Every year on Valentine's Day, the Carolina Harmony Chorus sends out quartets to spread love and cheer. In past years we have delivered "Singing Valentunes" to individuals or small groups, ordered by their loved ones. We also love to spend any extra minutes we have going to hospitals, outpatient treatment facilities, nursing homes, and anywhere else we think folks might enjoy hearing a happy tune. This year we thought - why not take some requests?
Carolina Harmony competed last night (Tuesday, October 16) in the Harmony Classic at the Sweet Adelines Internationaln competition in St. Louis, Missouri. The chorus performed its "Mermaids in Space" package, complete with mermaid dresses and a giant clam shell on the stage. Songs included "Octopus's Garden," "Big Bad Bill is Sweet William Now," "I Have Dreamed," and "Come Sail Away."
Don't be fooled by the image above, taken at the end of an incredibly productive day of coaching with the fabulous Jim Arns. We're working hard and can't wait to hit the stage in St. Louis on October 16 to show what we've been working on all summer.
For those who won't be in St. Louis, you can catch our act on the Sweet Adelines webcast: http://www.sweetadswebcast.com/. It's absolutely free, though they welcome donations to help cover expenses.
We are scheduled to be on stage at 7:20 pm Central Time--that's 8:20 pm for those of you in the east. However, schedules can change and it's common for the contest to run a little behind.
Carolina Harmony recently suffered a tremendous loss. Our chorus sister, Ann Henebury, died unexpectedly on Saturday, September 8.
Ann was preparing for what would have been her first competition with the chorus--Harmony Classic in St. Louis. Ann was a warm and enthusiastic presence in the lead section, with a smile that could light up the darkest room, as you can see above (she is in the middle of the trio in the photograph). The chorus sang at her celebration of life service in Raleigh, and a recording of the chorus will be played at a second service in Fresno, California.
Although Ann won't be standing on the risers in St. Louis, she will be with us in our hearts.
View our competition video at https://youtu.be/xX6uTrYRUD0. We finished third with a score of 614 (5 points out of first place).
Our regional competition just ended, and we are once again the proud owners of two medals: first place small chorus, and third place overall. Not only did we come home with those medals, but:
On Saturday, Feb. 24, Carolina Harmony had the privilege of being coached by Lori Lyford, director extraordinaire of the amazing (and multiple International champion) Scottsdale Chorus. We started the day by singing a surprise "Happy Birthday" to Susie, our director, and then discovered that Lori's birthday was only a few days away, so we sang it again.
Lori is a joy to work with. She's a phenomenal teacher and an excellent singer; in addition, she bounds around the room with the energy of someone mmnnmmph years her junior. And she's funny; we spent the day laughing while learning.
We're busy now working to integrate the skills she taught us, and we can't wait for her to return to work with us again in May.
Twelve members of Carolina Harmony also sing in one of our five registered Sweet Adeline quartets. Three of those quartets will be competing for the first time at the 2018 Sweet Adelines Region 14 competition in Concord, North Carolina, on Friday, March 23: Sky High, Game of Tones, and Viva!
Two of those quartets have organized a "Friends and Family" performance at Nickelpoint Brewery on Saturday, March 10, at 3:00 pm. We're looking forward to hearing them!
This Valentine's Day, Carolina Harmony is trying something different. We're going to be singing at senior living centers at mealtimes; in between, we'd like to spread some joy at hospitals, rehab centers, cancer treatment centers, and nursing homes, and we're asking you to help support this effort.
To support us, visit https://www.gofundme.com/CHCValentunes. Donate as little or as much as you want, and suggest places you'd like us to sing. We'll send a quartet to as many as we can, offering a Valentine song to people who may need someone to brighten their day.
Our last rehearsal for 2017 is on Tuesday, December 5. Rehearsals will resume on Tuesday, January 2, and we'll be jumping right in to start preparing for regional competition (March 22-24).
