AGOURA
HILLS HARMONY
www.ahhchorus.com
 Congratulations to all the competitors at IES and best of luck to the novice quartets. We are looking forward to hearing our International competitor's packages on the Winners' Circle show and we wish you all great success in Calgary.
 As you know by now, we have had a major change in our chorus with Anne's upcoming retirement and have chosen a fabulous new director, Monica Tautkus. So mark your calendars for September 29 and Come Follow the Band! We'd love to see you at our show at the Scherr Forum Theatre in the Countrywide Performing Arts Center in Thousand Oaks (2:30 matinee or 7:30 evening performance). Visit www.ahhchorus.com for more information.
This will be an extra special show for us marking Monica's debut. She will be co-directing this show with Anne Casey so it will be double the musical fun. Our chorus is so lucky to have both of these talented directors on board for our show. We hope to see you there.
Thank you, Santa Monica Chorus, for all your planning and hard work in hosting this exciting weekend for us. – Kim Toth-Tevel
Back to Top |
CALIFORNIA
HEARTLAND
www.caheartland.org
 After a great competition in March, we came home to focus on the final planning of CHC's 50th Birthday Bash. It was held on May 5 at the First Baptist Church in Fresno. It was a huge success! The guests included past and present members and directors. We even had founding members present. The chorus sang several songs with the current members dressed in costumes worn since our founding. Each former director led the entire group in a song chosen for our sing-a-long portion of the night. There was wonderful food and great door prizes. Later in the month, we received a proclamation from the city and the county of Fresno proclaiming May 23, 2007 as California Heartland Day. A small group sang for the Fresno County Board of Supervisors on May 22.
Three members of our chorus, Gerrie, Celetta, and Alice Mitchell, celebrated a career milestone. We helped them celebrate their retirement from teaching. Other CHC sing-out performances included: singing for the Fresno Downtown Rotary Club on July 3 and singing the National Anthem at a Fresno Grizzlies game on July 4. The chorus, along with family and friends, got together to see the Melodrama, "Calico Donkeys", at the Golden Chain Theater in Oakhurst on August 11. It was a great show.
CHC would like to congratulate Voices Unlimited and Sweet Synergy for the great job they did representing Region 11 at IES. We would also like to wish Celebrity City good luck this October at International in Calgary. – Kathy Dorn
Back to Top |
CELEBRITY
CITY
www.celebritycitychorus.com
 April 19-21 saw chorus members staffing a well-attended booth at the annual Conference of Nevada Music Educator's Association at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Our exhibit included DVD performances of our chorus at Regional and International competitions to promote awareness of the chorus in the Las Vegas area, and our membership chairman, Carolyn Goodcase, had several contacts to pursue for future membership. In addition, we handed out almost 100 YWIH and IES brochures to high-schoolers and vocal music educators from all over the state, supplying information about the art and accessibility of barbershop harmony.
In June it was wall-to-wall people and diapers when Cheryl Rodrigues opened her home for a baby shower for Lyn and Director Jim Halvorson. By the time you read this, the twins – hopefully – will have made their appearance, and all the "Aunties" and "Grannies" will be ooohing and aaahing! July 20-22 saw us at the Casablanca Hotel for our annual retreat in Mesquite. Enough cannot be said about the coaching of Jim Arns and Renee Porzel. What a team!!!
Celebrity City is cognizant of the responsibility that rests on us as representative chorus for Region 11 in Calgary, as well as the honor. We will do our very best to do you proud, and wish all our fellow contestants a wonderful International experience. Hope to see many of you there! – Betty Campbell
Back to Top |
CENTRAL
COAST CELEBRATION
www.celebration-chorus.org
 There's nothing like having Regional Quartet Champions in your midst to keep you enthused...and enthused we are! As if it wasn't exciting enough to witness our "fab-four", Rio (Dani Avalos-Prigge, Diane McGrath, Alisa Zichterman and Karen Betancourt) WIN on the regional stage; now we get to watch in awe as they prepare to compete at International in Calgary!!!
