YOU CAN STILL REGISTER FOR ONLY
$25 PER PERSON LATE FEE!
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If you have
already signed up for Fall Music School, watch for the Notes Before You Go email coming soon to your inbox. Included will be the schedule and new seminar song.
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Kim Vaughn
- Master Director 700
- 3-time Queen of Harmony
- Sound Category Judge
- Sweet Adelines Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
- Vocal Pedagogy Expert
- To read more about Kim, click here
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Friday, October 25
- 7:00 pm - Nine contestants in our Very Large Quartet VLQ) Contest. Four celebrity judges from S.L.A.M.! and Soundbyte quartets.
- 8:30 pm (approx.) - Round Table Topics - three sessions at 20 minutes each.
Saturday, October 26
- Interactive sessions with material based on our 2019 regional judging panel's comments
- New seminar song
- Director class with Kim
- Membership lunch
- DCP testing
Sunday, October 27
- 9:00 am - 12 noon (approx.) - Quartet coaching-under-glass, back by popular demand.
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North Metro
welcomes:
Yumiko Koiwai
Bay of Quinte
welcomes:
Danielle Lapointe
Bethany Douglas
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Upcoming submission deadlines:
October 30
November 29
December 30
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Congratulations to Region 16 International representatives
Canadian Showtime,
S.L.A.M.! and
Limestone City Voices on their performances in New Orleans! And particular kudos to
Limestone for winning the Audience Entertainment Choice Award and 4th-place Harmony Classic Division A medal!
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 Thank you S.L.A.M.! for a fine performance in your beautiful blue gowns in New Or'lins! All who walked across that International stage last month were so inspiring! Those of us who watched the webcast or were live in the audience were MOVED by the emotions that the quartets and choruses shared through their songs. We laughed, we cried and we had goosebumps when we heard those chords ring.
Did it make you want to sing in a quartet? If your chorus or quartet took a break in the hot weather, the renewed energy in the fall is palpable when we return to regular rehearsals. If you are in a quartet AND chorus, which most of our quartet members are, you have felt the differences that can complicate your journey but, overall, there are so many positives in being in both. Here is the beginning of a list that I am sure you could add to with your quartet mates.
Challenges for a quartetter:
- Breathing - In a chorus, you are encouraged to take a personal breath when needed, to be present at the end of the phrase. In a quartet you have to create a breath plan that all four can manage and synchronize.
- Admin tasks - The four of you have to do it all: Song selection, rehearsal planning, fundraising, MCing, coaching arrangements, etc.
- Your time, energy and resources have to be divided even further as you balance your home life with barbershop singing.
Joys of being in a quartet:
- You get to learn and perform the repertoire of your chorus AND quartet!
- The four of you are autonomous in making all decisions: costuming, breath plan, song interp, etc.
- Section unity is great. You are your own Section Leader.
- You have the opportunity to create TWICE the joy for yourself and your audience singing in both a chorus and quartet!
On Friday October 25 at the Sheraton Park Hotel, there is a full slate of Very Large Quartets (VLQs) that will perform for us all at the Fall Music School. Who knows? Maybe some of those participants will 'catch the bug' of singing in a quartet... Will YOU be one of them?
Paula Allen
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H
armony North has had a busy fall so far. We chartered back in March of 1999, and recently held a 20th Anniversary bash at the Marsh Street Center in Clarksburg. We invited all
 of our former members, and had a great turnout. It was a wonderful evening of reminiscing, catching up with old friends, singing, leafing through history books, and snacking on some delicious munchies. We had a fabulous display of all of our costumes over the years, set up on the stage by our wonderful costume chair, Jan Shortt.
The Marsh Street Center was one of our rehearsal homes over the years. We used their space for approximately five years. The ambiance there is great, and we enjoyed having our celebration there. Past rehearsal venues have included two different churches in Clarksburg, a condo development in Thornbury, a church in Collingwood, and our present rehearsal site at a retirement residence in Collingwood.
