organization.

How exciting it is that as we are celebrating our new regional champions, we can also celebrate — based on the success of our Ignite the Sound initiative — that so many of our competitors who performed on the competition stage did so for the first time in 2023! I hope your introduction to the competition experience has you looking forward to many more, and for those of you who joined even more recently, I hope you are enjoying the exciting anticipation of your first contest that lies ahead. We’ve all learned that it’s more of a journey than a destination, so welcome aboard!!

And speaking of Ignite the Sound, we’re thrilled to be able to highlight and congratulate the contest winners in this issue. Our micro-contests enabled us to share the personalities of our ensembles through social gatherings, performances, and storytelling, and those final tallies for the full contest prizes far exceeded our expectations. Welcoming new members, getting to know each other better, and now celebrating the outcomes — this is one situation where we can truly say we are ALL winners!

And there’s so much more to come! Ignite the Sound Vol. 2 has already launched. July will see new champions named in our

Rising Star and Diamond Division Quartet Contests. We’re looking forward to meeting with as many of you as possible at our 75th International Convention in Louisville, Kentucky (USA). We have so many fun and educational activities planned, and our contests promise to feature outstanding performances from all competitors.

And so our story continues to be written. It is written by every member of Sweet Adelines, from those who are brand new to those celebrating anniversaries of longevity, from our ‘Members at Large’ to our members in multiple choruses and/or quartets, from our active singers to our associate members who remain an integral part of so many of our groups. YOU are important, YOU matter, and each of you is part of the celebration within these pages.

Party On!!

Thank you (for everything you do),

Thérèse Antonini

For the next few issues of The Pitch Pipe, I am dedicating this space to introducing you to the headquarters staff by department, beginning with Education.

Kaitie Bailey Assistant Director of Education

Kaitie has worked for Sweet Adelines for over five years, having started in the Competition Department before moving to Education. She enjoys crafting, reading, and traveling. She is mom to a 6-year-old daughter.

From Our CEO

Nicholas Winterrowd Education Coordinator

Born in Texas, Nicholas considers Oklahoma home. He moved to Tulsa by way of New York City. He has a bachelor’s degree in musical theatre performance and a Master of Music from The University of Central Oklahoma.

What are some of the things the Education Department does for members?

Nicholas: The Education Department oversees the administration of Sweet Adelines International Educational programs, such as the Director’s Certification Program and Arranger’s Certification Program. We also handle the Sweet Adelines grants, directors, and academic scholarship programs. Anyone interested in joining one of these programs, or needing assistance in applying for a grant or scholarship would reach out to the Education Department.

What are some projects the Education Department is working on?

Kaitie: International convention is just around the corner, and we are excited to present a new, experiential opportunity for our members during Monday Fun-day education! We just launched the International Faculty Highlight Program which features a current International Faculty member’s achievements on the SA website at regular intervals. The application window for Grant Cycle 1 has just closed, so we will be awarding grants soon. The Education Direction Committee meeting will take place in August, where future education will be determined. Lastly, planning is currently underway on the Directors and Visual Leaders Seminar that will take place in Tulsa, Oklahoma July 24-28, 2024.

Sweet Adelines International will soon have a Learning Management System, thanks to a generous donor. How do you think that will impact education for our organization?

Kaitie: The new Online Learning Management System will have a major impact on education within Sweet Adelines; we are excited to imagine all of the ways in which education can expand. By moving to an LMS, we will be moving into a more digital era, where educational resources can all be accessible in one central

location, that members can access at their convenience. We will be premiering the LMS with our Directors Certification Program, before working with the Education Direction Committee to determine the next programs to launch digitally!

What is a stand-out moment or favorite memory of working for Sweet Adelines?

Nicholas: I do musical theatre as a hobby. When I first started at SA, I was in a production of Singin’ in the Rain. In the first week, I was asked to do an impromptu performance of the title song to video and send out to the team. I had back-up umbrella twirlers and everything! Also, I loved just seeing how much barbershop means to the members at my first International Competition last year!

Kaitie: I am grateful for the many wonderful people I have had the pleasure of meeting in my time here. As a staff member, I have made friendships and enjoy getting to share and spread joy with them. Just last week I was on vacation, and the number of members who reached out, genuinely interested in my trip, made me so grateful for my time at Sweet Adelines and the relationships that I have made with people I would never have crossed paths with outside of SA.

We appreciate all the Education Department does for our members! Kaitie says, “We enjoy being able to provide educational opportunities to our members, and we are here if they have any questions.”

In harmony,

Tammy Talbot, CEO

they have a wealth of subject matter knowledge and organizational experience and highly-developed teaching skills. They have the same responsibilities and expectations of Faculty, and in addition, they train International Faculty when the opportunity arises.

As part of the Sweet Adelines International website reconstruction, the members-only portion of the education page will include an International Faculty Directory with information on individual faculty members such as resumes, class descriptions, and areas in which they have strong expertise. You can access the

Betty Clipman is the Education Direction Committee (EDC) Faculty Liaison, a member of the Editorial Review Board, and the recipient of the 2000 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a Master Faculty member, Master Director of The Woodlands Show Chorus (#10) and bass of 1980 International Champion Quartet, the Penna-Fores.

Britt-Heléne Bonnedahl

Karen Breidert

Betty Clipman

Paula Davis

Peggy Gram

Erin Howden

Lori Lyford

Dale Syverson

Kim Vaughn

Thérèse Antonini

Jamy Claire Archer

Lea Baker

Jean Barford

Nikki Blackmer

Joan Boutilier

Sharon Cartwright

Caitlin Castelino

Alyson Chaney

Debbie Cleveland

Patty Cobb Baker

Anne Downton

Leslie Galbreath

Anna-Lisa Glad

Lisa Greenough

Kathleen Hansen

Bec Hewitt

Deanna Kastler

Glenda Lloyd

Debra Lynn

Vickie Maybury

Maggie McAlexander

Joanne Oosterhoff

Mari Pettersson

Marcia Pinvidic

Diane Porsch

Renée Porzel

Judy Pozsgay

Mary Rhea

Nicky Salt

Laura Singer

Harriette Walters

Sandi Wright

Kim Wonders

Heidi Zacchera

Marge Bailey

Mary Dick

Sally Eggleston

Ann Gooch

Shirley Kout

Cammi MacKinlay

Marcia Massey

Jarmela Speta

Going Out On a High Note!

A special final contest for Vocal Zone Quartet

Ising bass for Vocal Zone Quartet, along with Dorothy Main (lead), Gwen Topp (baritone), and Val Muir (tenor). When we won the Most Improved Quartet Award at Region 31 contest in 2022, we were over the moon.

Vocal Zone had competed successfully for many years and had decided that, after 20 years singing together, this would be our last contest, although we would continue singing as a quartet and with the Aberdeen Chorus in Scotland. Our aim for our final contest was to sing as well as we could, and our dream was to win the Region 31 Diamond Quartet Award (for quartets with all members aged 55 and older) and the Nicky Salt Coaching Bursary for Most Improved Quartet.

Nicky Salt sang bass in the international top ten quartet Finesse and was recently appointed to the Sweet Adelines International Faculty. In 2016, she decided that she wanted to give something back to Region 31, and the Nicky Salt Coaching Bursary began as a joint award with the Regional Management Team. The award is given to the quartet with the most improved score since the previous contest. The winning quartet receives eight hours of coaching with Nicky, as well as all meals for two days and two nights' accommodation. In 2022, Vocal Zone was delighted to improve by 34 points, to place 6th at the Region 31 contest, and to achieve our goal of winning the Diamond Quartet Award and the Nicky Salt Coaching Bursary!

We were excited at how much we could learn from this excellent coach, and the time we spent with Nicky exceeded all

our expectations. We had a plan to work on four of our repertoire songs, and Nicky quickly identified how each could be improved vocally, visually, and emotionally. She has a real flair for tailoring her coaching to the group she is working with—in our case, four singers who have sung together for many years.

We had chosen a variety of songs—one with a tenor melody, one with a bass melody, and two songs arranged by Gwen, our baritone. The difference after the coaching sessions was amazing. We could not believe how much we achieved in such a short time. And the food! Nicky is a talented cook and prepared the most delicious meals for us in her beautiful home, accompanied, of course, by wine and much laughter! It is no surprise to us that Nicky is in such demand as a coach by choruses and quartets in and outside the UK and the Netherlands.

We have just returned from the 2023 Region 31 convention, and we congratulate Fifth & Madison on being awarded this year’s bursary for Most Improved Quartet. We know they will enjoy Nicky’s coaching as much as we did. Vocal Zone looks forward to singing together and performing for many years to come, and we thank Nicky and the Regional Management Team for being so forward-thinking in awarding this wonderful prize!

Anne Cargill sings bass for Vocal Zone Quartet and in Aberdeen Chorus (Region #31).

Save the Date! Directors and Visual Leaders Seminar 2024

July 25-28, 2024 • Tulsa, Oklahoma

Regional Results 2023

B+ and Above Choruses

Sweet Adelines congratulates and recognizes the accomplishments of all competing choruses. During the 2023 regional competition season, these choruses earned B+ scores (592) and above. Choruses receiving a score of 700 or higher are marked by an asterisk.

Farmington Valley Chorus, #1

Merrimack Valley Chorus, #1

Motor City Blend Chorus, #2

Melodeers Chorus, #3

Midwest Crossroad Chorus, #3

River City Sound Chorus, #3

Great Lake Sound Chorus, #3

Metro Nashville Chorus, #4

Pride of Kentucky Chorus, #4

Scenic City Chorus, #4

Diamond Jubilee Chorus, #4

Cincinnati Sound Chorus, #4

River Blenders Chorus, #5

Kansas City Chorus, #5

City of Lakes Chorus, #6

Skyline Chorus*, #8

Velvet Hills Chorus, #8

Spirit of the Gulf Chorus, #9

Bridges of Harmony Chorus, #9

Sound of Sunshine Chorus, #9

The Woodlands Show Chorus, #10

Santa Monica Chorus, #11

Pacific Empire Chorus, #12

A Cappella Joy Chorus, #13

Pride of Portland Chorus, #13

Spirit of Spokane Chorus, #13

Song of Atlanta Chorus*, #14

Vienna-Falls Chorus, #14

Carolina Style Chorus, #14

Queen Charlotte Chorus, #14

Spirit of Syracuse Chorus, #15

Liberty Oak Chorus, #15

Harmony Celebration Chorus, #15

North Metro Chorus*, #16

York Harmony Chorus, #16

Circle of Harmony Chorus, #16

Greater Harmony Chorus, #17

Greater Cleveland Chorus, #17

Voices in Harmony Chorus, #17

Greater Harrisburg Chorus, #19

Harborlites Chorus*, #21

San Diego Chorus, #21

OC Sound Chorus, #21

Talk of Tulsa Show Chorus, #25

Top of the Rock Chorus, #25

Westcoast Harmony Chorus, #26

Gateway Chorus, #26

Lace City Chorus, #31

Aberdeen Chorus, #31

Viva Acappella Chorus, #31

No Borders Show Chorus, #31

Phoenix Chorus, #31

Alba Show Chorus, #32

Snowflake Singers Chorus, #32

Stockholm Starlight Chorus, #32

Endeavour Harmony Chorus, #34

Circular Keys Chorus, #34

Redland Rhapsody Chorus, #34

A Cappella West Chorus, #34

Christchurch City Chorus, #35

Wellington City Chorus, #35

Greater Auckland Chorus, #35

GRAND CONTEST WINNERS!

When Sweet Adelines gains new singers, we all win…but during the Ignite the Sound Membership Growth Initiative, choruses and regions with the most net growth won money and other prizes! Congratulations to the winners and to our wonderful new members! We are honored to have you on our risers.

