Adelines Making Some Sweet Music

Thu., March 30, 2000

William Berry Correspondent

Once again, Spokane is hosting the Sweet Adelines Northwest regional competition. Nearly 1,000 women from Washington, North Idaho and Alaska will descend upon the Lilac City this weekend to stretch their vocal cords in friendly battle.

Sweet Adelines are the women of barbershop, singing close four-part harmony in the traditional style - and sometimes going where no women have gone before, stylistically.

For the competition, the groups tend to be a little more conservative, since the rules governing what they can sing are pretty specific. But on Saturday night at the free-form Festival of Champions, the ladies let loose. They have a lot of fun, and it is amazing what you can hear from all of the ensembles at the top of their game.

Returning to competition is Spokane’s own Spokane Falls Chorus, directed by Mike Elliot. As the regional champion in 1998, they were not able to compete last year; the winning chorus traditionally takes a year off to raise money to get to the international competition, which was in Atlanta last fall.

Last year’s winner at the regional level was the 170-member Pacific Sound Chorus from Seattle. Since they are headed for the international competition in Orlando, Fla., this fall, they are excluded from this year’s regionals. But they will appear at tonight’s Showcase 13 at the DoubleTree City Center, along with more of last year’s winning groups.

Also singing tonight is a rising star quartet. Four high school women from Cheney will make their debut performance with the big girls through Sweet Adelines’ sponsorship of “Young Women in Harmony.”

Judges for the competition come from Florida, Texas, Virginia, Indiana, Oregon, Utah and Ohio. The ensembles are judged in four categories: sound, music, expression and showmanship.

Sixteen choruses, which range from a couple of dozen voices up to 170, will vie for the opportunity to reach next year’s international competition in Portland. There also are 19 quartets competing. Since travel arrangements for quartets are more flexible, the winner in that category will go to the Orlando competition this fall.

All of the events are open to the public. You also might be able to catch some of the quartets performing for free this afternoon in RiverPark Square.

This sidebar appeared with the story:

SWEET ADELINES

Competition schedule

Sweet Adelines Region 13 Chorus and Quartet Competition:

Showcase 13 - today, 7:30 p.m. DoubleTree City Center, tickets $8 (available at the door).

Quartet Competition - Friday, 6 p.m., Spokane Opera House, tickets $11.

Chorus Competition - Saturday, noon, Spokane Opera House, tickets $11.

Festival of Champions - Saturday, 8 p.m., Spokane Opera House, tickets $19. Tickets are available through G&B Select-a-Seat, 325-SEAT or (800) 325-SEAT, or at the Opera House ticket office.

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