Women’s Acappella Chorus’ Open Rehearsal Sept 18, Welcoming Women of all Cultures, Communities

Women’s Acappella Chorus’ Open Rehearsal Night Sept 18
Harmony Fusion Welcomes Women from all Cultures, Communities

Harmony Fusion Chorus, an award-winning women’s acappella barbershop show chorus, will host a special open rehearsal night to welcome new singers of all ages, backgrounds and cultures. Details are as follows:

Open Rehearsal Night
Monday, September 18, 2017; 7-10 pm
Hill and Valley Women’s Club
1808 B Street, Hayward
(Just off 580 in Castro Valley/Hayward region)

“We are looking to add to our chorus of women who love to sing and are enthusiastic about performing, competing and improving their vocal skills,” says Joanne Morrison, Membership Chair. “If you have a good ear for music, we want you! Sight-reading music is not required. We have many methods for learning our songs.”

Harmony Fusion Chorus, a chapter of Sweet Adelines International (SAI), is open to singers of high school age and above. The chorus meets every Monday (except most holidays) from 7pm – 10pm in Hayward. Rehearsals are always open to visitors but September 18 is set aside as a special open rehearsal.

“We welcome visitors to every rehearsal but September is a good time to start with us as we begin preparing our holiday music and working on our contest song package for our annual regional competition in Reno next May,” adds Morrison. “We are especially interested in attracting singers from the East Bay’s many cultural communities. We strive to expand the diversity of our chorus, reaching out to singers of all ages, ethnicity, and backgrounds.”
The special rehearsal evening will begin with a “meet and greet” followed by vocal warm-ups when visitors are invited up on the risers among chorus members. Visitors will learn to sing “tags” – the last two phrases of a song in true barbershop style.

“We want our visitors to experience what it’s like to be one of us,” says Sarah Owen, Board President. “Barbara our director is wonderful to sing for. She is very serious about the chorus and she has a sense of humor that keeps it fun. Of course, singing acappella is the best!”

Director Barbara Vander Putten, a SAI Certified Director and member of the SAI Region 12 coaching faculty, has directed Harmony Fusion Chorus (formerly Harmony Crossroads Chorus of Pleasanton) since March of 2006. Since then the chorus has regularly earned medals at the annual SAI regional contests. Though the chorus works hard to continually improve its vocal and performance quality, it is much more than that.

“A main element of our mission statement is community outreach,” explains Vander Putten. “For me, that is especially true with respect to young performers. Each year we try to include at least one youth group in our shows. We’re very proud of our support and commitment to keep music and performance alive in schools and in the community.

Harmony Fusion is also recognized in its region as the chorus with the highest percent of member retention, winning back-to-back the SAI Region 12 Bravo awards.

“We are extremely proud of this award,” says Morrison. “We are the first and only chorus to receive the award – twice! Other choruses want to know the secret of our success. We believe it’s our welcoming and supportive culture, and of course, our fabulous director Barb!”

For more information about the open rehearsal night, contact Joanne Morrison at (925) 373-0210. General information about the Harmony Fusion Chorus is available on its Facebook page @harmonyfusionchorus or the chorus website at www.isingharmony.com.

About Harmony Fusion Chorus
Harmony Fusion Chorus is committed to musical excellence and education, enthusiastically sharing the joy of singing four-part, a cappella harmony in the barbershop style. Members pride themselves in community involvement and strive for innovative entertainment and diversity in their membership.
Harmony Fusion Chorus is proud to be a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, a worldwide organization of women singers committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education, performances and competitions. Sweet Adelines International boasts an international membership of nearly 27,000 women, including more than 1,200 registered quartets and 600 choruses. The organization’s motto is “Harmonize the world.”