For the final Ignite the Sound micro-contest, choruses were asked to submit a paragraph describing what they do “Beyond the Risers” to build community and a sense of belonging. From the many inspiring entries, that of Coastal a Cappella Chorus was chosen by random selection. To describe how their chorus supports singers “Beyond the Risers,” they followed the story of one Sweet Adeline from first rehearsal to where she is today, writing, “The chorus recognised her potential, nurtured it, and loves that she is back where she belongs, singing with us...”

Read Coastal a Cappella’s (#34) winning entry on the Sweet Adelines International website.

Need an idea for your recruitmentnext initiative?

Look no further than the ITS Resource Archives....

As part of the Ignite the Sound initiative, we collected ideas that work from choruses and quartets throughout the organization.

These valuable resources will remain archived on the Sweet Adelines International website.

"I knew that I'd come back someday. I knew it from the start...Eight more miles to Louisville, the hometown of my heart."

- Grandpa Jones, country musician

And we’re off…To class!

You’ve read about Monday Funday in Louisville, right? Physical Warmup, Mental Preparation: A Performance Meditation, then Breathing for Singing and Vocal Warmup – all to get ready, should you desire, for the Convention Chorus performance on the international stage.

But have you heard about the education that’s happening Tuesday?

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Class

Arranging Class

Arranger Certification Program Testing

Learn from champions!

Quartet Music Education Class with Patty Cobb Baker, tenor of 2020 International Champion Quartet, Viva!

Chorus Music Education Class with 2023 International Champion Rich-Tone Chorus

Harmony Classic: Sharon Cartwright and Annika Dellås Quartet Semi-Finals, First Session: Karen Breidert and Patty Cobb Baker

Quartet Semi-Finals, Second Session: Karen Breidert and Lori Crouter

Chorus Semi-Finals, First Session:

Renée Porzel and Glenda Lloyd

Chorus Semi-Finals, Second Session: Renée Porzel and Katie Blackwood

Quartet Finals: Karen Breidert and Lindsay Chartier

Chorus Finals:

Renée Porzel and Anne Downton

Bringing family to the international convention? Sign them up to sing with you in the Family Chorus! Fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, grandparents, siblings… any family members of Sweet Adelines are welcome on the Family Chorus risers.

The 2023 Family Chorus performs two songs on the international stage on Saturday, November 4, immediately following the chorus finals competition.

Meet the Family Chorus Directors

Michelle Hunget joined Kansas City Chorus in 1986, with whom she has earned a total of seven Top 5 chorus medals. She is the tenor of 2010 International Champion Quartet, Zing! and 2023 Region 5 Championship Quartet, Journey. She is a past member of the Coronet Club Board of Directors, a Certified Master 600 Chorus Director, and an Approved Candidate Judge in the Visual Communication Category.

Mary Duncan, Michelle's daughter, is a third-generation barbershopper. At age 13, she joined Kansas City Chorus as a bass and has sung all four parts in choruses. She is the baritone of ClassRing, 2014 Rising Star Champion Quartet and 2019 Sweet Adelines International Champion Quartet. Mary enjoys teaching classes, coaching quartets and choruses, and participating in youth in harmony camps.

For details and to register, visit www.sweetadelines.com/Louisville/Family-Chorus

After 20 years as a quartet and chorus contestant in regional and international competitions and 21 years as a chorus director, I thought I had a pretty good handle on the judges’ process and expectations. I knew that they evaluated contestants on their proficiency in each category and that they provided written feedback through the competition scoresheet. However, when I began training as a music judge, quite a few things surprised me. Here are the top eight things I wish I had known about judges and judging when I was a chorus director.

Judges are part of the audience. While I often considered the judges as separate from the audience, the reverse is actually true. The judges represent the audience and the audience’s experience of a musical story. Whether the audience is uncomfortable, bored, satisfied, thrilled, or amazed, the judges’ scores and scoresheets will reflect that experience.

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All four judges “instant level” on vocal skills. Judges can form an impression of a general level very quickly. It is a myth, however, that the first 15 seconds of a competitor’s performance are the most important. You may have heard that if you can get a positive “instant level,” your entire performance will remain at that level, but this is not necessarily the case. The overall level of a performance might change due to many factors (new song, developing skills, choreography) and there may even be sections within the same song that are at different levels (key change, tempo, tessitura, dynamics).

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Judges can hear – and see – a lot of interesting things. As judges, we have front-row seats to individuals breathing within phrases, musical disagreements between members of a section, the movement of the director’s hands (indicating whether the chorus is director- or singerdriven), and differences in vocal or physical energy on stage. Often these tiny differences help to place a chorus in a particular scoring level.

There are a lot of details you don’t have to worry about. Maybe you’ve heard some of these “nuggets of wisdom”: You have to wear red lipstick, blue eyeshadow, and have matching hairstyles. You have to do both a ballad and an uptune. You can only have three tempo changes. Your arrangement must have a certain number of seventh chords or it’s not “contestable.” You are at a disadvantage if you draw the first contestant slot. None of these common myths are true. The truth is, if it’s not in the Judging Category Description Book, it’s not something the judges are looking for.

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Judges try not to make suggestions. Judges reflect what hap pens, like a mirror, rather than encourage or describe what could be, as your coach would. Sometimes contestants wish the judges would come right out and answer the question, “What should we do to get to the next level?” The Performance Level Descriptors included in each competitor’s scoresheet packet are intended to help provide those answers.

Judges are judged, too. Every judge is evaluated by their category analyst or specialist every year, and every scoresheet is scrutinized for clarity and completeness. Confidential feedback is provided to each judge after every competition season, along with suggestions and information about advancement.

The level is just as meaningful as the number or the placement. The numerical score awarded is based on contestant’s performance for those three to seven minutes on competition day. The contest placement is established by competitors’ performances relative to each

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other. A different day, with different participants, could bring about a completely different result! The level assigned provides a more representative evaluation of a contestant’s ongoing skill demonstrated in each category and often provides a roadmap for future rehearsals.

The judges want you to do well! It’s true, we want to give high scores and reward contestants for performances that bring smiles, laughter, sighs, and tears. We love to see and hear contestants performing at their best, and we celebrate your successes with you!

Cydney Wentsel is a 49-year member of Sweet Adelines International. She has directed or interim-directed several choruses, most notably the Upper Chesapeake Chorus in Region 19, which she directed for 21 years. She retired from full-time directing and applied to the International Judging Program in 2009. She is a Certified Judge in the category of music and sings baritone with the Harbor City Music Company Chorus.

Thank You, Judges

With the closing of the 2023 regional competition season, it’s time to take a look back and appreciate all the hours and days that many marvelous volunteers spent producing these fabulous contests. In total, these volunteers traveled over hundreds of thousands of miles, to 24 locations, wrote approximately 3,000 scoresheets, and tirelessly judged 676 quartets and choruses. We are of course talking about the members of the International Judging Program! Their willingness to share their time, intelligence, and education is truly a gift.

They will have a short summer break before they judge the 2023 Diamond Division and Rising Star quartet contests in July in Richardson, Texas (USA). After that, it’s on to Louisville to judge our international contests in October.

These judges spend many hours honing their skills and adding more educational tools to their judge’s tool belt, to give our Sweet Adelines competitors the best feedback possible. If you happen to see any of International Judging members, be sure to thank them or pat them on the back for sharing their time and talent with us!

Choreography = Body Language

Notes on Movement from a Visual Communication Judge

Choreography has always been an exciting and essential part of a barbershop performance, and it’s one of the things that makes our musical style special. Let’s explore what judges actually mean by "add some choreography" or “expand your visual plan” and why it is an important part of the Visual Communication category.

Choreography is body language!

The definition of body language: the conscious and unconscious movements and postures by which attitudes and feelings are communicated.

In the Visual Communication category in the Judging Category Description Book (JCDB), Sweet Adelines has defined two terms of body language: physical expression, which is the unplanned body movement; and choreography/staging, which is the planned body movement. Both are part of our body language, and both are tools to make the musical performance come alive. Physical expression is always needed on stage, but as a performer, you have the option to use planned movement/choreography in the performance or not. The choice is yours, and a performance can be strong with just physical expression. It all depends on the message you are trying to get across the stage.

You need to feel and listen to your performance and then make the decision of whether planned choreography is needed to enhance the story. Ask yourself: Will our intro be more powerful with planned movement/staging? Will the high point of the song be more striking with a planned movement or not?

Let the music tell you what it needs to be understood and powerful. Don't add moves that don't make sense. Less can sometimes be more. If choreography doesn’t work after three

rehearsals, it probably won't after 50 rehearsals either. Usually, if it’s not working, it’s because the move itself doesn't make sense to the music or storyline.

The intent behind choreography

One of the most powerful performances I've ever seen was the American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter and performer Justina Miles when she signed for Rihanna during a Superbowl halftime show. The attitude and intent behind every move were extremely powerful and clear. As an ASL interpreter for musicians, her body and expressiveness are everything to her. Her body language is all she has, and she needs to be extremely clear with every move she does for her audience to understand her. It's the same with us: We need to be extremely clear with our body language. What is it that we want to say in a ballad or in an exciting uptune?

For any type of choreographic move or staging to be effective, there has to be an intent behind the move–a meaning that reinforces the character you wish to create so the message will be clear. You must use your body to speak to the audience. Visually, it´s the body language that communicates with your audience.

Where do we start?

So, how do we communicate visually in the most effective manner? Reflect on a typical conversation. What is the first thing you use in a communication situation? It's your eyes. You seek attention with your eyes and express recognition, then you add your facial expressions to say something. The last thing you use is the rest of your body – arms, shoulders, legs etc. – to enhance what the face and eyes say.

So

Unity in starting/ending

The intent of the movement is stronger when unified. Unity in a movement is both starting and ending at the same time, but also a recognition that the energy in the movement says the same thing. Is the energy in your body strong or gentle? Humorous or serious? Find unity in the movement. Use characterization to be effective.

Authenticity

These features are what you will use for your body language (choreo/physical expression) to come across as stronger/more unified on stage

Focus

A performance needs focus to create unity, but also for the audience to feel included. Focus is something we as performers need to pay attention to for our performance to be perceived as authentic, real, and powerful. For a quartet, find a point in space that all four of you can focus on. If we have two members looking straight forward and the other two are looking to the side, the focus point will not be similar and the audience will feel excluded and sometimes confused. “Who are they communicating with? Certainly not me!” For a chorus, the director usually is a great focal point, but you should never stare at your director. The energy should go through the director and out to the audience. Flickering eyes will come across as nerves, creating a weak audience connection and stage presence.

Are you, as the performer, open to the audience? Open to giving and receiving emotion? Are you willing to let them in and give them your all? When we talk about a strong stage presence it’s this willingness we are searching for. Are you able to give them your all, or are you concerned about your nerves or your notes, or your planned movement? Are you into the musicality or into the technical aspect? If your head is somewhere else, your body will show us that. Your body language will either be locked and closed or get stuck in a repetitive pattern (arm waving, fake smiles, eyes flicking).

Motivational speaker and author Simon Sinek wrote, “Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion.” When it comes to using choreography to communicate, choose passion!

Master 700 Director Anna Rosenberg co-directs Pearls of the Sound Chorus (Region 32) and is a Certified Judge in the Visual Communication Category.

HarmonyRoundup

Where

We Sang:

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.

RiverSong Chorus (#5) sang the U.S. national anthem during the 2023 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship. Rolling Hills Chorus (#13) sang both the Canadian and U.S. national anthems at a Tri-City Americans hockey match.

The Harmonix (Satellite Area #30) enjoyed performing at the First Women's Chorus Festival. They wrote, "Thirty members, two of whom were first-timers on stage, enjoyed the heartfelt moments in a huge echoing hall. We are so grateful for this opportunity to share a variety of music with various women’s choruses!"