We have had three directors during our journey - Doris Waite, Selina Ree and our present director Catherine Robertson. We watched contest videos during our party of each of them leading us on the competition stage. We have won awards at regional under all of these fabulous women, including most-improved chorus in 2017 and 2019 under the direction of Catherine, 2nd place Division A in 2004, 2005 and 2009 under the direction of Doris and 2012 under the direction of Selina, and 3rd place Division A in 2019 under the direction of Catherine.
We are presently holding our fall membership campaign, and have had several women come out expressing interest in our wonderful art form of barbershop harmony. It is so exciting to be able to share our love of music and singing with some potential (hopefully!) members.
We have our annual Christmas show scheduled for Wednesday November 27 in Collingwood. Our rehearsals are now being spent on reviewing all of our favorite Christmas songs, and also learning three new pieces. It's a mystery how Christmas time came up again so quickly. How time flies when you are having fun!
Many of us are attending this year's fall music school, so we hope to see you there.
Submitted by Marion Boyd |
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Our Summer Celebration was a great
way to start our three weeks of holidays with a swim, delicious potluck dinner and, of course, lots of singing by various groups.
Even though it still feels like summer
some days, Northumberland Chorus
has been working on Christmas music for our annual Christmas performances in November. We are hosting the 10th annual Christmas Chorus from October 7 until November 11. Our Christmas Chorus will accompany us on stage at the Bethlehem Walk in Cold Springs on November 15 and our Christmas Tea performance on November 16.
We performed at Fraser Ford in Cobourg on September 24 for a Ladies Night Out. This was a fundraiser for Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention centre. Besides the table we set up for Northumberland Chorus, there were many other interesting tables. They provided fruit and vegetable trays and the Auxiliary Police served small slices of pizza. There was also a raffle with many lovely prizes.
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Our big news is that Orangeville
Show Chorus has a newly-renovated rehearsal home at Westminster United Church, 247 Broadway in Orangeville. We just moved in and we love it already! Centrally located, it has bright open space, good acoustics, and adequate storage. Drop in to see us some Wednesday evening, 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
And on our second night there, we sang our hearts out and had a phenomenal coaching session with the fabulous June Dale. We learned so much in such a short period of time, while we adapted to "more new homes" on the risers.
Kudos to S.L.A.M.!, Limestone City Voices and Canadian Showtime for representing Region 16 in New Orleans. We were cheering you on via the webcast. We are so lucky to have that wonderful opportunity to watch when we can't be there in person!
Hope to see lots of you at Fall Music School as we begin another Sweet Adeline season of education, rehearsals, performances and all that leads up to our next contest in the spring of 2020 in yet another new home!
It would seem "new homes" are good for us!
Anne Richardson
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What a thrill eight of us had in New Orleans! We managed to jam-pack a lot of sightseeing in even before the Harmony Classic!
The highlight for many of us (besides the great contest of course!) was the evening we spent at Preservation Hall, just off Bourbon Street. An extraordinary evening of some of the greatest jazz in the world!
We visited the Laura Plantation, which is steeped in as much history as you can imagine. Our guide Stephen barely stopped for a breath as he described the
momentous history of the land.
His knowledge was vast and he spoke with an enthusiasm that was quite mesmerizing!
Another incredible night on the Mississippi river... A jazz dinner cruise aboard the Steamboat Natchez paddle-wheel riverboat! The view, the lights, the Creole-inspired food, the atmosphere, and oh, the music, courtesy of the Dukes of Dixieland! We didn't want the evening to end!
We all returned home exhausted and yet totally energized to begin a new season. Our PMP programme got off to a great start, and our Assistant Director, Margaret Fielding, conducted a fun-filled rehearsal while Barb was with us in New Orleans. We hope many of these ladies will become members of the Circle of Harmony!
The Circle of Harmony wishes all our sisters in harmony all good things as we move into the fall season!
Susan Mander
P.S. Save the date for our annual holiday show, Perfectly Seasoned, on Saturday, November 16 at 2pm and 7:30pm.
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September finds us at YHC grateful for such a wonderful summer, and also looking forward the few months left in 2019!
