Tonight we have a special extended Friday Night Live featuring the 2003 Barbershop Harmony Society International Chorus Contest from Montreal. Hear the Vocal Majority take gold in an incredible contest, starting at 6 pm Pacific – only on Acaville!
Tag: chorus
Friday Night Live – 1990 BHS International Chorus Contest
Tonight on Friday Night Live, we return to Masters of Harmony‘s first ever International Chorus Contest win in 1990, a title they’ve gone on to capture EIGHT more times since.
Hear the Barbershop Harmony Society International Chorus Contest from San Francisco tonight at 6 pm Pacific and Sunday at 8 am & pm Pacific – right here on Acaville!
A Cappella Showcase Takes Gold
After one of the most ambitious chorus contests in 60 years of Harmony, Incorporated, A Cappella Showcase, representing Area 5, won gold with a score of 1507 – 83.7% (1507), just 2 points shy of the highest score of all time, earned by Village Vocal Chords in 2005.
The group started their set with the iconic song from Les Misérables, “On My Own,” so moving you could hear a pin drop in the packed auditorium. The mood changed to boisterous as they started “The Night Has A Thousand Eyes,” complete with choreography that brought on an overwhelmingly positive response from the audience. As is customary for the winning chorus, director Jordan Travis was given the Skidge Heath Memorial Award.
Silver medalists, Northern Blend also exceed all other previous chorus scores earning 1500 points – an 83.3%, making this the first chorus contest to see two choruses exceed 83%. The Blenders put up two widely loved songs, “Pure Imagination” and “I Got Rhythm,” performed with an elevated level of zest that we’ve come to expect from this top-level ensemble. The audience even got to see a couple of cartwheels, which only visually emphasized the energy we got from their performance.
The remaining medalists also put forth the gold standard.with a 78.5% from Sounds of the Seacoast, a 78.4% by the Village Vocal Chords, and first time medalists, Atlanta Harmony Celebration! earning a 76.1%. Atlanta Harmony Celebration! also took home the Montreal City Voices Tait Trophy for Chorus Improvement Score by Ranking. The group moved from 11th place in 2018 to 5th in 2019. The record setting scores continued on down the line, with numerous choruses hitting their best scores ever.
Additional awards included the LABBS Trophy: Non-Medalist Highest Performance Score which went to 7th place chorus, Bella Nova, and the G. Ruth Geils Memorial Award: Highest Scoring Chorus with the Least Number of Appearances on the Contest Stage for 6th place finisher Lake Ridge Legacy Chorus. Bluegrass Harmony was recognized with two awards – the MacIntosh Award for Highest Ranking Non-Medalist Small Chorus (25 or less) and the Jerry Dunlop Memorial Award given to Kris Wheaton, the Novice Director Highest Score in Chorus Contest.
Sweet Adelines International Starts HOT in NOLA
The 2019 International Contest for Sweet Adelines is well underway with the Harmony Classic Divisions A and AA and the Quartet Semifinals in the rear view mirror.
After an exciting night highlighting the smaller choruses of the organization, Millenium Magic Chorus, a chorus that uniquely uses no front line director, took first place in Division A. Under the direction of 2014 Queen of Harmony Caitlin Castelino, Diablo Vista Chorus won Division AA.
Millennium Magic Chorus (North Atlantic Region 1, Manchester, CT)
Overall Score: 1271
Under the direction of 2014 Queen of Harmony Caitlin Castelino, Diablo Vista Chorus won Division AA.
Diablo Vista Chorus (Pacific Shores Region 12, Walnut Creek, CA)
Overall Score: 1311
The quartet semifinals were a long day of incredible music from 44 quartets crossing the stage at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, with the top ten moving on to the Finals on Friday. Tune into the Sweet Adelines Webcast at 11:30 am Central to watch what is sure to be a nail-biting finish. Don’t believe us? Check out their stunning semifinal performances:
Viva!
The Ladies
GQ
Ambush
Tenacious
VOCE
TITANIUM
Renegade
Fortuity
Milli Blink
Plus a mic test from 11th place finisher Lucille and a swan song from 2018 Queens of Harmony, ClassRing.
And while they may have finished 33rd, perhaps the most talked about quartet was comedy Wildcard, Don’t Call Me Shirley. Tune in – we promise you’ll laugh. A lot.