Grand Rapids (#17) sang at the West Michigan Womens’ Expo in March.

Cocktail Hour Quartet (#34) was excited to sing at the Festival of Voices!

Queen Charlotte Chorus (#14) performed at local arts festival Charlotte SHOUT in Charlotte, North Carolina (USA).

Idaho Falls A Cappella Chorus (#8) performed at the Brigham Young University (BYU)-Idaho Barbershop Music Festival in Rexburg, Idaho (USA).

River Lights Chorus (#12) sang the U.S. national anthem at a Modesto Nuts baseball game.

Why We Sang: How We Sang:

Sounds of Superior (#6) performed at the Lakehead Festival of Music and the Arts Gala and were recommended by the Adjudicator to participate in this year's Ontario Music Festivals Provincial Competition in June (Results had not been released at press time). Lady Shave Porvoo Chorus (#32) performed at the Vaasa Choir Festival. Congratulations to ASKA Quartet (#32) on becoming the 2023 Society for Nordic Barbershop Singers (SNOBS) Champion Quartet and to Stockholm City Voices (#32) the 2023 SNOBS Champion

Highlight Quartet (#13) performed at Clyde Hill Elementary School’s cultural festival. Grand Harmony Chorus (#2) sang At Last to honor the Giving Voice exhibition at the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum. Ignite UK (#31) raised over £500 singing at a concert raising money for the Alzheimer’s Society and Singing for the Brain. They write, "Our very own Janet leads a ‘Singing for the Brain’ group each week and it is filled with laughter, fun and biscuits.” Harmony on the Sound Chorus (#1) members contributed loads of needed items for Mercy Learning Center in Bridgeportt, Connecticut (USA). The organization assists women with literacy and basic life skills training.

Mission Valley Chorus (#12) held a “crab feed” fundraiser, and it was so successful they plan to do it again next year.

Duly Noted (#9) had a barbershop-filled weekend in April, teaching young singers at Joplin Acapellooza then finishing up on a show celebrating the Sesquicentennial of the city of Joplin, Missouri (USA) and a tribute to the music of Percy Wenrich. (Shown with event organizer Bobby Gray.)

Ignite UK Chorus (#31) took second place at the Manchester Amateur Choral Competition in March.

Virtual Q (#31) took first place honours at the Springboard (Brighton & Hove) Performing Arts Festival in March.

Women's Chorus.

Emerald City Chorus Helps Fight Hunger Saturday morning, March 25, the amazing singers of Emerald City Chorus (#25) helped build over 61,000 packaged meals for Heaven Sent Ministries. The Goddard Church in Goddard, Kansas (USA), where Emerald City rehearses, hosted The Hunger Challenge Meal Packaging Event for the community to come together along with several other congregations to make a difference in people’s lives. Emerald City Chorus members worked an assembly line that filled a case of 36 packages about every eight minutes. It was amazing! The food was sent to Ukraine, Ghana, Sudan, and regions in the USA where natural disasters have occurred.

Region 13 Has Fundraising “In the Can”

Are you looking for a fun and creative way for your chorus to support young singers? Look no further than the In the Can Contest, a fundraising initiative developed by North by Northwest Region 13 that has been successfully raising money for Sweet Adelines young singers programs for many years.

The contest is simple: participating choruses start fundraising a year in advance, collecting spare change in a decorated can at chorus practice. When the summer regional meeting rolls around, each chorus brings their can of donations, decorated in a fun and unique design. Not only does this aspect of the contest allow choruses to showcase their artistic talents, but it also contributes to a cause close to their hearts.

But that's not all! The contest also features award categories to add some friendly competition and encourage creativity. Categories include Best Representation of the Year's Theme, Best Expression of JOY!, and Most Uniquely Decorated Can. Small trophies are awarded to the winners, and the chorus that collects the highest dollar amount of donations is also rewarded with a prize.

In total, North by Northwest Region 13 raised $4,417.14 USD by September 2022 through the In the Can Contest, and the gift was directed towards the Young Singers Fund to support youth outreach, music festivals, camps, and educational programs for singers under the age of 25.

If you're interested in fundraising for Sweet Adelines with your chorus, there are various programs and ways to give available. Join the ranks of choruses who have made a gift to their favorite Sweet Adelines Giving Fund to help all members “live life on a high note”, and be a part of something bigger than yourself. Visit the Sweet Adelines website here to see the programs to support.

– Lorna Stephens, Emerald City Chorus

“A Big Commitment Done With Joy”

Sweet Adelines International Donor Charity Monroe

Why does Charity Monroe like singing barbershop music?

“I like it because it’s not straightforward,” she says. “I come from a very musical family. I played the violin when I was younger, and I'm into guitar, so I know a chord isn't just a chord. To make it sound good, you have to move a little bit. The inflection, the heart that goes into it, the chord matching, the blend, all of that stuff…It's just a wonderful challenge. It's something that's not for everybody, but you find a lot of really smart people in Sweet Adelines who want that challenge, and they do it well, and it's exciting to hear.”

Charity has made donations and set up a legacy gift to Sweet Adelines International to help ensure that those amazing chords keep ringing into the future. Her bequest will support the Young Singers Fund because she believes singing barbershop music can be life-changing.

Charity started her own Sweet Adelines career in 1983.

“I was living overseas, and my sister, Charlotte Drayer, was an avid Sweet Adeline in Kansas City. Half of her letters to me were about this ‘Sweet Adelines’ that I knew nothing about. The second I moved to Vancouver (CAN), she said, ‘There are four choruses within 45 minutes of you!’ I thought, ‘She's never gonna leave me alone until I visit one,’ so I went to the one that was closest to me and they were just very sweet and nice and welcoming. They needed a bass, so I joined. That's how it always goes!”

Charity joined the now-disbanded Dogwood Chorus and eventually moved to Peoria, Illinois (USA) where she joined the Belles of Harmony Chorus. When the Belles disbanded, she joined Vermillion Valley Chorus and has been with them ever since. “I've been very fortunate and always been able to sing with the nicest people,” she says of her journey – which also includes time in two comedy quartets, MainStreet USA and Flipside.

Besides helping hold down the bass for her chorus and making audiences laugh with her quartets, Charity took on several chorus leadership roles, including treasurer and president. What really inspired her to make financial contributions to the organization was helping with the grant program. (Today, the grant program is man-

aged by the Sweet Adelines Education and Music Departments.)

“My quartets and choruses used to be coached by June Berg, who is an awesome woman,” Charity says. “I knew her through that, and she asked me years ago if I would be willing to read international grant applications and make recommendations on where the money should go. Reading all of those grants had a huge impact on me, seeing all the good the international organization was doing. But there never was enough money to fund all the projects. The need is great. There are music programs that are really hurting. About a third of the grants we looked at were for schools that didn’t even have sheet music.”

Charity stresses that there are many ways to help young singers that involve giving your time and energy rather than money, such as volunteering to take a music teacher’s class for a session to teach tags. She is grateful to be at a time of life when she can also make financial donations.

“As we got older and got a little more comfortable with having enough money for our retirement, that's when I felt that I could start contributing more,” she says. “We donate when we can, and we have also added Sweet Adelines International to our estate planning. My family knows all about Sweet Adelines…They’ve heard about it all their lives! So they know that a certain amount will go there.”

Charity points out that supporting and mentoring young singers also ensures that there will always be older, experienced singers for Sweet Adelines – and that is important.

“There are a lot of kids who aren't sports-oriented,” she says. “I wasn’t. Choir is another place you experience teamwork because a choir isn't good unless everybody's doing well. It’s a whole different level when you get into barbershop singing, because of the extra level of tuning and listening that has to happen in order to make it sound so wonderful. It’s an exciting thing, and if you can turn them on to barbershop singing when they are young, it's something that they can keep throughout their life. Even if they take time off when they have kids and careers, they will come back. That’s just the way it is.”

For Charity, singing with Sweet Adelines International is a way of life.

“It’s a big commitment, but it’s a joy,” she says. “I just love it.

“Schaetzel the Pretzel"

the untwisted story of our founder

Edna Mae Anderson is a name known to most Sweet Adelines, but what do we know of the person? While working on my quartet’s open division script, I did some in-depth research to find out more about the woman who founded Sweet Adelines International.

For starters, “Anderson” is her married name. She was born Edna Mae Schaetzel 120 years ago on May 12, 1903. Edna’s father, Jacob “Jac” Schaetzel married Maria Rold in 1878, and they had ten children, two of whom died young. Tragically in 1898, Maria Rold died, leaving Jac to raise their eight children on his own. Seventeen months later, in February, 1900, Jac married Maria’s sister, Barbara Rold, and they had two children, a son who only survived three days, and Edna Mae, who then was the youngest of nine siblings.

Edna’s great-niece, Margie, recently reached out to me as a result of the Schaetzel family tree I was building as part of my research. Edna’s brother Jac was Margie's grandfather, and they grew up in what is now the heart of downtown Denver, Colorado (USA), where Jac owned a cigar and tobacco shop. Margie told me more about Edna Mae’s early years. Margie said that all of the Schaetzel kids, likely Edna included, were called “pretzel,” which rhymes with “Schaetzel.” During Edna Mae’s youth, many Denverites benefited from the local German community’s interest in music and the arts. That community organized the city’s first singing society, the Denver Maennerchor, in 1871.

So much loss at such a young age…

In 1906, when Edna was just three years old, her father Jac went to the hospital for a planned surgery and never came back home, passing at the young age of 51. He may have had a premonition about his untimely death, as he wrote a letter to each of his children in case he didn’t survive.

Jac’s sudden passing left Edna’s mother, Barbara, to raise Edna and her step-children, all of whom still lived at home, on her own. Margie says money was very tight for them, and Barbara had to accept work that was often at odd hours, without days off, in order to make ends meet. It frequently meant leaving the young children alone to fend for themselves.

When Edna finished high school, she didn’t stray too far from home. She attended the University of Denver where she was a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority and majored in economics and psychology with a minor in mathematics. She was also part of the Women's Council and Young Women’s (Y.W.) Cabinet, but not the glee club!

How it all began…

Edna married William Harold Anderson on June 10, 1926, when she was 23 years old. William worked in the oil and gas industry, and the couple moved around often. They were married in Colorado, moved to Wyoming, and then – fatefully for Sweet Adelines – to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1936.

In Tulsa, William became a member of SPEBSQSA (now Barbershop Harmony Society) which gave Edna a fabulous idea: She decided to host a meeting in her home in Tulsa for women who wanted to sing the same chord-ringing, fun-filled harmony that their husbands and friends were singing. They met for the first time on Friday, July 13, 1945. Nine days later, on July 23, at the Hotel Tulsa (which was the same hotel where the men had met in 1939 to form SPEBSQSA) the first meeting was held for what became Sweet Adelines.

The ad in the local paper for the meeting at the Hotel Tulsa read: "No prima donnas are wanted; but any woman interested in honest to goodness old-fashioned barbershop singing is invited to attend the organization’s meeting on Monday night at 8 p.m. There will be only two requirements for admission, the meetings will be for women only, no prima donnas are wanted. The organization is going to be all for fun, and we want plenty of members who are interested in having a good time and who enjoy singing. There will be the 'crow members' just like the men have. Women who can't carry a tune in an oversized wash tub will be just as welcome as the best of singers." (“Crow members” was a teasing name for people who didn’t sing well, whose voices sounded like the cawing bird.)

By the end of 1945, the 41-member Sweet Adelines incorporated in Oklahoma, with Tulsa No. 1 (originally called the Atomaton Chapter) becoming the first chapter. They quickly got to work adopting bylaws, electing national officers, and creating a system for adjudicating national annual competitions to select the best women's barbershop quartet. The first quartet convention was October 4, 1947. By 1950, just five years after the founding meeting, there were approximately 1,500 members in 53 chapters across the United States.