Since contest, the Central Coast Celebration Chorus hasn't experienced one dull moment! Besides learning amazing things under the contagiously enthusiastic direction of Dani Avalos-Prigge, Celebration has welcomed FOUR new members into the flock; Betty Doyle, who has sung with three other Sweet Adelines choruses in Merced, Mission Valley and Bakersfield; Jenna Segura, whose mother, Martha, is the director of the Medford Oregon Chorus and is also in the Razzcals quartet with Jenna's sister; Laura Tripp, new to the barbershop style but not new to singing; and Sally Bullock, an experienced Sweet Adeline formerly with Pacific Horizon and Tri City Sound!
 We celebrated (we like celebrating, we think up reasons to do it...hence the name!) Dani's birthday with a huge bonfire and potluck at the beach where we ate and sang and sang and ate...is there anything else in life? And, speaking of eating and singing...by now you've seen the July issue of the Pitch Pipe featuring seven of our beautiful (and slimmer) chorus members who won the Sweet Adelines Curves Challenge by uniting in the battle-of-the-bulge, losing an average of 19 pounds per singer. It was a fun and rewarding endeavor that resulted in increased vocal stamina, closer relationships and looser clothes!
Celebration Chorus brought the house down at the local Performing Arts Center August 11, with our annual show entitled, "Bandstand Reunion", singing Bandstand Boogie, Happy Together and doin' the hand jive. Each of our three quartets, Harmony 101, the Be-Bops and Coastal Blend performed and, of course, our guest quartet, Rio, knocked their bobby-sox off!!! Look for Coastal Blend in the Novice Quartet Competition this weekend where we will look forward to reuniting with our favorite Sweet Adelines from all over the region! –Cindy McBurney
Back to Top |
CHANNELAIRE
www.channelaire.org
 WOW... has time ever flown by! CHANNELAIRE members have been going non-stop since Spring Competition. Right after competition we were back into coaching mode to set us on the path to Hawaii 2008.
Channelaire is still flying high after our fabulous trip to Japan. It was a journey of a lifetime that soared beyond our expectations. The tours. The food. The architecture. The toilets! All fantastic memories that live on in the 5,000+ photos taken by the 117 people traveling to Japan with Channelaire.
The absolute highlight of our 9-day adventure was sharing the stage with 4 Japan choruses. These lovely ladies welcomed us with signs and banners. And when we walked into the auditorium for the very first time to rehearse, the applause and cheers made us feel like newly crowned Queens of Harmony being welcomed into the auditorium at International just before the start of the Coronet Club Show.
Each of the 4 Japan choruses performed wonderfully for an appreciative audience of American and Japanese family & friends. The local men's barbershop chorus also performed and several American barbershopper husbands joined in singing, "Hello Mary Lou". Channelaire and 3 quartets sang several songs, including two in Japanese (oh my!). We then all took the stage together for the grand finale. It was an incredible peak experience!
In July we had our annual 4th of July performances at the Ventura Street Fair and Camarillo Farmers Market. Looks like we may have gained some new members from our audiences, too! Our Young Women In Harmony program began, as well, and these fabulous young ladies will be performing for friends and family at the end of August.
Another great experience some of our members were able to enjoy was going to IES, where they had a chance to cheer for Voices Unlimited and our own Erin Cardin in Sweet Synergy. Way to go, gals! It was a particularly incredible Rising Star contest, and we are so proud of Sweet Synergy placing 4th!
Now it's back to reality and preparations for our annual show on October 21. Mark that date on your calendar because you won't want to miss it! We are honored to be sharing the stage with the fabulous brand new men's International gold-winning Westminster Chorus!!! We will have all the information for you at Summer Sizzler, so be sure and contact any member of Channelaire for tickets, or go to our website at www.channelaire.org.
Best of luck to all the competitors this weekend. We'll be out there cheering for you. And to Celebrity City, Rio, our own Shimmer!, – and our 4 dual members who sing with Harborlites – we can't wait to cheer for you in Calgary. We know you'll be amazing! – Carol Dirner and Linda Ragsdale
Back to Top |
GOLDEN
SANDS
www.myspace.com/goldensandschoruslb
 Golden Sands Chorus is celebrating its 55th year with Sweet Adelines International! Change has been a constant over those 55 years, or so we are told, and change continues as August 22 marks our last performance with the remarkable Lynne Smith directing. Join us on the 22nd for a very special evening of harmony, plus coffee and desserts, a 50/50 drawing and a whole lot of fun! "Love in Bloom" starts at 7 pm in the Social Hall at Christ Lutheran Church, 6500 Stearns in Long Beach. The suggested donation is $10. Of course, we will include our contest package for those who were unable to be in Bakersfield, as well as those who simply have to experience it one more time!