Speaking of the end of summer, we had "hay loads" of fun at our Louisville-themed summer party! Complete with themed party games, a nip of mint julep, and some wild Kentucky Derby-style hats!
The very next day we had our August 14 fundraising event with The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro in Newmarket. Fifteen percent of the total sales from the day went to YHC. We had an incredible turn-out, with the restaurant manager reporting it as his single most successful event to date!
On September 6 we performed at the Sharon Temple's Illumination evening. It was a magical, candle-lit evening of music celebrating the heritage of this magnificent temple. It's always a treat to sing in this building as the acoustics are amazing!
Most recently we had a send-off for S.L.A.M!, Stephanie, Linda, Annie and Martha, who competed at the SAI International competition in New Orleans (N'Awlins) this month. The send-off was full of Marti Gras beads and inspiring notes and, of course, a celebratory cake! We hope you all had a chance to see them perform - they were fabulous! Our congratulations go out to all choruses and quartets who performed this year!
Lastly, many YHC members are really looking forward to spending time with the incredible Kim Vaughn at this year's Fall Music School. It's always an inspiring time, filled with great opportunities to refine our craft, sing together, rekindle friendships and create new ones. Can't wait!
Here are some upcoming events to pencil into your calendars:
- Sat. Nov. 30, York Harmony Chorus Annual Christmas Show, "A Claus for Celebration". Newmarket Lions Hall and Community Centre @ 2:00
- Sat. Dec. 14, Christmas by LampLight, Black Creek Pioneer Village, Toronto. Evening performances at the village church.
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Over the past year with our director Joe Connelly, we have set out on an important "journey" of growth. Region 16's very own Erin Howden has polished and inspired our visual performance and the brilliant Queen of Harmony Karen Breidert coached and entertained us with her sense of humour while imparting words of wisdom. We have been humbled by their generosity of spirit in helping our team as we work through new ways to continue on this journey.
The 73rd Annual Sweet Adelines International Convention and Competition was a "rockin" great time. It was a joy to partake in the harmony, sisterhood, nightlife, and blues, to name a few of the pleasures New Orleans had to offer during the week. We represented Region 16 and came in 18th (out of 34 competing choruses) in the world. We are very proud of our chorus and our achievement. We know that as we continue to work together, the possibilities are endless and exciting.
We continue to share our music in our community. On September 28, we sang our unique arrangement of the Canadian Anthem for the Ottawa RedBlacks football game vs. the Edmonton Eskimos at the TD Place.
The festive season is just around the corner... and our Annual Holiday Gala fundraiser will take place on Sunday, December 1, 2019 featuring a performance by our chorus. Guests will enjoy casino games, a live auction, and dancing to music favourites from the 1960-80s. This extraordinary evening is sure to be fun for all. Advance table reservations are available through chorus members and online via EventBrite.ca. Tickets for Adults/Seniors are $60, with a special price of $25 for youth under 25.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving with our families, we remember to be thankful for each other, and for the songs in our hearts. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
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 Doesn't it seem that September has just flown by since settling back into the fall routines of weekly chorus rehearsals and our chorus life in general? We hope everyone enjoyed their summer break. The kids and grandkids are back to school and now we are all back to business. Many of us look on this time like the start of a new year! GKC is busy learning new songs, planning a membership drive, preparing for performances, and involved in ongoing preparations for GKC's 60th Anniversary celebration in May of 2020. Exciting times!
GKC recently had another fantastic coaching session with Jordan Travis. The wonderful benefit of bringing in outside coaching is that no matter how long or how short a time you've been a member of Sweet Adelines, it seems you always learn something new to add to your personal knowledge of this craft, and it just rejuvenates you!! It is yet another building block, and such a confirmation of investment of time and money very well spent.
Many of us who weren't fortunate enough to attend International in New Orleans were glued to the webcast, and although it sounds cliché to say it, it does get better, more creative and inspiring every year! We saw some pretty amazing performances on that stage. Shout-outs to all Region 16 competitors, and congratulations to our local
Limestone City Voices for winning the Most Entertaining Chorus in the Harmony Classic contest. Well done, ladies, or should we say, 'gents'!!