Edna Mae was only able to watch her budding organization grow for a few more years, as she and William moved to Houston, Texas in 1950, where William was an executive for the PanAm

Petroleum Company. Sadly, in October 1956, Edna became very ill and was in and out of the hospital until her death on July 6, 1957, at just 54 years old – 11 years, 359 days after forming Sweet Adelines. Edna Mae’s final resting place is the Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery in Denver, Colorado. She and William never had any children.

Edna’s legacy…

In my initial conversation with Margie Schaetzel, she jokingly asked me if I was sure that I had the right family, because she said they didn’t have a musical bone in their body. Then she said, “I know you are right. My grandfather told me about Edna Mae forming a little group called Sweet Adelines, and he was very proud of her.” She then asked, “Is the group still together?”

A tad dumbfounded, I proudly explained to her that not only were we still together but that her great-aunt’s creation of this organization has impacted the lives of tens of thousands of people throughout the world. She was quite tickled to learn of this and said, “I can’t wait to tell my sister, MaryJo, about all of this!” She thanked me for giving her a piece of her family back, and I assured her that in her great-aunt’s words the fun of being a Sweet Adeline was indeed still “bubbling in our hearts!”

Cherie L. Letts is Region 13 RMT Marketing Coordinator and proud member of Coeur d’Alene and Spirit of Spokane Choruses and bass of Soul Sisters Quartet.

Edna Mae Senior Class photo

1907 with her Mother Barbara

Restoring Spirits With Song

Spirit of the Gulf Chorus recovers from Hurricane Ian

On September 18, 2022, Spirit of the Gulf Chorus was flying high! We were on our way home from the international contest in Phoenix, where we not only achieved our dream of once again placing in the top ten but were now sporting new fifthplace medals, the highest we had ever achieved in an international competition. All of us had been dealing with COVID and the obstacles it created. What a thrill to have this competition and know that our organization was not only surviving but thriving!

However, less than three days after arriving home from Phoenix, our hometown of Fort Myers and many surrounding communities faced the wrath of the worst hurricane that southwest Florida has ever experienced. Thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed, and hundreds of people lost their lives. The beautiful seven-mile stretch of our lovely Fort Myers beach was completely gone. Power and internet service were out for weeks. Some places still did not have power as of December. No one who lives in this area was untouched by the storm.

After not being able to rehearse (or celebrate our achievements) for two weeks due to lack of power and dangerous road conditions, our indomitable co-directors, Deanna Kastler and Karen Breidert, sought input from the Spirit Management Team and members to determine the best procedure for resuming rehearsals. Overwhelmingly, members were eager to get back to rehearsing as soon as possible in order to find some sense of normalcy.

There were many questions and discussions about whether we should continue with our annual holiday show – who would attend, would it be disrespectful to those who had lost so much, could we in good conscience ask people to purchase tickets? We realized that our friends and supporters, plus the community at large, needed a couple of hours of respite and joy from the daily reality of the mayhem and turmoil all around us. We did everything we could to reduce our expenses and keep our show affordable for our audience. We had an enormously successful concert, complete with warm accolades from the audience and an enthusiastic standing ovation.

Throughout the fall and postHurricane Ian months, Spirit of the Gulf Chorus received an amazing outpouring of love and support from the rest of the country, including our beloved Sweet Adelines. Donations from Sweet Adelines choruses, regions, and individuals began to flow in. Members who no longer had homes or were otherwise suffering were given gift cards to help them survive and begin to rebuild their lives. The staff from Sweet Adelines International Headquarters wrote heartfelt personal notes to each of our Spirit of the Gulf members.

What a wonderful organization Sweet Adelines has once again proven to be! Spirit of the Gulf Chorus would like to thank all of you who sent donations, prayers, and otherwise helped us to restore our “Spirit.” We are eternally grateful to our sisters in song.

Judy Conner is Public Relations Coordinator on the Spirit of the Gulf Chorus Management Team.

F

“Thank you for the life you gave me”

Sweet Adelines International Donor Beverly Staats

or Beverly Staats, the experience of live barbershop music is magical.

“It gives you a warm, warm feeling,” she says. “When the last chord is over, you think, ‘oh my God, that is so beautiful.’ There's a dead silence right before the crowd reacts. Then, of course, then the applause comes. When a chorus or a quartet can give that to you, and you’ve got chills, it is something. And you think, ‘oh, please continue singing!’”

It’s hard to describe the feeling of barbershop singing, she says.

“To sing and to be in the middle of it, to be part of producing that sound is a whole other experience,” says Beverly. “It's completely phenomenal. There’s never anything else that you can do that is like that. Something inside you just pulls that sound out of you.”

As a donor, she wants to ensure that future singers know that feeling.

Among her many Sweet Adelines experiences, Beverly sang in a chorus that made history. She was a member of Lakeside Chorus, under the direction of Master Director (and Past International President) Zoe Thompson, when they were the very first chorus to take the stage at the very first Sweet Adelines International Chorus Contest in 1973!

Lakeside wasn’t Bev’s first chorus, but it is her “forever chorus.” She was still with them in 2003 when they changed their name to A Cappella Joy. Though health problems mean she is no longer able to perform and family responsibilities required her to move across the country, she maintains an associate membership with her chorus, now popularly known as AJoy.

Beverly's first Sweet Adelines chorus was Independence Chorus in Independence, Missouri, USA, where she lives now. She was singing Handel’s Messiah with a community chorus when a visiting saleswoman – and Sweet Adeline – saw the music lying around. The saleswoman said, “If you can sing that, you can sing barbershop!” In Beverly’s first year, Independence Chorus won its regional competition. Back then, winning meant hosting the convention the next year, and her director asked her to be the auditor – the person who works with the judges.

“That’s how I got connected with the judging program,” Beverly says. “I became an auditor, then a timekeeper, and finally a panel secretary.”

While she never became a judge herself, Beverly served as panel secretary for many years. She values the insight she gained in that

position. Even today, she has a passion for the judging program –which she continues to support through her generous gifts to Sweet Adelines International.

“I’m amazed at the intelligence of the judges,” she says. “I'm awed by how much they know. They taught me so much about the music and how to think about what you're hearing. Any time they were going to do an evaluation, I was there, just like a little sponge soaking it up. I would never be a judge, but working with them made me realize what the music is all about. It's theory. It's phenomenal. I don't think the organization could do without judges because they help us grow and help us understand what we're doing and how to keep improving.”

With her long history as an active Sweet Adeline who served in several administrative roles in addition to her time with the judges, Beverly has a lot of knowledge to offer. “I have knowledge of conventions, how to design a show set on a budget, how to manage bylaws and rules and things like that,” she says. “My support is now just helping anybody who wants my assistance or my knowledge. I'll give it…free of charge!”

Now that she is at a time of life when she can afford to offer financial support, she is glad to share what she’s earned with the organization that means so much to her. And she has something to say about that:

“Thank you, Sweet Adelines, for the lifestyle that you gave me that I would never have had if I hadn't come to you when I did,” she says. “You allowed me to grow, allowed me to sing, allowed me to be on stage, be funny, be whatever I say I want to be. Being a donor is one way that I am trying to say thank you for the life you gave me. I am so happy. I don't know what life was like before Sweet Adelines, and I don't even want to know what that life would be without you. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you gave to me.”

Sweet Adelines International, and barbershop singers of the future, are so grateful for all she’s given, in every way.

To learn how you can support current fundraising initiatives at Sweet Adelines, visit www.sweetadelines.com/give or contact Chief Philanthropy and Administrative Officer Susan Smith, philanthropy@sweetadelines.com or Assistant Director of Philanthropy Becky Duncan, becky@sweetadelines.com.

the stones, still sparkly after over 68 years.

Sue Brown Lucas (tenor), Chris Coe Hohe (bass), and I went to high school together and sometimes sang harmony at school events. We lived near each other, and Sue lived next door to Sweet Adelines royalty – Ruth Geils, lead of the Notabelles, 1955 Queens of Harmony. Our band director was Lawrence Fogelberg, whose son Dan was our school’s cheerleading mascot and would become a mega rock star. (Dan’s hit song Leader Of The Band is a tribute to his father.)

One night, we visited the Peoria chapter of Sweet Adelines, the Belles of Harmony, directed by the legendary Floyd “Pop” Connett, and that very night Helen Melzer Peters also visited for the first time. After rehearsal, the four of us sang the chorus song with Helen on lead, me on bari, Sue on tenor, and Chris on bass. Helen was 19, I was 17, and Sue and Chris were 16 years old. And so began our journey. We learned songs from chorus and folios and later that summer of 1955, Floyd heard us singing with Helen on bari and me on lead and told us to relearn our songs with this lineup – to be done when he returned from vacation. We did as our coach “Pop” advised.

That same year, we entered the international competition at Grand Rapids, Michigan (USA). The Notabelles placed first, we placed second, and Cracker Jills placed third. At that time, Floyd was directing and coaching many groups in the Midwest U.S., and we would drive with him to Ft. Madison, Rockford, etc. While driving, he would mentally arrange songs and teach our parts to us using the horn as a pitch pipe. We were privileged to hear local Queens sing often – the Big Four, the Mississippi Misses, the Pitchpipers. They were our barbershop icons of the time.

“StillAfterSparkly Over 68 Years”

The story of 1956 International Champion Quartet, Junior Misses

We Become Champions!

In the fall of 1956 at the quartet championship in Wichita, Kansas (USA), with all our parents in the audience, we placed first, with the Cracker Jills coming in second and the Dotted Quarters coming in third. We proceeded to sing all over the country, flying on Trans World Airlines and with Irv Lindner of Lindner Aviation in Ft. Madison, Iowa, who on many weekends would fly to Peoria on Friday to take us to the weekend shows and return on Sunday. At Sweet Adelines events, President Helen Seevers would always be selling “Bucks For Bricks” to make money for a new Sweet Adelines Headquarters building in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At the Chicago Music Festival, we sang for The Metropolitan Opera star Roberta Peters and film star Gordon MacRae. We were flown to New York City to appear on Two For The Money, a popular game show on television, and on Sing to the Nation. (In those days,

Where Are We Now?