As Lynne Smith turns her focus to the increasing demand for her choreography coaching skills, Golden Sands members will continue to reach for the ring tones, remembering the gifts Lynne has given us and moving forward in tune with our new director, Master Director Linda Kelly.
 What incredible good fortune is ours, first to have the inimitable Lynne Smith with us for five years and now to be welcoming the extraordinary talent of Linda Kelly... WOW! We are taking in all the air in the room! –Margaret Brewer
Back to Top |
HARMONY
SHOWCASE
 As we come together in Bakersfield once more, Harmony Showcase Chorus is in the midst of a very busy summer season. We performed at the Senior Exposition early in the summer at the Antelope Valley Mall to an appreciative audience and then sold fireworks as a fundraiser in July. Topping off our summer activities is our "Come Sing with Us" membership push, which will involve the lion's share of our summer rehearsal schedule. The membership drive will culminate on September 8 with an English-style tea at which a combined chorus of our members plus the prospective "divas" will perform.
We are also working very hard on competition numbers, getting them up to speed for a Fall retreat in October. In conjunction with this is a private PVI for each member with our esteemed director, Kira Wagner, to improve our individual skills.
We wish the best of luck to each of the competing novice quartets this weekend, especially our very own Pot of Gold! – Ann Layton
Back to Top |
HARMONY
VALLEY
www.harmonyvalleychorus.org
Harmony Valley Chorus congratulates all choruses that have found new directors, and all directors who have found new choruses. We are still looking, and feel confident that the right person will come along at the right time. Any suggestions? Please e-mail our Director Search Coordinator, Evelyn Hays, at: boomerandcompany@msn.com
We continue to offer an 'A Cappella Harmony Chorus' class through the Merced College No Fee, No Credit department. The benefits are free publicity and funding for our directors. So far this program has brought several potential members. This Fall the class will be billed as a 'Yuletide Chorus', aka 'Holiday Chorus'. This has always been a good way to attract potential members. And of course, performing in our community is, as always, very important to us.
"Affordable Auction and Luncheon", always a popular and well-attended event. We'd love to have some of our Region11 friends come up and join us for the day. For details check our website. – Nancy Weidenmiller
Back to Top |
HIGH
SIERRA
 HOT – HOT – HOT! That is how it's been in Bishop, and that is how it will be at Summer Sizzler! We can't wait to see what Summer Sizzler has to offer this year! We are especially excited to give our love and support to Sierra Stars, our new novice quartet.
IES was a great experience for Nancy Coufal, Lou Ann Stehlik and Susan Daughenbaugh. We have had quartets and a double quartet making a few performances locally, notably for our presentation of a scholarship to a musically gifted young man graduating from High School. The chorus has been working hard to review and renew our repertoire. We have initiated a new monthly luncheon for those who wish to participate – it's a great success! We work hard at chorus and need that time to socialize.
We really look forward to this weekend. Best of luck to all novice quartet competitors. Let the divas shine! – Katherine Little
Back to Top |
|
|
KERN
VALLEY
www.kernvalleychorus.com
Kern Valley Sweet Adelines have been very busy this summer since their 3rd place Small Chorus award-winning performance at Regional contest this past Spring.
If you thought it was snowing in June, you were right!! The Kernville Baptist church was turned into a Christmas recording studio replete with Christmas tree and poinsettias to set the mood for the gals, as they set down their beautiful harmonies to be ready for the Christmas season. Since the beginning of April, they have been rehearsing Christmas music for the recording date of June 21. It all became reality when Dubarri and Dalton recording producers from LA traveled to the Kern Valley to make the magic happen.
