Competition is a valuable way for YOUR chorus to "assess" its performance skills and abilities. It allows us to measure the skills of a chorus or quartet, and, by comparing one year's scores to the previous year, to determine whether or not there has been performance improvement. The score sheets are tools for use in planning warm-ups, rehearsals, PVIs, section rehearsals, and other skill-building activities. They can be used to set goals, plan improvement strategies, and, thus, begin the journey toward a more solid performance.

International requires choruses to compete at least every three years in an effort to evaluate and improve their performance level. The majority of choruses, however, choose to compete every year! Failure to compete or be evaluated every year may lead to "lost ground" for the chorus during the non-competing/non-evaluating years. When we're not focused on annual competition, it's easy to "rest on our laurels", losing valuable stamina and skills!

Keeping with that thought, effective with the 2009 contest year, the policy of Region 25 will be as follows: All choruses must either compete at the regional competition or be evaluated by a region 25 faculty member on an annual basis regardless of the previous year's score. Again, this policy change is being implemented in an effort to encourage choruses to continue to maintain or improve their performance skills. If your chorus chooses to be evaluated by a regional faculty member (rather than to compete), the visit may be scheduled by contacting Marilyn Dickey (MarDickey@aol.com). Please feel free to contact a member of the Region 25 Regional Management Team if you have any questions about this policy change.

This excerpt is from an article that will be published in the new issue of "SING!”, which is published annually by the OK City Chorus.  If you would like to read the entire article, ask to see the magazine next time you see one of the OK City members.

There are two distinctly American musical art forms. One is barbershop harmony, which is the passion of the OK City Chorus of Sweet Adelines. The other is jazz. Interestingly, one of the legends of jazz comes from London with a heritage that is a Jamaican - British blend. Dame Cleo Laine was born Clementina Dinah Campbell on 28 October 1927 in Southall, Middlesex, England. If you have had the pleasure of hearing Dame Cleo Laine sing recently, you probably think that the above date is a typo. The flexibility of her voice and the nearly four octave range belies her age.   She is indeed eighty years young.

I had the pleasure of catching up with Cleo at her son’s California home following a recent San Francisco performance with her equally famous husband, John Dankworth.    The energy and vitality of her vocals spill over into personal life.  Or maybe it’s the other way around.  Please allow me the pleasure of sharing some excerpts from our conversation.

NN:  Can you tell me how you began your career?

Cleo:  While I’d been singing since I was three or four, I didn’t pursue it seriously until I was in my twenties.  I decided that, while I wanted singing lessons, I didn’t want my voice to be “changed”.  I went to noted Hungarian vocalist, Madame Urtel, who agreed to take me on as a student.  She believed that singing is mind over matter.  If you think you can, you can. 

NN:  Tell me about how you met John.  How did that musical union start?

Cleo: I auditioned in 1951 for John’s band, which was a cooperative.  I think John liked me and he asked me to sing with the band that evening.  I’d never sung in a jazz club before and I don’t think the patrons were terribly impressed by me, but the boys in the band seemed to like me.  They offered me six pounds per week, which was not bad.  I said seven and got it.

NN:  And did this lead to other things?

Cleo:  In 1953, John decided to expand the band.  There were to be three singers.  John made it very clear, however, that this would never be a singer’s band.  The instrumentalists would always be the focus.  Well, that didn’t sound very good to me.  I decided it was time to pursue a career as an actress or solo singer. 

 NN: How did John take that news?

Cleo:  I told him that I was leaving to do something on TV.  We’d never really had a relationship outside of the band but he called me up and said simply, “Will you marry me?”   I said yes.  I think that he thought he was going to get a cheap singer but he got a very expensive wife instead. 

NN:  To what do you attribute the range and longevity of your  voice?

Cleo:  I’ve never been a bawler or a screamer.  I think the word you use here in America is “belter”.  I’m not comfortable doing it.  I still avoid dairy as well as red wine, tea and chocolate when I’m in a production or on tour.  I also keep in touch with a voice doctor just to check if everything is in good order. 

NN:  You were the guest artist at Showcase during a Sweet Adelines International convention a few years back.  Do you remember it and did you get an opportunity to hear some barbershop singing while you were there?

Cleo:  I certainly do remember it and of course I heard them singing.  You couldn’t help it, could you?  If you were at a restaurant, or anywhere else in town, they were singing.  They sang for anybody who wanted to listen and anybody who didn’t.  I found it delightful. 

Director Search

The Crystal Chimes Chorus is looking for a director. They meet on Tuesday afternoons from 1pm-4pm in Hot Springs Village, AR.  If you know of anyone who might be interested, contact Joy Dressler, President, at 8conquista@sbcglobal.net