CURTAIN CALL
Penny Parisi • Laura Smith • Jan Steese • Jackie Wheatley

CURTAIN CALL'S twins are now 9 months old and getting cuter every day. (Actually, Laura did the hard work of birthing them, but the other three of us get to be aunties!) We were able to do several Christmas performances during the holidays including the Verdugo Hills Holiday Harmony Show. Alan Gordon has been coming to Laura's house to coach us so she can be nearby if the twins need her. On February 9, we had the privilege of delivering a singing valentine to member Sandy Huskins' hubby, Don, at the celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary where the chorus was performing. On February 14, we were able to steal Laura away from the twins for a few hours to deliver some Singing Valentines.

We thank our director, Gerry Papageorge, for the wonderful vocal lessons we get every week at chorus and our wonderful VERDUGO HILLS family for their love and support. Our very best to all the competitors but especially to our VHSC gals in PIPE DREAMS, WHAT FOUR!, SPIRIT, WILDFIRE, and PLAN B.

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DOLCE
Elaine Casperson • Erin Lunn • Dede Nibler • Wendy O'Connor

Hi from the Central Valley! We were thinking we should just name ourselves ROUTE 99 because we spend some serious time on the road between Bakersfield, Visalia and Fresno!

We're excited to be making our debut on the regional stage this year and have had a great time getting ready for contest (and shopping) and learning new music (and shopping) and getting coached (and... yeah.) Our good friend from Washington, Carole Kirkpatrick, spent time with us (we didn't take her shopping), and Jim Arns was a lot of fun to work with also, what a thrill.

DOLCE sends big love to our hubbies Don, Greg, Tom and Tim who graciously give up part of their homes on Monday nights and to our wonderful VOICES UNLIMITED CHORUS for their support. We love ya! A special shout out to Steffie who gave us our (her) name, we miss ya, girl!

All the best to everyone onstage this year!

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GLORYGALS
Pat Jackson • Dyanna Denari • Vicky Tomasino • Cheryl Rodrigues

GLORYGALS, a new quartet from CELEBRITY CITY CHORUS, is really looking forward to our first regional contest in April.  We've been together less than a year, and are made up of three Sweet Adelines veterans and a relative newbie.

So far our repertoire has looked back to the great songs of the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s, but as we grow we are welcoming other eras. We've enjoyed singing out this year at several assisted living facilities, and it's been gratifying to watch our senior audiences enjoy the energy of the old songs and maybe reminisce a bit while they listen (and even sing along silently!) GLORYGALS, as strolling singers, also serenaded shoppers at a mall during Christmas with holiday songs.

We've been especially excited to work with coaches on our journey to Bakersfield. Our own Jim Halvorson has been a major encourager, and we thank Patti Goin, John Mininger and Ami Fewell for the expert input to help us get here this weekend. We love you guys!

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OOH LA LA
Barbara Adams • Esther Alva • Jonni Anderson • Judy Hatch

OOH LA LA has been running a “Meet the La La's” series and it's tenor-time. Oh!!! That's me, Barbara Bayles Adams, also known as “Loquacious La La,” (for obvious reasons).

My SAI membership card indicates that on May 1 of this year I will be a 29-year member … yes, 29! It was a probable event – both of my parents were barbershoppers. I was honored to win a 1st place regional medal with the L.A. SOUTH TOWNS CHORUS in my very first contest, which then took us on to International in Phoenix. What a way to start my SAI career! In 1985, I joined my first quartet, SEVENTH HEAVEN, and that first regional quartet contest was a BLAST! For the last 14 years, I have sung in different quartet configurations with seven ladies, so doing the math…I guess that makes us a double quartet!

I've worked at the same company for 22 years as a Project Business Management Advisor, and am a UCLA graduate (GO BRUINS!) and also received my MBA from CSULB. I'm blessed with a great husband, Allen, who is a wonderful father and a La La supporter. He's not a barbershopper but he and I both sing in our church's Praise band. We also have a delightful daughter, Cambria, who is almost 7. She is taking after her Auntie Jonni and will likely be a baritone – or a lead – she definitely has the personality! We live in Huntington Beach, and if you see a silver convertible on the freeway with the license plates “HBTENOR”, please wave hello!