Sierra Sound was first to record on June 20 and set 4 songs down, and then the full chorus recorded 10 songs for a release date of November 1. What a dream come true for the chorus that has been in existence since 1972.
Our 35th Anniversary was celebrated with a Dinner/Show/Auction on August 4. We presented a performance package entitled "THE SWEET CHICKEN EXPRESS... IT'S A PEACH OF A SHOW" written by our own Sandi Johnstone. Singing along with all the gals who qualified was Ann Ertel bass from Florida who is a prospective with us.
Francine and Cheryl both attended IES and brought back many new tools to help us become better performers and move up to the next level. They also entered the mentor program and were placed with Julie Starr, director of Bay Area Showcase Chorus who will be competing in Calgary. We really hit it off with Julie and she has given us lots of new ideas and will be visiting us in October after International.
Kern Valley is also on the web. We have a new site at www.kernvalleychorus.com so check us out. We wish the best of luck to our novice quartet, Forward Motion, competing this weekend. And to all competitors this weekend and those going to Calgary we send our best wishes.
Congratulations to Monica Tautkus and AHH, and to Linda Kelly and Golden Sands! What a wonderful fit for both choruses. And to Sweet Synergy and Voices Unlimited!!! Kern Valley loves Region 11. – Cheryl Borthick
Back to Top |
L.A.
SOUTH TOWNS SHOW
www.lasouthtowns.org
 In May, we had another memorable milestone, our first annual Spring Fling Open House. What fun to be able to put on a mini-show for our friends and family at our very own rehearsal hall. Everyone looked ravishing in our hats and pretty pastels and there were smiles all around when our good pals, Sound Union, sang our favorite song "Tiger Rag!"
Our much-anticipated and always popular annual Ladies' Tea and Harmony was held in June. Special thanks to friends, family and our sisters-in-harmony who came for a delightful afternoon.
We would like to extend our warmest appreciation and thanks to our sisters-in-song, Southland Harmony Chorus for inviting us to spend a lovely evening with them. It was a lot of fun – especially when we all sang together. It was a BIG sound! We hope that we can return the favor and that they come visit us soon.
We are pleased to welcome to the fold three new members: Beverly Gooden (bari), Wendy Jackson (lead), and Elaine Wratschko (lead).
To everyone participating in this year's Summer Sizzler, have fun and we wish you, "Break A Leg!" – Melody Saffery
Back to Top |
PACIFIC
HORIZON
www.slonet.org/~slophc
Vacation time is upon us again, and many PHC members are among those enjoying well-earned time away from work, home and routine.
As the Sweet Adeline Year came to a close, we enjoyed introducing our '07-'08 Team Members and our Sweet Adeline Of The Year: our director, Kim Patrick-Miernicke. Great job, Kim!
Our popular and successful Mother's Day High Tea was our "Singing and Serving" gift to our friends, relatives and neighbors. Performances by the chorus and quartets added to the afternoon of enjoyment.
July 4th in SLO Town brought out the red, white & blue in abundance at Mitchell Park. PHC performed a patriotic program in combination with the Gold Coast Chorus. Many "understudies" were called into service, as some of our key people were among vacationers. Congratulations to Diane Douglas, who ably took over the directing duties. Our newest quartet, Steppin' Out, was happy to return to the site of their debut just one year ago.
Another popular annual performance was enjoyed at Atascadero Lake Park earlier this month. What a pleasure to perform for folks relaxing in lawn chairs on the grass, surrounded by the beautiful trees and lake (and a great picnic, too!).
Our next show will be held on October 27. We're excited at the possibility of having our region's Quartet Contest winner, Rio, join us. Hope to see you there!
Keep a song in your heart, and Happy Summer!!! – Alison Drake
Back to Top |
RIVEROAKS
 Have you ever stopped at one of those tourist traps up the coast where the water runs uphill? Well, that's how RiverOaks is running – straight uphill to the top! After the March competition, that's pretty much the only direction we can travel – up, up and more up!
We have gained several new members who are enhancing our sound, and we're putting the capital "D" in Determined! Theresa threw her arm out with her, uh, vigorous directing (or maybe it was from that whip she carries…). After coming back from IES, she's full of new information, new skill-building techniques and more energy than the rest of us put together. We have built up our patriotic repertoire considerably and are ravishing the community with our red, white and blue sparkles.
