A Christmas card from Julie Berryman

Dear Chorus Sisters, I was lucky enough to go back in time a few months ago, when I was invited to sing in the anniversary show with the chorus that got me started in Sweet Adelines, a midsize chorus in a different region. Treasured memories came flooding back, and the funny thing is...the memories kept bringing me back to the San Diego Chorus. My first International contest I was part of the audience. I cried when San Diego sang their uptune "Midnight Choo-choo" wondering "HOW do they DO that?", never imagining that two years later I would singing on the International stage WITH San Diego! My first batch of learning tapes with San Diego in 1998 included "Go Tell it on the Mountain". Again with the crying, "Oh my gosh. I get to learn a song this complicated and exciting!" Now all these years later, I am still excited and thrilled when we all work together and use the fabulous tools that we are offered by the DMT, all week, every week,. Our leadership is so strong in still amazes and inspires me. I think this is part of the reason I am so delighted when new women come to the chorus and "get it". So, look around you and revel in this time together on the risers, soak up everything you can. Learn, enjoy, and appreciate what we already have and where we're going. There is no one else like us. And I have that on good authority. Have a Joyous December! with love, Julie

My Singing Story .. Jennifer French

Singing has been a part of my very  being since I was born!  Raised in a home where my mom sang to me, we all sang in choirs, classical music was the norm on the radio (KFSD anyone?)  And of course junior high and high school I was THE choir geek!  Performing has always been a passion of mine.  Fast forward almost 30 years from graduation, and after raising two kids, and being a Girl Scout leader for 11 - and finally graduating my now adult Girl Scouts - I happened upon the San Diego Chorus.  It was truly a life changing evening - my first visit to Rehearsal.  After my audition, an explanation of what Barbershop was (and boy was I confused!) and then being told I was a Baritone (?HUH?) I was up on the risers trying desperately to follow along!  But oh my!  My heart was lifted and the passion of singing good music just stunned me.  As I tell people, I was hooked within the first 15 minutes!  One whole year later, my excitement and passion hasn't waned.  In fact, it has grown exponentially!  I was very fortunate to be adopted by a Quartet (Chordial) and we competed in April and even won the Best Novice Quartet award!  My very first competition was in fact the Sweet Adeline International Contest in Houston.  Quite a baptism by fire!  I felt taken in and accepted wholly by this amazing group of women, nurtured and cared for immediately.  To the point, when we lost our home to a fire in February, 2012, it was two Chorus sisters who were there with me and my family that night.  The women of the Chorus reached out the entire time, and if my family or I had any needs, they were taken care of by them. And THAT was when I was a member for less than a year!   The San Diego Chorus has been an oasis in this time of my life.  Singing and pushing myself to get better under the direction of Kim Vaugn and the director team, competing with a group who want to win as much as I do, and growing emotionally, mentally and in all other ways is only the tip of the iceberg of how I feel.  I sing with women who have been doing this for 40 years, and I am determined to do the same!  

As my mentor told me my first night,  singing with the Chorus "is like drinking from a fire hose".  And yes, it is.  But I find that I've become accustomed to being blown away with how much work, practice, patience and trust in myself it's taken me to become a Sweet Adeline!   And while I'm holding the wily, winding, waggling end of the fire hose, taking tiny sips every week, the base of that hose is firmly connected to the amazingly strong group of women, whom I am ever so privileged to call my Singing Sisters; women who have handily changed my life!  

Jennifer French

The Red-Headed Baritone

Rookie of the Year 2011/2012

Chordial Baritone - Winner of the 2012 Novice Quartet of the Year

And grateful Member of the San Diego Chorus - Sweet Adelines

My Singing Story ... Bonita Cross

My name is Bonita (Bonnie) Cross and I am an Emeritus member of the San Diego Chorus.  I joined Sweet Adelines in 1955 at the invitation of my cousin, Eethyle Ford, Jan Stauffer's mom.  In 1955 I was one of about 12 members of the San Diego Chorus, but not a charter member.  We sat on picnic benches and met in the art buildings, across from the big tree by the museum of Natural History in Balboa Park.  I think it was or is called Spanish Village.  I can't remember who the director was, but we had a grand time singing all of the "old" songs; and I mean "old".  I guess some of them are still sung today, but the arrangements have changed a lot.  It was exciting for me since I wasn't even aware there was such an organization for women.  I started out singing tenor in a quartet called the Gad-a-bouts. The quartet members were Mac Taylor, Mary Reimer Peterson, Eethyle Ford and me. Because there were no arrangements for women's voices at that time, we sang the men's arrangements so I was in the clouds as far as the tenor voice was concerned. One of the most popular songs we sang was “Silver Dollar”.  We went to our first Regional competition in Phoenix which was judged by men judges because there were no women's judges at that time.  We placed 4th.  We were so proud of that accomplishment.