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PLAN B
Pam Consoli • Lorna Katz • Glenda Lee • Jane Wolff

You know the saying; “When all else fails there's always PLAN B!” This will be our first regional quartet competition, and for some of us, this will be our first chorus competition with VERDUGO HILLS under the direction of our lovely and talented director, Gerry Papageorge.

So, let us introduce ourselves to you. Singing bass is Jane Wolff, singing lead is Lorna Katz, our baritone is Glenda Lee, who by the way, is a former Region 21 quartet champion from SOUNDS GREAT quartet, and last but not least, our tenor is Pam Consoli.

We love to sing together and sang in last year's Novice Quartet contest. We decided to continue the journey of singing together as a quartet and since last summer, we have done numerous singouts. Our most memorable was our recent singing Valentines Day deliveries. One in particular was the delivery of not only a Valentine's Day singing card, but to a woman who was celebrating her birthday on Valentine's Day. She was living in an assisted-living facility and her best friend got her the singing valentine. After we had left, she could not stop talking about us to her family and friend of how wonderful we made her feel. Well, about less than a week later, she passed away, but it felt so good to know that we could bring such joy to her during this woman's last days here on this earth!

We look forward to this weekend, and we would like to thank our coaches from both our novice contest and regional contest. Thank you so much to Gerry Papageorge, Connie Noble and Lynne Smith. Thank you also to our vocal teacher who has helped us as individual singers, Patty Cobb Baker. Also, thank you VERDUGO for supporting us! We love you all!

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RING!
Stacey Riss • Ami Fewell • Suzanne Lunak • Bobbie Jewell

RING! has traveled a lot in the last few months. We went to Calgary for International and visited beautiful Banff. While there, we took a gondola to the top and sang from the peak of Sulfur Mountain. It was an awesome experience. In a recent trip to Bullhead, AZ we helped with the holiday orders Ami's family's florist shop received. We made 501 baskets in 8 hours. That's teamwork! And of course we have been singing everywhere along the way.

RING! has been busy preparing for contest with our wonderful coaches Bette Gorton, Sandy Shelver, Pam Pieson, and our own Jim Halvorson. Bette and Sandy showed us a wonderful time in Julian, and Linda Kelly was a gracious host for our coaching with Pam.

We would like to wish each competitor good luck this weekend. We are proud to share the stage with you!

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RIO
Karen Betancourt • Dani Avalos-Prigge • Alisa Zichterman • Diane McGrath

RÍO has had a wonderful time representing Region 11 as quartet champs and have enjoyed meeting many of you. We are humbled by the tremendous support you've shown us this past year. Region 11 ROCKS!!!

Christmas was a blur. We were busy singing all over San Luis Obispo County in December, with our record being 4 gigs in one day – and one of them a 4-hour open house! A highlight of the holiday season was singing at the Hearst Castle® employee and family open house. This year, we were able to dress up in 1930s clothing. We had a blast singing in wigs and vintage dresses borrowed from the Living History Program there. We've never had our photos taken so much! CELEBRATION CHORUS put on two Christmas shows in different parts of the county, and Río dressed up like nutcrackers to complete the holiday tableau.

Now contest is here! We had our own retreat weekend, coached with the wonderful Linda Kelly, and sharpened our singing skills. We've enjoyed this year getting more attuned to each other and are rarin' to go on the contest stage again! Extra love to our other chapter quartet, THE BEBOP GIRLS, as they take the stage for the very first time – you go! We wish the most wonderful contest experience to all competing quartets and choruses – have a blast, and sing from your hearts!

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SERIOUS TREBLE
Melissa Hockenberger • Shelly Wilner • Debra Hockenberger • Jeannie Vercillo

SERIOUS TREBLE is sad to announce that due to various reasons we broke up in December 2007. SERIOUS TREBLE had a great 5-year run. Founding members were Debra, Melissa, Shelly, and our original bass, Marde Snedeker. Together we placed 9th and then 6th (we didn't compete the year Shelly had a baby). Shelly and Melissa were newcomers to Sweet Adelines in 2002, and we learned so much from Marde's magnetism and warmth when performing. She always made people laugh and enjoyed every minute on stage. In 2006, Marde decided to pursue other interests, while remaining our quartet "mama."