We are proud to have Cathy Tautkus, our Assistant Director, as Team Coordinator of Region 11, and so proud of Voices Unlimited and Sweet Synergy for their performances at IES. REGION 11 ROCKS!
RiverOaks is gearing up for our annual performance at Forest Lawn in October – this year themed "We Are Family." Yes, that's right. We sing at the local cemetery where no one in the audience complains. We were blessed to have Linda Taylor coach our chorus recently and we learned a ton. Now, all we have to do is remember to put it all together when it's our turn on the risers next March!
RiverOaks wishes all the novice quartet competitors to break a lip at Sizzler and we look forward to learning from the Buzz! – Kathy Theodore
Back to Top |
SANTA
MONICA
www.santamonicachorus.com
 Welcome all you Deity Divas and Classic Choruses to this fantastical Sizzler weekend in ancient downtown Bakersfield. We are honored to be your host chorus. May the Gods smile upon all competing novice quartets -- especially on our own Cosmopolitan and Friends and Family.
We were so proud of Sweet Synergy (and our Esther Alva singing bari) as they placed fourth in the YWIH competition at IES in July. And congratulations to Voices Unlimited with their second place small chorus IES win! Our chorus really looks forward to competing at IES in July 2008. We're already working on our sound, showmanship and style. Guess who came this week to coach us? The one and only Karen Breidert! Wow!
Our rehearsals this summer were full of fun and drama as we practiced "Love Potion #9 - a Tragic Greek Comedy". Greek goddess garb added to the atmosphere! We also spent arts and crafts afternoons at Laura P. and Nancy B.'s homes creating products to sell at Sizzler's famous marketplace. (Come by for a visit and bring your coins!)
On Mother's Day, we sang our traditional Mother's Day telegrams welcomed by recipients throughout the USA. June 24 we welcomed a new chorus baby: Shelly Wilner's new baby girl, Brett Raquel.
To Region 11's Celebrity City, Rio, and Shimmer! – we know you'll be riding high at International in Calgary. Today, we send you off with lots of love. Come October, we'll be there to cheer you on! – Patti Nugent
Back to Top |
SOUTH
VALLEY SOUND
www.sweetadeline.org
 South Valley Sound Chorus has had a "Yellow Ribbon" tied around our hearts since competition. Creative thinking outside of the box has turned our small chorus into a mid-size chorus for the very first time in SVS history. Coupled with a 1st time ever yellow ribbon and you've got a winning combination! We contribute much of our success to Shop ‘n Sing, our scathingly brilliant membership and retention program.
In June, we visited the Harborlites Chorus to watch Lee Hays and the chorus prepare for Calgary. We've been delighted to have Judy Ashmore coach us already this year and we are very excited to sing for her this weekend in the STAR Chorus. This year, all of SVS is singing in the STAR Chorus and we can't wait to sing on the Winners' Circle Show with Mary and Lee.
Congratulations to Voices Unlimited and Sweet Synergy for representing Region 11 at IES. We are especially proud of Peggy Derleth, a dual member with SVS and Voices Unlimited!
We wish the best of luck to first-timer, Val, and Silver Lining, and to all of the novice quartet competitors. Break a lip to our International competitors, Shimmer!, Rio, Celebrity City and Harborlites. Be sure to watch for Lee who will be sharing the stage with Harborlites and Patty Cobb Baker, Debbie Curtis, Monica Tautkus and many more of our Region 11 friends. What a wonderful educational experience for our organization!
South Valley Sound is "on the move" in more ways than one! Have a great weekend and here's to the Goddess in all of us! – Jolene Forzetting
Back to Top |
TRI
CITY SOUND
 Since we have turned our attention to public performances, things have been busy for Tri City Sound. We have surpassed our goal of singing out at least once each month.
Our own Ella Craig's arrangement of "You're a Good Old Wagon" won the regional arrangers competition, and the chorus has been working hard to make her proud with our rendition.
We recently added periwinkle costumes purchased from South Valley Sound to our performance wardrobe and we can't wait to wear them on the risers.