At our final appearance at the 1957 Sweet Adelines convention in Miami, Florida (USA), we sang an original Connett arrangement package and headed home to the business of living the rest of our lives. Here is what we did, in our own words:

the corner from the headquarters hotel, Pere Marquette Hotel, and we discussed forming a past champions chorus to perform at future conventions. We agreed to correspond (there were no emails then!) and trade ideas for a name and structure. This was the origin of the

Now, Chris, Susie, Helen and I keep in touch with Zoom calls. We have truly been blessed to have this friendship for over 68 years. We last appeared in Philadelphia to sing at our 30th anniversary, and then we hosted a Region 3 reunion in Peoria in 2006. If the Lord is willing, we’ll have another one of these days! sang lead for the 1956 International

Regional Results 2023

Region #1 North Atlantic

Quartets

First Place

Saffron • Score: 595

Christine Bulgini (t) Chapter-At-Large Region 1

Amanda Fowski (l) Chapter-At-Large Region 1

Valeri Reynolds (bt) Sound of New England Chorus

Susan Berry (bs) Chapter-At-Large Region 1

Songs: All The Way (T. Gentry); Between You And The Birds And The Bees And Cupid (A. Dale)

Second Place

Phoenix Rising • Score: 580

Third Place

Carried Away • Score: 563

Competing Quartets: 11

Choruses

First Place

Farmington Valley Chorus

Cheryl Wilcox, Director

Score: 609 • 40 on stage

Songs: Oh You Beautiful Doll (J. Giallombardo); When I Fall In Love (D. Wright)

Second Place

Merrimack Valley Chorus

Sally Jeffery & Carol Smolenski, Directors

Score: 598 • 29 on stage

Third Place

Royal River Chorus

Rhonda Williams, Director

Score: 571 • 24 on stage

Division A

Merrimack Valley Chorus

Sally Jeffery & Carol Smolenski, Directors

Score: 598 • 29 on stage

Songs: I Never Meant To Fall In Love (J. Liles); I Can’t Give You Anything But Love/ Steppin Out (N. Bergman)

Division AA

Farmington Valley Chorus

Cheryl Wilcox, Director

Score: 609 • 40 on stage

Songs: Oh You Beautiful Doll (J. Giallombardo); When I Fall In Love (D. Wright)

Most Improved Chorus

Royal River Chorus

Rhonda Williams, Director

Score: 571 • 24 on stage

Points Improved: 14

Competing Choruses: 13

Photos: Read Photography

First Place Saffron

First Place Farmington Valley Chorus

Division A Merrimack Valley Chorus

Division AA Farmington Valley Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #2 Border Lakes

Quartets

First Place

Girl Talk • Score: 639

Staci Slamka (t) Motor City Blend Chorus

Holli Houtz (l) Motor City Blend Chorus

Kathryn Summers (bt) Motor City Blend Chorus

Kendra LaPointe (bs) Motor City Blend Chorus

Songs: If I Loved You (T. Gentry); Fit As A Fiddle (D. Wright)

Second Place

Spectrum • Score: 556

Third Place

Top Shelf • Score: 530

Competing Quartets: 10

Choruses

First Place

Motor City Blend Chorus

LeAnn Hazlett, Director

Score: 659 • 62 on stage

Songs: I’ve Grown Accustomed (J. Arns); I Got Rhythm (D. Wright)

Second Place

Fenton Lakes Chorus

Jeanne Lundberg, Director

Score: 550 • 28 on stage

Third Place

Shoreline Sound Chorus

Dianne Catellane, Director

Score: 537 • 27 on stage

Division A

Fenton Lakes Chorus

Jeanne Lundberg, Director

Score: 550 • 28 on stage

Songs: Once Upon A Time (J. Dale); Goody Goodbye (G. Avener)

Division AA N/A

Most Improved Chorus

Song of the Lakes Chorus

Maria Christian, Director

Score: 509 • 16 on stage

Points Improved: 75

Competing Choruses: 13

Photos: New City Photographic

First Place Girl Talk

First Place Motor City Blend Chorus

Division A Fenton Lakes Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #3 Midwest Harmony

Quartets

First Place

Stiletto • Score: 610

Lindsey Bondi (t) Choral-Aires Chorus

Kimberly Blair (l) Choral-Aires Chorus

Cat Gattone (bt) Choral-Aires Chorus

Linda Herza (bs) Choral-Aires Chorus

Songs: How Many Hearts (J. Arns); Last Night Was The End Of The World (SPEBSQSA)

Second Place

By Request • Score: 574

Third Place

4Frenz • Score: 561

Competing Quartets: 11

Choruses

First Place

Melodeers Chorus

Renée Porzel, Director

Score: 664 • 62 on stage

Songs: Pal Of My Cradle Days (J. Arns); Smile Medley (J. Arns)

Second Place

Midwest Crossroad Chorus

Tori Hicks, Director

Score: 622 • 46 on stage

Third Place

River City Sound Chorus

Joan Boutilier, Director

Score: 614 • 32 on stage

Division A

Crosstown Harmony Chorus

Kari Midtbo Schwartz, Director

Score: 576 • 28 on stage

Songs: All The Way (B. Graham); I Never Knew/ You Were Meant For Me (R. Craig)

Division AA

Midwest Crossroad Chorus

Tori Hicks, Director

Score: 622 • 46 on stage

Songs: In The Small Wee Hours Of The Morning (J. Arns); When The Red Red Robin (J. Arns)

Most Improved Chorus

Crosstown Harmony Chorus

Kari Midtbo Schwartz, Director

Score: 576 • 28 on stage

Points Improved: 73

Competing Choruses: 12

Photos: Read Photography

First Place Stiletto

First Place Melodeers Chorus

Division A Crosstown Harmony Chorus

Division AA Midwest Crossroads Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #4 Harmony Heartland

Quartets

First Place

Endeavour • Score: 627

Amanda Kaufmann (t) Scioto Valley Chorus

Laura Kitchel (l) Chapter-At-Large Region 4

Amy Leacock (bt) Scioto Valley Chorus

Natalie Berdahl (bs) Rich-Tone Chorus

Songs: That’s Life (BHS); A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (D. Wright)

Second Place

Lipstick Scoundrels • Score: 615

Third Place

Intrepid • Score: 559

Competing Quartets: 15

Choruses

First Place

Metro Nashville Chorus

Kim Wonders, Director

Score: 657 • 36 on stage

Songs: If Ever I Would Leave You (C. Hine); This Can’t Be Love (D. Wright)

Second Place

Pride of Kentucky Chorus

Debbie Hite, Director

Score: 654 • 46 on stage

Third Place

Scenic City Chorus

Jennifer Cooke, Director

Score: 623 • 50 on stage

Division A

Capital City Chorus

Kimberly Newcomb, Director

Score: 525 • 29 on stage

Songs: Once Upon A Time (J. Dale); Oh! Look At Me Now (A. Dale)

Division AA

Metro Nashville Chorus

Kim Wonders, Director

Score: 657 • 36 on stage

Songs: If Ever I Would Leave You (C. Hine); This Can’t Be Love (D. Wright)

Most Improved Chorus

Cincinnati Sound Chorus

Jack Johnson, Director

Score: 600 • 43 on stage

Points Improved: 36

Competing Choruses: 15

Photos: Read Photography

First Place Endeavour

First Place Metro Nashville Chorus

Division A Capital City Chorus

Division AA Metro Nashville Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #5 Spirit of the Midwest

Quartets

First Place

Journey • Score: 649

Michelle Hunget (t) Kansas City Chorus

Susan Ives (l) Topeka Acappella Unlimited Chorus

Janice Wood (bt) Topeka Acappella Unlimited Chorus

Stacie Masur (bs) Chapter-At-Large Region 5

Songs: Stars Fell On Alabama (D. Wright); Oh! Look At Me Now (A. Dale)

Second Place Venture • Score: 618

Third Place

Flourish • Score: 607

Competing Quartets: 16

Choruses

First Place

River Blenders Chorus

Dave Carlisle, Director

Score: 627 • 58 on stage

Songs: All The Things You Are (J. Minshall); The Joint Is Jumpin’ (N. Bergman)

Second Place

Kansas City Chorus

Michelle Hunget & Susan Ives, Director

Score: 604 • 93 on stage

Third Place

Sound Celebration Chorus

Terry Ludwig, Director

Score: 571 • 30 on stage

Division A

Sound Celebration Chorus

Terry Ludwig, Director

Score: 571 • 30 on stage

Songs: You Turned The Tables On Me (N. Bergman); If I Give My Heart To You (J. Clancy)

Division AA

River Blenders Chorus

Dave Carlisle, Director

Score: 627 • 58 on stage

Songs: All The Things You Are (J. Minshall); The Joint Is Jumpin’ (N. Bergman)

Most Improved Chorus

Sound Celebration Chorus

Terry Ludwig, Director

Score: 571 • 30 on stage

Points Improved: 15

Competing Choruses: 13

Photos: Jon Peterson

First Place Journey

First Place River Blenders Chorus

Division A Sound Celebration Chorus

Division AA River Blenders Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #6 Northern Lights

Quartets

First Place

Spice • Score: 605

Angela Blackwood (t) City of Lakes Chorus

Heidi Dick (l) City of Lakes Chorus

Liz Miller (bt) City of Lakes Chorus

Jan Rick (bs) City of Lakes Chorus

Songs: Come Take Your Place In My Heart (J. Clancy); I’ve Got A Feeling I’m Falling (N. Bergman)

Second Place

Affinity • Score: 525

Third Place

Upbeat • Score: 523

Competing Quartets: 8

Choruses

First Place

City of Lakes Chorus

Scott Kvigne, Director

Score: 638 • 63 on stage

Songs: The Way You Look Tonight (M. Hale); Oh! Look At Me Now (A. Dale)

Second Place

Twin Cities Show Chorus

Denis Allaire, Director

Score: 532 • 19 on stage

Third Place

Sounds of Superior Chorus

Jason Scriver, Director

Score: 508 • 39 on stage

Division A

Twin Cities Show Chorus

Denis Allaire, Director

Score: 532 • 19 on stage

Songs: My Romance (L. Wright); Smile Medley (C. Hine)

Division AA

Sounds of Superior Chorus

Jason Scriver, Director

Score: 508 • 39 on stage

Songs: Mr. Piano Man / I Love A Piano (B. Beck); Once Upon A Time (J. Dale)

Most Improved Chorus

Twin Cities Show Chorus

Denis Allaire, Director

Score: 532 • 19 on stage

Points Improved: 113

Competing Choruses: 10

Photos: Read Photography

First Place Spice

First Place City of Lakes Chorus

Division A Twin Cities Show Chorus

Division AA Sound of Superior Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #8 Rocky Mountain

Quartets

First Place

Kindred • Score: 625

Christine Weaver (t) Skyline Chorus

Robin Mickle (l) Skyline Chorus

Dawn Hewitt (bt) Skyline Chorus

Kim Andrews (bs) Skyline Chorus

Songs: Between You And The Birds And The Bees And Cupid (A. Dale); It’s You (R. Rund)

Second Place

Velocity • Score: 606

Third Place

Ember • Score: 603

Competing Quartets: 26

Choruses

First Place

Skyline Chorus

Vickie Maybury, Director

Score: 718 • 95 on stage

Songs: The Nearness Of You (A. Reimnitz); I Never Knew (D. Wright)

Second Place

Velvet Hills Chorus

Darin Drown, Director

Score: 662 • 66 on stage

Third Place

High Plains Harmony Chorus

Annette Lambrecht & Julie Ann Palagi, Directors

Score: 552 • 38 on stage

Division A

Greeley Harmonix Chorus

Julie Ann Palagi, Director

Score: 507 • 13 on stage

Songs: L-O-V-E (N. Bergman); They Say It’s Wonderfu (K. Farrell)

Division AA

High Plains Harmony Chorus

Annette Lambrecht & Julie Ann Palagi, Directors

Score: 552 • 38 on stage

Songs: Between You And The Birds And The Bees And Cupid (A. Dale); Be Careful, It’s My Heart (A. Reimnitz)

Most Improved Chorus

The Blend Chorus

Laura Lewis, Director

Score: 463 • 15 on stage

Points Improved: 12

Competing Choruses: 14

Photos: Local Motion Productions

First Place Kindred

First Place Skyline Chorus

Division A Greeley Harmonix Chorus

Division AA

High Plains Harmony Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #9 Coastal Harmony

Quartets

First Place

Dynasty • Score: 678

Sarah Lindvall (t) Toast of Tampa Show Chorus

Debbie Cleveland (l) Spirit of the Gulf Chorus

Michaela Johnston (bt) Spirit of the Gulf Chorus

Jenny Allen (bs) Chapter-At-Large Region 17

Songs: Hallelujah I Love Him So (A. Dale); Something Good (C. Hine)

Second Place

Sirens • Score: 671

Third Place

For The Love • Score: 614

Competing Quartets: 17

Choruses

First Place

Spirit Of The Gulf Chorus

Karen Breidert & Deanna Kastler, Directors

Score: 660 • 81 on stage

Songs: Do I Love You (S. Neal); I’m Looking Over/ Good Day Medley (J. Arns)

Second Place

Bridges Of Harmony Chorus

Kim Higdon, Director

Score: 618 • 44 on stage

Third Place

Sound Of Sunshine Chorus

Gayle Burton, Director

Score: 600 • 30 on stage

Division A

Sound Of Sunshine Chorus

Gayle Burton, Director

Score: 600 • 30 on stage

Songs: Deed I Do Medley (L. Wright); In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning (J. Arns)