The trees are now beginning to show off their beautiful fall colours of reds, yellows and golds, and should be on full glorious display just in time for Thanksgiving. Following that, we hope to renew acquaintances and see friends from other choruses at Fall Music School. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
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The
2019 SAI International competition was amazing! From start to finish, those of us who watched from our homes or work were entertained with days of our craft being performed at the highest standard. We are inspired to keep on striving to improve our craft, and reach for our personal best. Thank you to all who crossed the stage.
And thank you to Erin Howden who, fresh off the plane from NOLA, gave up her Saturday to help us get ready for our upcoming show. "
Celebrating our first 25 years
" will be held Saturday, November 16. Tickets are now available. Please contact members of Durham Shores Chorus or visit our website
for information on how to purchase tickets.
Pictured above are the members of Durham Shores at coaching with Erin Howden along with our youngest Sweet Adeline, 'Isla'. She spent the whole day being serenaded and we hardly heard a peep from her. We like to get them hooked young!
We send our very heartfelt thoughts to those who are on leave for personal reasons and wish you strength in your recovery. To those with personal blips that have taken you away from us for a time, hurry back.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone as you busy yourselves for the upcoming holiday with friends and family. We will see you at music school!
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Image City Sound is grateful for the summer that was 2019 as we enjoyed many opportunities to connect with each other and with our community. We held a fun and profitable garage sale, enjoyed singing out in the community, held leadership training workshops, and even had a coaching night with Di Porsch! All this positive energy has really shown through as we have new members who are stepping up to make contributions and a couple of new guest singers who have come through our doors.
We are also filled with enthusiasm about singing after such an amazing International competition in NOLA. Our director, Rhonda, performed with Spirit of Syracuse, who placed 21st. Congratulations on that! Plus we had another member, Sally Warriner, who took her granddaughters to NOLA and all sang on stage with the Family Chorus. It's so beautiful to see women share our art form with the next generation.
Fall is sure to be a busy time with our upcoming show 'Celebrate America' on November 17, 2019. If any Region 16 ladies are willing to make the drive to Rochester, it's going to be a great afternoon performance. We have an all-woman a cappella group from the University of Rochester, Vocal Point, performing, along with a spectacular brass band, Prime Time Brass. Our flyer with the particulars is below.
Sing on everyone! The world needs your music in it.
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A
Cappella Challenge 2020 is on its Way!
Calling all youth a cappella groups! It is time to prepare audition submissions for the third annual A Cappella Challenge. If you are part of, or know of, a youth choral group that performs a cappella music, we would like to hear from you. Complete guidelines regarding audition submissions and the live contest details are available online. Online auditions are due by November 30, 2019.
This past year's event, held on February 9, 2019, was a huge success, with groups from southern Ontario participating in a day filled with wonderful a cappella performances and the joy of sharing music with an appreciative audience. With representation from a cappella groups featuring as few as three members to over 30 members, incredible talent crossed the stage throughout the evening. The winning group, Hawkapella, represented Sir Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario.
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Hawkapella, 2019 A Cappella Challenge Winners
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The purpose of the A Cappella Challenge is to promote a cappella singing amongst young people and to provide them with a forum to showcase their talents. As they perform alongside North Metro Chorus, many of these young people will be introduced to the a cappella art form of barbershop for the first time. What a wonderful way to introduce young women and young men to this wonderful hobby of ours!
The live contest date is set for February 8, 2020. Funding, in whole or in part, is being provided by the Young Singers Foundation of SAI and Region 16's YWIH program. Mark it on your calendar and plan to attend. Information regarding ticket sales will be posted in mid-December.
For further information, please feel free to contact:
Colleen Drautz
and
Karen Armstrong
Co-Chairs of the A Cappella Challenge
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Sweet Adelines Region 16
Leila Brown - Communications Coordinator
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