In May, at our board installation, all of the chorus members received certificates of achievement from director, Barbara Nigh. These awards recognized the unique qualities that each member adds to the chorus. The board members each received a luxury bath basket. The chorus recognized Laura Newbre as the Sweet Adeline of the year, and new board members, Trudy Morris, Bylaws coordinator, and Laura Newbre, Corresponding Secretary.
We were lucky to join Pacific Horizon Chorus in welcoming Diane Porsch for a coaching session in May.
Tri City Sound would like to wish all of our competitors, Rio, Shimmer!, and Celebrity City best of luck in competition. Break a lip, ya'll! – Laura Newbre
Back to Top |
VERDUGO
HILLS
www.verdugoshowtimechorus.org
 "Good Is The Enemy Of Great." That's why VHSC has been taking giant steps to create an atmosphere of women on a mission to promote chorus pride, to work smart and to master new skills.
Chorus pride was evident when Region 11 awarded VHSC the Chorus Achievement award and long-time member, Shirley Holland, received the Regional Noteworthy Award in April. We continued to shine brightly as we hosted our third annual A Cappella Scholarship Festival on May 5 at Pasadena High School. Eleven high school and middle school choirs participated and after performing and being adjudicated by three judges, they all received a cash prize for their school music programs. The cash prizes totaled $9000 and were made possible by a generous donation from the John C. Hench Foundation. The Festival committee included VHSC members Sandy Huskins, Pat Kahmann, Janice Kueppers, Patti Loitz, and Carolyn Westelaken. In addition to performing at the Festival, VHSC was honored to be invited to sing for the Los Angeles County Peace Officers' Memorial Ceremony on May 9. Also, on June 3 we performed in an evening of "Barbershop through the Decades" sponsored by Janice Kueppers' Harmony Hills Chorus (BHS)
Mastering new skills was given a boost by the coaching skills of Dale Syverson, Diane Porsch and Patty Cobb Baker. We also devoted two rehearsals to "working smart" in sectionals.
Look at all these new members! Pam Consoli, Robin Draper, Glenda Lee, Diane Powell, Gretchen Ross, and Susan Van Oort. Congratulations to Laura Smith who added a set of twins to our barbershop family.
Good luck to our competing novice quartets. Plan B – Jane Wolff, Lorna Katz, Pam Consoli, Glenda Lee and What Four – Catherine Peters, Dee Cardello, Ellen Totleben, Susan Smith.
Come join us for our annual Ice Cream Social on September 9.
We've moved! Come visit us at Blair IB Magnet School, 1201 S. Marengo Ave. Pasadena, CA 91106 – Jo Shannon
Back to Top |
VOICES
UNLIMITED
 Voices Unlimited is thrilled to be back with all of our Region 11 friends for Summer Sizzler. The "BUZZ" around town is that this seminar is going to be a great opportunity for all of us to hone our barbershop skills.
A lot of exciting things have been happening since we were here with you in March. We welcomed two new members into our family: Stephanie "Cheffie" Caughell, who sings lead and is an awesome pastry chef, and Mava Collard, who sings baritone and sews a mean costume.
As you know, we recently competed at IES in San Antonio with four other Division A choruses. While our goal was to come back with blue ribbons, we are nevertheless very proud to be wearing our second place red ribbons. We had a wonderful time and learned a lot from the whole experience. It was so gratifying to have the love and support of our region with us in San Antonio. Heartfelt thank you's go out to our RMT for making us feel so special. We also want to thank our "dynamo" director, Dede Nibler, and the wonderful coaches who worked with us: Carole Kirkpatrick, Beth Smith, Doreen Philbin, Renee Porzel, and Jim Arns. And by the way, Sweet Synergy, you ROCKED the house during the Rising Star competition. Yeehaw!
We're still pinching ourselves over the news that we will be going to Hawaii next year as a wild card chorus. How cool is that? Of course that means we'll be fundraising, looking for sponsors, raising funds, and looking to earn money to help us pay for the trip. If you make it to a Fresno State football game this fall, look for our booth. Let's all have some fun this weekend! – Susan Sanders
Back to Top |
|