Division AA

Bridges Of Harmony Chorus

Kim Higdon, Director

Score: 618 • 44 on stage

Songs: I Miss Mother Most Of All (J. Liles); I Love a Piano (J. Bescos)

Most Improved Chorus

Gainesville Harmony Show Chorus

Chanda Morris & Diane Sherley, Directors

Score: 530 • 22 on stage

Points Improved: 99

Competing Choruses: 16

Photos: Rich Gorberg, Freeze Frame Photography

First Place Dynasty

First Place Spirit Of The Gulf Chorus

Division A Sound of Sunshine Chorus

Division AA Bridges Of Harmony Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #10 Great Gulf Coast

Quartets

First Place

Saving Grace • Score: 640

Elise Zufall (t) Chapter-At-Large Region 12

Mikayla Wallis (l) Chapter-At-Large Region 10

Kieley Morales (bt) Chapter-At-Large Region 10

Marisa Garza (bs) Alamo Metro Chorus

Songs: I’ve Got A Feeling I’m Falling (N. Bergman); It’s You I Like (C. Outerbridge)

Second Place

Essence • Score: 609

Third Place

Momentum • Score: 569

Competing Quartets: 11

Choruses

First Place

The Woodlands Show Chorus

Betty Clipman, Director

Score: 634 • 45 on stage

Songs: In The Small Wee Hours Of The Morning (J. Arns); This Can't Be Love (D. Wright)

Second Place

Houston Horizon Chorus

Janet Burnett, Director

Score: 576 • 36 on stage

Third Place

A Cappella Unlimited Chorus

Kathryn Dane, Director

Score: 566 • 20 on stage

Division A

A Cappella Unlimited Chorus

Kathryn Dane, Director

Score: 566 • 20 on stage

Songs: Moonlight Savings Time, (G. Lloyd); My Wonderful One (B. Long)

Division AA

The Woodlands Show Chorus

Betty Clipman, Director

Score: 634 • 45 on stage

Songs: In The Small Wee Hours Of The Morning (J. Arns); This Can't Be Love (D. Wright)

Most Improved Chorus

A Cappella Unlimited Chorus

Kathryn Dane, Director

Score: 566 • 20 on stage

Points Improved: 70

Competing Choruses: 16

Photos: Read Photography

First Place Saving Grace

First Place The Woodlands Show Chorus

Division A A Cappella Unlimited Chorus

Division AA The Woodlands Show Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #11 Sequoia Pacific

Quartets

First Place

SwingTime • Score: 610

Sally McLeish (t) Agoura Hills Harmony Chorus

Shawnna Dechant (l) Carpe Diem Chorus

Courtney Anderson-Georges (bt) Carpe Diem Chorus

Susan Kegley (bs) Scottsdale Chorus

Songs: Bring Me Sunshine (D. Wessler); All The Way (T. Gentry)

Second Place

The Valkyries • Score: 596

Third Place

Troubadour • Score: 591

Competing Quartets: 8

Choruses

First Place

Santa Monica Chorus

Laura Pallas Singer, Director

Score: 613 • 36 on stage

Songs: How Many Hearts Have You Broken? (J. Arns); If I Had My Way (D. Harrington)

Second Place

Lady Luck Showtime Chorus

Jan Sloan, Director

Score: 548 • 27 on stage

Third Place

Agoura Hills Harmony Chorus

Monica Tautkus, Director

Score: 499 • 25 on stage

Division A

Lady Luck Showtime Chorus

Jan Sloan, Director

Score: 548 • 27 on stage

Songs: There Goes My Heart (N. Bergman & L. Steinkamp); The Joint Is Jumpin’ (N. Bergman)

Division AA

Santa Monica Chorus

Laura Pallas Singer, Director

Score: 613 • 36 on stage

Songs: How Many Hearts Have You Broken? (J. Arns); If I Had My Way (D. Harrington)

Most Improved Chorus

Lady Luck Showtime Chorus

Jan Sloan, Director

Score: 548 • 27 on stage

Points Improved: 9

Competing Choruses: 11

Photos: ER Lilley Photography

First Place SwingTime

First Place Santa Monica Chorus

Division A Lady Luck Showtime Chorus

Division AA Santa Monica Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #12 Pacific Shores

First Place

Gusto! • Score: 684

Dana Entrikin (t) Chapter-At-Large Region 12

Stephanie Beard (l) Chapter-At-Large Region 12

Martha Segura (bt) Chapter-At-Large Region 12

Susan Smith (bs) Diablo Vista Chorus

Songs: This Can’t Be Love (D. Wright); Yesterday I Heard The Rain (B. Graham)

Second Place

LiveWire • Score: 605

Third Place

Sapphire Ring • Score: 593

Competing Quartets: 13

Choruses

First Place

Pacific Empire Chorus

Patricia Pennycook, Director

Score: 611 • 32 on stage

Songs: If I Had My Way (D. Harrington); Wonderful Day (J. Minshall)

Second Place

Bay Area Showcase Chorus

Julie Starr, Director

Score: 579 • 43 on stage

Third Place

Oregon Spirit Chorus

Kathy Scheel, Director

Score: 567 • 40 on stage

Division A

Greater Eugene Chorus

Lauren Kahn, Director

Score: 500 • 23 on stage

Songs: Listen To My Heart (L. Kahn); We Were Wrong (L. Kahn)

Division AA

Pacific Empire Chorus

Patricia Pennycook, Director

Score: 611 • 32 on stage

Songs: If I Had My Way (D. Harrington); Wonderful Day (J. Minshall)

Most Improved Chorus

High Desert Harmony Chorus

Amy Fleming, Director

Score: 458 • 25 on stage

Points Improved: 26

Competing Choruses: 14

Photos: Read Photography

First Place Gusto!

First Place Pacific Empire Chorus

Division A Greater Eugene Chorus

Division AA Pacific Empire Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #13 North by Northwest

Quartets

First Place

Charmed • Score: 629

LouAnn Hommel (t) Spirit of Spokane Chorus

Julie Hagstrom (l) Song of Seattle Chorus

Anna Chamberlain (bt) Jet Cities Chorus

Connie Alward (bs) Grand Olympics Chorus

Songs: Joint Is Jumpin’ (N. Bergman); What Kind Of Fool Am I (K. Keller)

Second Place

Happenstance • Score: 597

Third Place

Rewind • Score: 586

Competing Quartets: 22

Choruses

First Place

A Cappella Joy Chorus

Nikki Blackmer, Director

Score: 672 • 56 on stage

Songs: Some Enchanted Evening (L. Wright); Rock This Town (A. Dale)

Second Place

Pride of Portland Chorus

Drew Osterhout, Director

Score: 603 • 40 on stage

Third Place

Spirit of Spokane Chorus

Mike Ellliot, Director

Score: 594 • 23 on stage

Division A

Spirit of Spokane Chorus

Mike Ellliot, Director

Score: 594 • 23 on stage

Songs: Seventy Six Trombones (J. Bescos); It’s You (C. Conerty)

Division AA

A Cappella Joy Chorus

Nikki Blackmer, Director

Score: 672 • 56 on stage

Songs: Some Enchanted Evening (L. Wright); Rock This Town (A. Dale)

Most Improved Chorus

Jet Cities Chorus

Paula Davis & Rachel Pack, Directors

Score: 574 • 23 on stage

Points Improved: 50

Competing Choruses: 19

Photos: Angie Whitten – Harmony Photography

First Place Charmed

First Place A Cappella Joy Chorus

Division A Spirit of Spokane Chorus

Division AA A Cappella Joy Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #14 Heart of the Blue Ridge

Quartets

First Place

Up All Night • Score: 610

Sara Duffy (t) Vienna-Falls Chorus

Allison Lynskey (l) Vienna-Falls Chorus

Heidi Wilson (bt) Vienna-Falls Chorus

Kristen Thomas (bs) Chapter-At-Large Region 14

Songs: I’ve Got A Feeling I’m Falling (D. Wright); If I Had My Way (D. Harrington)

Second Place

Shenanigans • Score: 603

Third Place

Ever After • Score: 562

Competing Quartets: 12

Choruses

First Place

Song of Atlanta Chorus

Becki Hine, Director

Score: 743 • 61 on stage

Songs: Nobody Does It Like Me (C. Hine); If I Can Dream (S Armstrong)

Second Place

Vienna-Falls Chorus

Claire Gardiner, Director

Score: 613 • 35 on stage

Third Place

Carolina Style Chorus

Jean Danaher, Director

Score: 596 • 28 on stage

Division A

Carolina Style Chorus

Jean Danaher, Director

Score: 596 • 28 on stage

Songs: My Foolish Heart (J. Bescos); How Many Hearts Have You Broken (J. Arns)

Division AA

Vienna-Falls Chorus

Claire Gardiner, Director

Score: 613 • 35 on stage

Songs: It’s You (J. Rund); Oh! Look At Me Now (A. Dale)

Most Improved Chorus

Heart of Columbia Chorus

Jamy Archer, Director

Score: 503 • 23 on stage

Points Improved: 56

Competing Choruses: 16

Photos: Freeze-Frame Photography-Rich Gorberg

First Place Up All Night

First Place Song of Atlanta Chorus

Division A Carolina Style Chorus

Division AA

Vienna-Falls Chorus

Regional Results

First Place

Illuminate• Score: 626

Rebecca King (t) Merrimack Valley Chorus

Alicia Caron (l) Spirit of Syracuse Chorus

Jennifer Hunter (bt) Saratoga Soundtrack Chorus

Cherie LaDuke (bs) Coastline Show Chorus

Songs: Next Time I Love (L. Wright); Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart (R. Craig)

Second Place

Harmony • Score: 620

Third Place

Just 4 Kicks • Score: 578

Competing Quartets: 17

Choruses

First Place

Spirit of Syracuse Chorus

Kay Crawford, Director

Score: 629 • 49 on stage

Songs: I Can’t Give You Anything But Love / L-O-V-E Medley (N. Bergman);

Love Letters Straight From Your Heart (J. Arns)

Second Place

Liberty Oak Chorus

Katie Blackwood, Director

Score: 625 • 76 on stage

Third Place

Harmony Celebration Chorus

Under their own Direction

Score: 608 • 46 on stage

Division A

Capitaland Chorus

Susan Koppenhaver, Director

Score: 574 • 30 on stage

Songs: Once Upon A Time (J. Dale); Fit As A Fiddle (D. Wright)

Division AA

Spirit of Syracuse Chorus

Kay Crawford, Director

Score: 629 • 49 on stage

Songs: I Can’t Give You Anything But Love / L-O-V-E Medley (N. Bergman);

Love Letters Straight From Your Heart (J. Arns)

Most Improved Chorus

Capitaland Chorus

Susan Koppenhaver, Director

Score: 574 • 30 on stage

Points Improved: 58

Competing Choruses: 14

Photos: Lindsey Fish

First Place Illuminate

First Place Spirit of Syracuse Chorus

Division A Capitaland Chorus

Division AA Spirit of Syracuse Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #16 Lake Ontario

Quartets

First Place

Firefly • Score: 625

Rachel Beach (t) The Heartland Singers Chorus

Aileen Carney (l) Canadian Showtime Chorus

Susann McKinley (bt) North Metro Chorus

Sharon Demy (bs) North Metro Chorus

Songs: A Wonderful Day Like Today (J. Minshall); Time After Time (J. Arns)

Second Place

Continental Crush • Score: 582

Third Place

No Compromise • Score: 571

Competing Quartets: 6

Choruses

First Place

North Metro Chorus

Erin Howden, Director

Score: 738 • 101 on stage

Songs: Get Your Happy Days On! Medley (A. Dale); I Will (J. Giallambardo)

