Submitted by Kathleen Ware on
The cheer squads from down under were in overdrive at the Greater Columbus Convention Centre (Ohio USA) for this year’s Sweet Adelines International competition. They may have been massively outnumbered by the North American audience members, but they more than made up for that minor impediment with their Olympic-sports-stadium-style welcomes to each of the Aussie performances that graced the stage. And why not? After all, this is indeed the world championships in the extreme sport of women’s barbershop singing.
Two choruses represented Australia this year – Redland Rhapsody and Circular Keys Chorus (CKC). Redland Rhapsody qualified for the Harmony Classics category and competed in the AA division, with 59 singers on stage. They sang wonderfully and came third overall. Well done to the beauties from Brisbane! You brought the Queensland sun with you and warmed everyone’s hearts – including the judges.
CKC was a wild card entry, so we went straight into the international semifinals, competing against choruses of any size – in fact, the top four placegetters in the finals had numbers ranging from 83 to 114 members. In total, we had 28 singers on stage, which included 6 ooters (out-of-towners) plus Bec Hewitt, our indomitable coach and mentor. Vicki Dwyer, our musical director extraordinaire, had already instilled in us that most precious of attributes as we were preparing for this event – the ability to believe in ourselves and reach as high as we possibly can. So on stage in Columbus, we reached for the stars. What an exhilarating experience!
Our set comprised two songs. The uptune, I Just Found Out About Love, was first recorded by Nat King Cole in 1956 and has since been covered by many other artists, including Jonny Mathis and Diana Krall. The ballad, Always On My Mind, is not the song made popular by Willie Nelson and Elvis Presley, but a little-known number first released by Sarah Vaughan in 1964. Vicki was very taken with this soulful ballad and asked Adam Scott, a barbershop singer, composer and judge based in the US, to arrange it specifically for CKC.
Most people had never heard these numbers performed as competition pieces before, and many audience members told us afterwards that they were amazed at the volume and richness of sound we achieved for such a comparatively small chorus. The judges agreed, and were very encouraging and complimentary in their comments. In the end, we ranked 19th out of 33 competitors.
To put it another way, we are officially in the top 20 women’s barbershop choruses in the world. Of course, we’ve been performing at this level for many years, but most of the time our results are simply measured in terms of the delight and warmth we bring to local audiences. As Vicki put it the day after our performance, while everyone was relaxing and winding down from a week of high adrenaline: ‘We love what we do and get so much enjoyment out of doing it. But it’s only when we come to these sorts of events and compete against our peers that we’re reminded how pretty damned good we really are’. Well said, Vicki – and we all share the same observation about your own skills as one of the world’s best musical directors.
There were also two Australian quartets competing this year – Skylark (comprising singers from the ACT and Perth) and Alouette (featuring our very own Vicki, Kaity, Diane and Crystal). Skylark achieved 9th place overall in the finals – well done fellow songbirds, you always fly so high!
Alouette came 28th in the semifinals, out of a total of 45 competitors. Their two pieces were This Can't Be Love and If I Had My Way. Alouette maintain a busy competition schedule, in addition to their regular concert performances. They competed at last year’s Sweet Adelines International convention in Kansas (USA) and are the current Australian champions, having won this year’s Sweet Adelines Region 34 annual competition, held in Hobart. We’re so proud of you all!
Thank you to everyone who played a role in helping us prepare for the Columbus convention – from the husbands, partners and fretting pets who had to stay home; to the CKC members who practiced with us every week but couldn’t make it to the event; to the coaches and mentors who gave us encouragement and advice on how to reach our best potential.
Thank you to the fellow members of CKC who walked out on stage in Columbus and showed the audience (and judges!) why we’re considered one of the best choruses in the world. We can all return to Australia brimming with satisfaction in our efforts as individuals, and immense pride in the love, harmony and joy we've been able create as a unified whole.
Thank you to the ladies who performed special roles in our chorus this year, including our management team, committee members and helpers who worked away so hard behind the scenes to do all the things that needed doing and keep the wheels turning smoothly.
Which brings us to the very special person in our chorus who gives us the power and energy to perform at the amazing level we consistently achieve: thank you Vicki – you’re a star and we’re so privileged to have your as our musical director.