In 2006 we had the great fortune of joining up with Jeannie Vercillo, one of Region 11's most legendary basses. With Jeannie we soared to 3rd place, winning the Sizzle Award as well as Most Improved Quartet (by 109 points!). We will forever be thankful to Jeannie for all she gave us during our two years together, especially her beautiful bass voice, her vast expertise, and her endless patience with all of our ever-changing family and health issues.

We also want to thank our choruses, SANTA MONICA and VERDUGO HILLS, as well as Region 11 for all of the love and friendship that has been extended to SERIOUS TREBLE over the last five years. You're the best!

Best of luck to ALL competing quartets and choruses. May the spirit of barbershop continue to thrive for many, many years to come!

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SHIMMER!
Patty Cobb Baker • Missy Pearce • Judy Ashmore • Mary Ashford

SHIMMER! is still living on Cloud Nine these days. We were honored to once again be asked to be this year's mic testers. However, Missy's brother is getting married at noon on one of those fancy, schmancy boats out of Long Beach and so she won't get to Bakersfield in time for the start of the contest. We are very excited to present the 1st place medals to this year's quartet champions, and to sing on both the Parade of Champions and the Sunday Brunch.

In January, SHIMMER! traveled to San Diego for the Region 21 Quartet Workshop taught by THE BUZZ. We also got in a coaching session with our favorite coach Jeff "sing every note with great intention" Baker. Next weekend, SHIMMER! will be in Phoenix for Region 21's regional weekend. We kick off the weekend by singing on the Club 21 show, a coaching session with Dale Syverson and we will be the quartet mic testers unless Patty's brother decides to tie the knot?

Speaking of Patty, we are very proud of her and her appointment to the International Board. In February, Judge Jurdy officially retired from her real life job into semi-retirement. Her new title is Assistant to Jack Jones. With Honolulu on the horizon and with colds going year around, SHIMMER! has become proactive with a full-line of cold prevention fund-raising products including Nedi Pots, Pastilles and Hand Sanitizers. Stay tuned for more details but please feel free to talk to us because we love to talk about germ warfare!

Special thanks to the terrific choruses we proudly represent – CHANNELAIRE, HARMONY SHOWCASE, SOUTH VALLEY SOUND and HARBORLITES. We would also like to recognize the Winners' Circle for all that they do over competition weekend including the Thursday night quartet reception hosted by RIO, the Friday night quartet champion reception, the escort vans for top five quartets, the Novice and Sizzle awards, and the flowers for the quartet champions. A very special ‘Thank You' to Marie Hampton for being such a creative genius!

Thank you, CHANNELAIRE, for hosting regional weekend. Here's to “harmonizing the world” as we sing our way into another fantastic regional weekend. Best wishes to all competing quartets and choruses.

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SIERRA SOUND
Kay Gregory • Cheryl Borthick • Francine Stirling • Debby Fieber

We have great news!!  We've found a tenor and she was right in our own chorus. Kay Gregory was singing bass, and had told us when she joined that she was a former member of a chorus over 20 years ago singing tenor. At Christmas time, Francine and Cheryl decided that since we had lost 2 tenors in the chorus to relocating, including our tenor in our quartet, we needed Kay to sing tenor in the chorus. We asked Kay to sing a couple of songs after rehearsal one evening and that was it.

It was too late to participate in contest this year but just ask us to sing around contest weekend. We'd love to!! Our best wishes to all competing quartets and wish we were up there with you!

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WILDFIRE
Patti Goin • Mary Jo Wheeler • Delia Price • Jan Sloan

Here we are…it's competition! WILDFIRE has been gearing up for this weekend. January and February has had it's toll on our quartet. In January, Mary Jo had bunion surgery and is healing very well. February brought heart by-pass surgery for Patti's hubby, Don. He is recovering at home at this time and doing very well. Also in February, Delia had knee surgery for a torn meniscus. Everyone is back and WILDFIRE is doing great! We sang 11 singing Valentines during all this uproar.

We would like to take this time to thank our coach and very special friend, Gerry Papageorge. She is amazing! She keeps us honest and always inspires us to do our very best. Thanks, Gerry. Big thanks to our mighty fine director, Jim Halvorson. He shares his talent and knowledge with WILDFIRE every Tuesday night.

To all the competitors this weekend, have a wonderful and successful experience on stage.

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