Second Place

York Harmony Chorus

Martha DeClerq, Director

Score: 609 • 44 on stage

Third Place

Circle of Harmony Chorus

Barbara Hodge, Director

Score: 601 • 45 on stage

Division A

The Heartland Singers Chorus

Hannah Barton, Director

Score: 578• 21 on stage

Songs: The Way You Look Tonight (M. Hale); You Make Me Feel So Young (M. Hale)

Division AA

York Harmony Chorus

Martha DeClerq, Director

Score: 609 • 44 on stage

Songs: All Things You Are (J. Minshall); I Love Jazz Medley (D. Wright)

Most Improved Chorus

The Heartland Singers Chorus

Hannah Barton, Director

Score: 578• 21 on stage

Points Improved: 7

Competing Choruses: 12

Photos: Su Buehler, Photoartist

First Place Firefly

First Place North Metro Chorus

Division A The Heartland Singers Chorus

Division AA York Harmony Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #17 Great Lakes Harmony

Quartets

First Place

Daybreak • Score: 626

Nancy Conway (t) Chapter-At-Large Region 17

Sara Clevenger (l) Greater Harmony Chorus

Margie Manuel (bt) Greater Harmony Chorus

Allison Hengelsberg (bs) Greater Harmony Chorus

Songs: When You Look In The Heart Of A Rose (J. Giallombardo); Oh, Look At Me Now (A. Dale)

Second Place

Blue Phoenix • Score: 594

Third Place

DREAM • Score: 587

Competing Quartets: 14

Choruses

First Place

Greater Harmony Chorus

Michael Hengelsberg, Director

Score: 609 • 37 on stage

Songs: If I Can Dream (S. Armstrong); Make ‘Em Laugh (C. Hine)

Second Place

Greater Cleveland Chorus

Nathan Ogg, Director

Score: 601 • 48 on stage

Third Place

Voices in Harmony Chorus

Jennifer Jones, Director

Score: 593 • 37 on stage

Division A

Lake Ridge Legacy Chorus

Dave Smotzer, Director

Score: 515 • 18 on stage

Songs: Can’t Buy Me Love (T. Gentry); Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man Of Mine (B. Beck)

Division AA

Greater Harmony Chorus

Michael Hengelsberg, Director

Score: 609 • 37 on stage

Songs: If I Can Dream (S. Armstrong); Make ‘Em Laugh (C. Hine)

Competing Choruses: 13

Photos: Jon Petersen

First Place Daybreak

First Place Greater Harmony Chorus

Division A Lake Ridge Legacy Chorus

Division AA Greater Harmony Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #19 Atlantic Bay-Mountain

Quartets

First Place

Alchemy • Score: 633

Katie Knorr (t) Valley Forge Chorus

Jennifer Kuethe (l) Harbor City Music Company Chorus

Kathleen Mannherz (bt) Harbor City Music Company Chorus

Amanda Clements (bs) Harbor City Music Company Chorus

Songs: I’ll Be Easy To Find (J. Minshall); Put ‘Em In A Box, Tie ‘Em With A Ribbon (M. Zwicker)

Second Place

Midnight Society • Score: 586

Third Place

Rampage • Score: 581

Competing Quartets: 18

Choruses

First Place

Greater Harrisburg Chorus

Claire Domenick, Director

Score: 630 • 38 on stage

Songs: A Wonderful Day Like Today (J. Minshall); If I Love Again (E. Waesche)

Second Place

Vocal Harmonix Chorus

Lori Jo Whitehaus, Director

Score: 563 • 35 on stage

Third Place

Jersey Sound Chorus

Richard Lavene, Director

Score: 557 • 46 on stage

Division A

Valley Forge Chorus

Deborah Dahlen-Kirsch, Director

Score: 541 • 25 on stage

Songs: Auld Lang Syne (C. Hine); The Joint Is Jumpin’ (N. Bergman)

Division AA

Greater Harrisburg Chorus

Claire Domenick, Director

Score: 630 • 38 on stage

Songs: A Wonderful Day Like Today (J. Minshall); If I Love Again (E. Waesche)

Most Improved Chorus

Jersey Sound Chorus

Richard Lavene, Director

Score: 557 • 46 on stage

Points Improved: 59

Competing Choruses: 20

Photos: JB Photographers

First Place Alchemy

First Place Greater Harrisburg Chorus

Division A Valley Forge Chorus

Division AA Greater Harrisburg Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #21 Golden West

Quartets

First Place

SoloVoce • Score: 600

Rebecca Smith (t) Harborlites Chorus

Tracey Sandberg (l) Harborlites Chorus

Jennifer French (bt) San Diego Chorus

Marina Hayden (bs) San Diego Chorus

Songs: My Romance, (L. Wright); Oh Look At Me Now, (A. Dale)

Second Place

Dragonfly • Score: 581

Third Place

Girls Night Out • Score: 562

Competing Quartets: 11

Choruses

First Place

Harborlites Chorus

Pamela Pieson, Director

Score: 734 • 62 on stage

Songs: If I Ruled The World, (C. Hine); The Trolley Song, (D. Wright)

Second Place

San Diego Chorus

Kathleen Hansen, Director

Score: 674 • 62 on stage

Third Place

OC Sound Chorus

Bonnie McKibben, Director

Score: 609 • 30 on stage

Division A

OC Sound Chorus

Bonnie McKibben, Director

Score: 609 • 30 on stage

Songs: A Tisket, A Tasket (D. Harrington); How Deep Is The Ocean? (R. Hopkins)

Division AA

Tucson Desert Harmony Chorus

Karen Meade, Director

Score: 556 • 35 on stage

Songs: How Many Hearts Have You Broken (J. Arns); All The Way (D. Briner)

Most Improved Choruses

Simply A Cappella Chorus

Wendi Young, Director

Score: 526 • 23 on stage

Points Improved: 38

Enchanted Mesa Show Chorus

Tony Sparks, Director

Score: 555 • 40 on stage

Points Improved: 38

Competing Choruses: 11

Photos: Rich Gorberg, Freeze-Frame

First Place SoloVoce

First Place Harborlites Chorus

Division A OC Sound Chorus

Division AA Tuscan Desert Harmony Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #25 Heart of America

Quartets

First Place

Wildfire! • Score: 651

Dawn Krones (t) Sooner Sensations Show Chorus

Erin Goeke (l) Rich-Tone Chorus

Jennifer Foster (bt) OK City Chorus

Jen LeClaire (bs) Rich-Tone Chorus

Songs: For The Sake Of Old Lang Syne (J. Bescos); How Could You Believe Me / It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie Medley (Parody) (R. Craig)

Second Place

Clever Girl • Score: 635

Third Place

Vocal Audacity • Score: 607

Competing Quartets: 26

Choruses

First Place

Talk of Tulsa Show Chorus

Frank Friedemann, Director

Score: 617 • 54 on stage

Songs: This Can’t Be Love (D. Wright); If I Give My Heart To You (J. Clancy)

Second Place

Top of the Rock Chorus

Kelley Causey, Director

Score: 605 • 45 on stage

Third Place

Wichita Chorus

Melynnie Williams, Director

Score: 578 • 25 on stage

Division A

Wichita Chorus

Melynnie Williams, Director

Score: 578 • 25 on stage

Songs: What I’ll Do (E. Waesche & R.Craig); I’ll Never Say “Never Again” Again (T. Gentry)

Division AA

Talk of Tulsa Show Chorus

Frank Friedemann, Director

Score: 617 • 54 on stage

Songs: This Can’t Be Love (D. Wright); If I Give My Heart To You (J. Clancy)

Most Improved Chorus

Springfield Metro Chorus

Tawny Brown, Director

Score: 528 • 23 on stage

Points Improved: 40

Competing Choruses: 18

Photos: Jon Peterson

First Place Wildfire

First Place Talk of Tulsa Show Chorus

Division A Wichita Chorus

Division AA Talk of Tulsa Show Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #26 Canadian Maple Leaf

Quartets

First Place

Thumbs Up! • Score: 590

Dawn Witherspoon (t) Gateway Chorus

Lori Colwell (l) Gateway Chorus

Vicky Smith (bt) Gateway Chorus

Lisa Greenough (bs) Gateway Chorus

Songs: This Can’t Be Love (D. Wright); What I Did For Love (D. Wright)

Second Place

Glisten • Score: 580

Third Place

Bewitched • Score: 557

Competing Quartets: 11

Choruses

First Place

Westcoast Harmony Chorus

Anne Downton, Director

Score: 665 • 48 on stage

Songs: All The Things You Are (J. Minshall);

I Don’t Care It The Sun Don’t Shine & Stepping Out With My Baby (L. Rochefort & J. Minshall)

Second Place

Gateway Chorus

Lisa Greenough, Director

Score: 603 • 42 on stage

Third Place

Alberta Northern Lights Chorus

Lisa Hunszinger, Director

Score: 572 • 24 on stage

Division A

Alberta Northern Lights Chorus

Lisa Hunszinger, Director

Score: 572 • 24 on stage

Songs: A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square (J. Bescos); Zing! When The Strings Of My Heart (J. Minshall)

Division AA

Westcoast Harmony Chorus

Anne Downton, Director

Score: 665 • 48 on stage

Songs: All The Things You Are (J. Minshall);

I Don’t Care It The Sun Don’t Shine & Stepping Out With My Baby (L. Rochefort & J. Minshall)

Most Improved Chorus

Magic City Chorus

Cheryl Pearce, Director

Score: 548 • 30 on stage

Points Improved: 3

Competing Choruses: 11

Photos: Aspen Films Saskatoon

First Place Thumbs Up!

First Place Westcoast Harmony Chorus

Division A Alberta Northern Lights Chorus

Division AA Westcoast Harmony Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #31 Quartet of Nations

Quartets

First Place

Sound Central • Score: 634

Jennifer Crooks (t) Milltown Sound Chorus

Suzanne Mansfield (l) Heartbeat UK Chorus

Sarah Bolton (bt) Milltown Sound Chorus

Samantha Jackson (bs) Heartbeat UK Chorus

Songs: My Foolish Heart (J. Bescos); I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby Medley (D. Harrington)

Second Place

Element • Score: 601

Third Place

Last Minute • Score: 594

Competing Quartets: 15

Choruses

First Place

Lace City Chorus

Eleanor Blackeby, Director

Score: 655 • 64 on stage

Songs: Maybe This Time (C. Hine); Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall In Love) (J. Minshall)

Second Place

Aberdeen Chorus

Sophie Radcliffe, Director

Score: 623 • 75 on stage

Third Place

Viva Acappella Chorus

Helen Whittick, Director

Score: 615 • 42 on stage

Division A

Mayflower A Cappella Chorus

Sarah Gill, Director

Score: 548 • 30 on stage

Songs: Lucky Day (N. Bergman); If I Had My Way (C. Hine)

Division AA

Viva Acappella Chorus

Helen Whittick, Director

Score: 615 • 42 on stage

Songs: Time After Time (D. Wright); This Can’t Be Love (D. Wright)

Most Improved Chorus

Lace City Chorus

Eleanor Blackeby, Director

Score: 655 • 64 on stage

Points Improved: 52

Competing Choruses: 12

Photos: By Event Photos

First Place Sound Central

First Place Lace City Chorus

Division A Mayflower A Cappella Chorus

Division AA Viva Acappella Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #32 Nordic Light

Quartets

First Place

Milli Blink • Score: 631

Hillevi Billinger (t) Rönninge Show Chorus

Tindra Thor (l) Stockholm City Voices Chorus

Maria Fabiansson (bt) Rönninge Show Chorus

Susanna Berndts (bs) Rönninge Show Chorus

Songs: I Love Being Here With You (A. Dale); If I Can Dream (S. Armstrong)