After the Gad-a-bouts disbanded I made the vocal change to bass and found it was more to my liking. One of the members, Mac Taylor, the bari in my old quartet, lived in El Cajon and felt that a chapter would be good for the area so she wanted to start a chapter there. Eethyle, Mary Reimer Peterson and I packed up and went to help Mac form the chorus there.  It was named the Singing Hills chorus.  Our chorus director was Gerry Reimer, husband of Mary.  He also coached our quartet. Although we continued to grow as a chapter, we were never very big in size, but we could sing a song with the best of them.  After Mac passed away, Eethyle and daughter Jan moved on to the San Diego chorus.  I stayed on with Singing Hills.  Mary also stayed with Singing Hills for a while and then resigned to be at home with family.  I sang in another quartet with Pattie Glendenning, Ann McGowan and Patsy Swafford.   We named ourselves The Savoire Faire and at a performance we were introduced as the "Savior Fairies" Boy, did we ever get a kick out of that and it's something we joke about to this day.  In another quartet I sang with Pattie, Patsy and a new tenor named Joan Bruner.  Pattie was the lead and Patsy was the bari (you know, the part that's left over!)  We named ourselves The Midas Touch.  Unfortunately we didn't see any gold, but we sure had a good time trying.  Sing in a quartet, it's an experience!

We had several directors in Singing Hills chorus, each one doing what they did best.  Gerry Reimer, Ann McGowan, Pat Vozza, who went on to become a queen of harmony.  She took us to small chorus contest and we won the regional small chorus award.  Sally Brumfield was another director and I also sang in a quartet with her. She sang tenor too!  Thank goodness....  She also took us to small chorus regionally.

I can't remember the details but in about 1985 or so, Singing Hills voted to disband.  Several of us decided to go to the San Diego chorus.  It was not too long after San Diego Chorus director Marvin Yerke’s passing that an upcoming new director by the name of Kim Bone took over. As many of you know, that turned out to be a gift that none of us could have imagined.  At that time San Diego was working on their music for International in Kansas City so my first International competition was with them.  What an experience!  Later on I had the opportunity to be in the front row for another International and I loved it.  I'm proud of the medals I've won while with San Diego Chorus.  We sang some great songs, worked really hard and had so much fun.  I retired from the chorus in 1995, shortly after competition.  It was the most wonderful time of my life and I enjoyed every one of those 40+ years. It is a part of my life I will never forget.  Once a Sweet Adeline, always a Sweet Adeline.  Open the refrigerator door (with the light on) and I'll do 20 minutes....WHAT A LIFE! 

Chorus Rehearsal Always Saves the Day

It's happened more than once.  The day has gone horribly and all you want to do is get in bed and stay there with the covers over your head.

The first time I discovered what going to my chorus rehearsal could do to turn the day around was years ago.   My boss at the time was a good 20 years younger and could be very opinionated and arrogant.  He was also a bit of a bully and seemed to actually enjoy pulling rank. He would make personal jabs when talking about any kind of work place conflict.  I could usually shrug it off, but on this particular day he kept me in a meeting far longer than necessary and by the time I went back to my desk I was feeling very low and defeated.  As the day came to an end, I got in my car and when I came to the intersection of the lane exiting work, I stopped.  Should I turn right and go home or left and go to chorus rehearsal?   With much effort, I made myself turn left.  

When I got to rehearsal, I was in a pretty fowl mood.  We started physical warm-ups, and as the music played and I started to move and stretch, I felt slightly better.  Soon we were totally engaged in the musical work for the evening and as the chords rang out and the chorus came more and more together as a harmonizing unit, the horrible day started to fall away.  I stood in the middle of those ringing chords and felt just great, filled with energy and happiness.    

My cell phone rang on the way home; my boss calling to apologize for being such a jerk.  I accepted the apology, of course, but laughed a little to myself.  My day had turned around all by itself, because I went to rehearsal, because I had discovered this wonderful hobby, because I am a Sweet Adeline.    

My Singing Story ... Donna Johnson

Truly one of the best times of my life.  I joined the chorus in July of 1978 just three short months before the chorus went to International competition in Los Angeles.  I remember how excited I was but also how confused I felt  because I had never experienced anything like this in my life.  It was all new but I just knew I loved being one of the “glamor” girls of Sweet Adelines…that is how we were known in those days.  The contest was one of the last times our beloved director, Marvin Yerkey, stood in front of the chorus.   We lost Marv in 1980 after a short illness.

I experienced ritual by fire when we went on retreat before contest and stood on the risers for hours and hours – I was so tired when I got home, I had to crawl up the driveway. 