Second Place

Keep Cruisin’ • Score: 611

Third Place

Of Chords • Score: 562

Competing Quartets: 7

Choruses

First Place

Alba Show Chorus

Åsa Fagerström, Director

Score: 623 • 54 on stage

Songs: Next Time I Love (L. Wright); You Turned The Tables On Me (N. Bergman)

Second Place

Snowflake Singers Chorus

Kristina Lejon, Director

Score: 613 • 45 on stage

Third Place

Stockholm Starlight Chorus

Charlotte Pettersson, Director

Score: 600 • 51 on stage

Division A

Farsta Harmony Chorus (Harmony Bells Stockholm Chorus)

Viveka Boettge, Director

Score: 514 • 28 on stage

Songs: Wink And A Smile (K. Brittain); Love Walked In (A. Rossi)

Division AA

Alba Show Chorus

Åsa Fagerström, Director

Score: 623 • 54 on stage

Songs: Next Time I Love (L. Wright); You Turned The Tables On Me (N. Bergman)

Most Improved Chorus

Sunlight Chorus

Veronica Johansson, Director

Score: 501 • 26 on stage

Points Improved: 56

Competing Choruses: 12

Photos: Dick Gillberg Photography

First Place Milli Blink

First Place Alba Show Chorus

Division A Farsta Harmony Chorus (Harmony Bells Stockholm Chorus)

Division AA Alba Show Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #34 Southern Cross

Quartets

First Place

Skylark • Score: 636

Joanne Oosterhoff (t) A Cappella West Chorus

Avril Hughes (l) Brindabella Chorus

Kirsten Richardson (bt) A Cappella West Chorus

Glenda Lloyd (bs) Brindabella Chorus

Songs: My Foolish Heart (J. Bescos); A Wonderful Day Like Today (J. Minshall)

Second Place

Alouette • Score: 601

Third Place

Cocktail Hour • Score: 555

Competing Quartets: 20

Choruses

First Place

Endeavour Harmony Chorus

Karen Ramirez & Lea Baker, Directors

Score: 649 • 59 on stage

Songs: Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart (J. Minshall); My Buddy (J. Liles)

Second Place

Circular Keys Chorus

Vicki Dwyer, Director

Score: 622 • 38 on stage

Third Place

Redland Rhapsody Chorus

Louise Brannon, Director

Score: 616 • 46 on stage

Division A

Melbourne Chorus

Joyce Liang-Ridley, Director

Score: 565 • 24 on stage

Songs: A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square (J. Bescos); A Wonderful Day Like Today (J. Minshall)

Division AA

Endeavour Harmony Chorus

Karen Ramirez & Lea Baker, Directors

Score: 649 • 59 on stage

Songs: Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart (J. Minshall); My Buddy (J. Liles)

Most Improved Chorus

Redland Rhapsody Chorus

Louise Brannon, Director

Score: 616 • 46 on stage

Points Improved: 68

Competing Choruses: 23

Photos: Samuel Noakes

First Place Skylark

First Place Endeavour Harmony Chorus

Division A Melbourne Chorus

Division AA Endeavour Harmony Chorus

Regional Results 2023

Region #35 New Zealand

Quartets

First Place

Unlimited • Score: 640

Kate Sinclair (t) Waikato Rivertones Chorus

Jill Rodgers (l) Chapter-At-Large Region 35

Helena Lister (bt) Waikato Rivertones Chorus

Mehermaz Darukhanawalla (bs) Waikato Rivertones Chorus

Songs: They Can’t Take That Away From Me (A. Dale & M. Hale); What’ll I Do (E. Waesche & R. Craig)

Second Place

ZEAL • Score: 614

Third Place

EUPHORIA • Score: 589

Competing Quartets: 13

Choruses

First Place

Christchurch City Chorus

Virginia Humphrey-Taylor, Director

Score: 654 • 85 on stage

Songs: Love Letters Straight From Your Heart (J. Arns); A Wonderful Day Like Today (J. Minshall)

Second Place

Wellington City Chorus

David Brooks, Director

Score: 630 • 38 on stage

Third Place

Greater Auckland Chorus

Jocosa Bruce, Director

Score: 615 • 27 on stage

Division A

Greater Auckland Chorus

Jocosa Bruce, Director

Score: 615 • 27 on stage

Songs: This Can’t Be Love (D. Wright); For All We Know (R. Hopkins)

Division AA

Wellington City Chorus

David Brooks, Director

Score: 630 • 38 on stage

Songs: If I Loved You (R. Craig); Fly Me To The Moon (K. Kitzmiller)

Competing Choruses: 9

Photo Attribution: Clive Copeman

First Place Unlimited

First Place Christchurch Chorus

Division A Greater Auckland Chorus

Division AA Wellington City Chorus

2023 Wildcard Quartets

Region #4

Lipstick Scoundrels • Score: 615

Nancy Appel (t) Scioto Valley Chorus

Christine Pirot (l) Diamond Jubilee Chorus

Christina Scheiderich (bt) Scioto Valley Chorus

Jennifer Davis (bs) Diamond Jubilee Chorus

Songs: It's You (R. Rund); Forget It, I've Had It/After You've Gone (L. Wright)

Photos: Read Photography

Scoundrels

Region #5

Venture • Score: 618

Melissa VanHousen (t) Vocal Standard Chorus

Eva Marie Vargo (l) Vocal Standard Chorus

Melissa Gillespie (bt) Vocal Standard Chorus

Janet Velazquez (bs) Vocal Standard Chorus

Songs: Next Time I Love (L. Wright); Almost There (D. Wright)

Photos: Jon Peterson

Region #5

Flourish • Score: 607

Jennifer Zoellner (t) Vocal Standard Chorus

Rebecca Pattee (l) Vocal Standard Chorus

Stacy Patton (bt) Vocal Standard Chorus

Lori Carrender (bs) Vocal Standard Chorus

Songs: I'm Through With Love (L. Diamond); Something's Gotta Give (P. McAlexander)

Photos: Jon Peterson

Regional Results 2023

Region #9

For The Love • Score: 614

Abbie Owens (t) Toast of Tampa Show Chorus

Jamee Billings (l) Toast of Tampa Show Chorus

Jenifer Billings (bt) Toast of Tampa Show Chorus

Katherine Noriega (bs) Chapter-at-Large Region 9

Songs: Hooray For Love (D. Wright); When I Fall In Love (D. Wright)

Photos: Rich Gorberg, Freeze Frame Photography

Region #9

Sirens • Score: 671

Gina Baker (t) Toast of Tampa Show Chorus

Angie Love-Callahan (l) Spirit of the Gulf Chorus

Deanna Kastler (bt) Spirit of the Gulf Chorus

Joanie Jacques (bs) Spirit of the Gulf Chorus

Songs: Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead (C. Hine); If I Only Had A Brain (C. Hine)

Photos: Rich Gorberg, Freeze Frame Photography

Region #10

Essence • Score: 609

Katarina Pano (t) Chapter-at-Large Region 10

Candice Griffith (l) Chapter-at-Large Region 10

Kerry Parker (bt) Alamo Metro Chorus

Tianna Coffey (bs) Chapter-at-Large Region 14

Songs: Hooray For Love (L. Wright); All The Way (T. Gentry)

Photos: Read Photography

Region #15

Harmony • Score: 620

Diane Duff (t) Greater Nassau Chorus

Heidi Wilson (l) Greater Nassau Chorus

Harriette Walters (bt) Greater Nassau Chorus

Leigh Anne Dorman (bs) Greater Nassau Chorus

Songs: I Love To Hear That Good Old Barbershop Style (J. Lund); I'm Through With Love (L. Diamond)

Photos: Lindsey Fish

Region #25

Vocal Audacity • Score: 607

Jan Fisher (t) Talk of Tulsa Show Chorus

Teresa Totty (l) Talk of Tulsa Show Chorus

Denise Fly (bt) Alamo Metro Chorus

Vickie Dennis (bs) Houston Horizon Chorus

Songs: Let's Start Tomorrow Tonight (L. Wright); Next Time I Love (L. Wright)

Photos: Jon Peterson

Region #25

Clever Girl • Score: 635

Neyla Pekarek (t) Velvet Hills Chorus

Ashley Wright (l) Chapter-at-Large Region 4

Holly Janda (bt) Rich-Tone Chorus

Taylor Daniels (bs) Chapter-at-Large Region 21

Songs: This Could Be the Start of Something Big (S. Kitzmiller); When I Fall in Love (D. Wright)

Photos: Jon Peterson

Region #32

Keep Cruisin’ • Score: 611

Sofia Sjöberg (t) Rönninge Show Chorus

Jennie Lindgren (l) Rönninge Show Chorus

Lena Toyer (bt) Rönninge Show Chorus

Kristina Jerre (bs) Rönninge Show Chorus

Songs: Love Me And The World Is Mine (D. Wright); I Got Rhythm (D. Wright)

Photos: Mary Mamer

Clever Girl

Vocal Audacity Keep

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

In Memory • April-June 2023

Juanita Erickson, Bay Area Showcase, #12

Vicki Cox, Heart of Illinois, #3

Carina Hedin-Eriksson, Baltic Harmony, #32

Marion Daniels, Valley Forge, #19

Melodee Wright, Wichita, #25

Carol Shyrigh, Columbus, #4

Nell Rockwell, Velvet Hills, #8

Wreatha Terry, Member-at-Large

Gayle Miller, Fairbanks Frontier, #13

Susie Scott, Cincinnati Sound, #4

Marian Dampier, Heart of the Blue Ridge, #14

Patricia Neault, Bay Area Showcase, #12

Jane Hurley Coldwater, #12

Donna Bates, Choral-Aires, #12

Maggie Ugen, Laurel Harmony, #12

Memorial Gifts

Nancy Young, Post Road, #12

Anne Leitch, York Harmony, #12

Lisa Garnes, Voices in Harmony, #12

Eleanor Popich, Pacific Sound, #12

Phyllis Tremblay, Chapter-At-Large, #1

Barbara Snow Dogwood Blossoms, #17

Elizabethm Rosenthal, Seattle Shores, #13

Brenda Popovich, South Florida Jubilee, #9

Patricia Potzler, Minnesota Valley Jean Spears, Beaver Valley & New

Advanced to Approved Director

Dawn Haggerty, Scottsdale, #21

Advanced to Certified Director

Jooske Hoomes, Singing Unlimited, #31

Colette Mayers, Grand Mesa A Cappella, #8

Amanda Nelson, Vocal Edge Blue Mountains, #34

Vicki Van Gorder, Greater Cleveland, #17

Advanced to Harmony 500 Director

Jane Krall, Inland Empire, #21

Becky Loveday, Lone Star, #10

Teresa Reed, Heart of the Pine, #10

Jamy Claire Archer, Heart of Columbia, #14

Joyce Liang-Ridley, Melbourne, #34

Julie Edwards, Blue Sky Harmony, #34

Henrietta Farr, Vocal Vibes, #34

Carol Smolenski, Merrimack Valley, #1

Sally Jeffery, Merrimack Valley, #1

Janelle Peck, Coeur d'Alene, #13

Tyler Horton, Upper Chesapeake, #19

Advanced to Master Director

Drew Osterhout, Pride of Portland, #13

Karen Ramirez, Aurora Australis, #34

Katy Dane, A Cappella Unlimited, #10

Jack Johnson, Cincinnati Sound, #4

Carol Thompson, Great Lake Sound, #3

Darin Drown, Velvet Hills, #8

Kim Higdon, Bridges of Harmony, #9

Gayle Burton, Sound of Sunshine, #9

Louise Brannon, Redland Rhapsody, #34

Helen Whittick, Viva Acappella, #31

Zachary Booles, Ignite UK, #31

Sarah Gill, Mayflower A Cappella, #31