The day of the competition came and I sat on the bus next to Marvin as we rode to the contest. He was so nervous that he almost jumped out of his own skin.  We always found ways to take the edge off and I recall that some of our choreography included “chorus kicks” which Marv wanted us to do “down and dirty” – someone had the bright idea of us pinning tassels on our t-shirts under our jackets and when Marv motioned to do it “down and dirty” – we opened our jackets and made the tassels move.  I can still see the look on his face…we all had a great laugh!

San Diego was the 1^st chorus to sing and we were awesome…unfortunately, before we took the stage, there were some mis-communications among the stage crew and the judges and apparently there was no “sound check” before we sang…the judges could not hear us.   As is customary before a contest, we had not eaten anything or had anything cold to drink…you girls know the drill.  After we sang, we all got drinks and snacks, took our seats in the audience only to be informed that we would have sing a 2^nd time….we were called backstage where we sat through the entire second half of the contest and then we took the stage again to perform our contest package for the 2^nd time. It was hard to bring back the “edge” and our second performance, although wonderful, did not earn us the 1^st place medal as we had hoped….we were the 2^nd place chorus but still proud.   Since I had never performed in such a large venue, when the curtain opened, it was as if I was paralyzed, I opened my mouth and no sound came out.  The chorus was about 2 bars into the song before I found my voice.   But, what a rush – wow, I can still feel the excitement and it is something I will never forget.  After the Show of Champions on Saturday night, many people came up to his and mentioned that we may not have won the contest but we sure won the show. 

Marvin was a wonderful and talented director…when he turned around and raised his hands – it was magic; he totally held the whole chorus in the palm of his hands and I consider myself fortunate to have been able to sing under his direction. 

I cherish my time as a Sweet Adeline….I made many lovely friends, have treasured memories of contests, shows, hours and hours of rehearsal, feeling shivers up my spine when we hit a chord just right – it is hard to explain to anyone who has never experienced it and I would not trade my memories for anything in the world.  I sang for 8 years but then moved to Escondido and had other family obligations which prevented me from continuing. 

Sweet Adelines are special people and I am proud to have been a member of such an elite chorus and organization.  For those that do remember me, I was Donna Shepard in those days (1978 to 1985) and I send love and best wishes to everyone, past and present. 

My singing story... Deb Straight

My cousin has been a barbershopper for as long as I can remember and for years I enjoyed listening to his chorus and quartets perform, but I never even thought about the possibility of doing it myself.  In fact, I didn’t even know the opportunity existed, and I guess I’ve been trying to make up for that lost time ever since!

While on active duty in Okinawa, I sang with two church choirs which kept me singing at least 4 times a week and upon return to Hawaii I was eager to continue my singing.  So, in 1999, I searched for a singing group to fill that niche.  It was then I began my affiliation with the then Satellite Sweet Adelines chorus, Na Leo Lani.

A few years later our chorus president, who was a dual member with the Greater Auckland New Zealand Chorus (GAC), got a few of us energized to give competition a try...something satellite choruses don’t do much, if at all.  About 8 of us became dual members of GAC and competed with the them at the 2004 International contest in Phoenix. After that competition, a few of the “Hawaii gals” assisted the “Kiwis” in navigating Arizona and California on a short and scenic road trip which eventually landed us as invited guests at a BBQ hosted by the San Diego Chorus.  It was there that it became known the “Hawaii gals” were looking for opportunities to sing with larger choruses and compete. Without hesitation, the San Diego chorus offered us an opportunity to audition and join them on the 2006 contest stage in Vegas. Nine of us took them up on the offer, returning proudly with our 6th place international ribbon and a burning desire to
perhaps do it again.  In 2008, 4 of us were once again on stage with the San Diego chorus but this time we were lucky to have the International Competition in Honolulu so we could share the excitement of our 7th place ribbon with our family, friends, and fellow singers.  Still with the competition bug, 2 of us joined the San Diego chorus on stage for the 2010 Houston International, and 2 of us (and maybe even more) look forward to being on the risers with the San Diego chorus again when the International Competition returns to Honolulu in Nov 2013.

Since my journey began in the world of barbershop, I don’t believe my feet have hit the floor. I’ve visited and sung with choruses throughout the US, and NZ, currently hold membership in 3 Sweet Adeline choruses (one of which is the newly chartered Honolulu Blend Show Chorus), and I love quarteting! There is nothing quite like the bond/sound formed amongst your fellow singers when you sing those 4 notes that form a perfect chord that rings…ah, music to my ears.

In 2003, I traveled to my first Barbershop Harmony Society Convention in Montreal to watch my cousin perform. In 2008, my cousin was thrilled to visit Hawaii to attend his first Sweet Adelines International competition and watch me perform with the San Diego chorus. Barbershop harmony is truly a huge part of our lives and we are lucky to share the joy of this common experience.

Deb Straight
Bass, San Diego Chorus (2006)
Bass, Na Leo Lani Chorus (1999)
Bass, Honolulu Blend Show Chorus (2007), chartered in Feb 2012!