HAYWARD, CA – Harmony Fusion, a women’s a cappella vocal ensemble, will host a special open rehearsal guest night to welcome new singers from around the bay area. Details are as follows:
Open Rehearsal Night
Monday, September 23, 2023; 7-9:30 pm
Hill and Valley Women’s Club
1808 B Street, Hayward
(Just off 580 in Castro Valley/Hayward region)
Harmony Fusion, a chapter of Sweet Adelines International (SAI), is open to female singers as young as high school age. The group generally meets Monday nights from 7pm – 9:30 pm in Hayward. Guests are always welcome but September 23 is set aside as a special open rehearsal.
“If you have a good ear for music, we want you!” says Joanne Morisson, Membership Chair and Livermore resident. “We’re looking for women who love to sing and are interested in performing, chorus competitions, and improving their vocal skills. Our members live throughout the East Bay in and around Hayward, Castro Valley, Alameda, Oakland and Berkeley, the Tri-Valley areas of Livermore, Pleasanton and Danville, and the San Francisco Peninsula.
We welcome all singers with or without choral experience to the guest night to find out if Harmony Fusion is a good fit for them. We are eager to share the sisterhood of a cappella with our guests. The ability to read music is not required.”
At this special interactive rehearsal, visitors will experience what it’s like to sing in the barbershop style as a member of Harmony Fusion. After a meet and greet, guests will join members on the risers to experience the joy of “ringing chords” together.
Director Barbara Vander Putten, a SAI Certified Director and member of the SAI Region 12 coaching faculty, has directed Harmony Fusion since April of 2007. Under her direction, the ensemble has medaled several times at the annual Sweet Adelines International regional contest, and she regularly attends regional educational conferences with the chorus twice a year.
“Music education in Barbershop singing is the mission of Sweet Adelines, but the organization also provides opportunities to sing in other styles,” says Vander Putten. “In addition to the joy of singing in our sisterhood, members learn proper vocal technique for ensemble singing during rehearsals and coaching, and perform at events throughout the East Bay. Membership includes access to weekend workshops in vocal techniques, singing in a quartet, learning to direct, and multiple aspects of performing and leadership opportunities.”
Harmony Fusion has also been recognized for its high member retention rate as a four-time winner of the SAI Region 12 BRAVO award.
“We are extremely proud of the award,” says Morrison. “We are the first and only chorus in our region to receive the award four times! We believe our welcoming and supportive culture, and of course, our fabulous director Barb, inspire our members to show up consistently and share their love of singing.”
For more information about the open rehearsal night, contact Joanne Morisson at (925) 784-2950. General information about Harmony Fusion is available on its Facebook page @harmonyfusionchorus or website at www.harmonyfusion.org
About Harmony Fusion Chorus
Celebrating its 50th Anniversary, Harmony Fusion is committed to musical excellence and education, enthusiastically sharing the joy of singing four-part, a cappella harmony in the barbershop style as well as a variety of other vocal genres. Members pride themselves on community involvement and strive for innovative entertainment and diversity in their membership.
Harmony Fusion 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 21,000 women, including more than 1,000 registered quartets and 500 choruses.
The ensemble was formed by the consolidation of two smaller chapters of Sweet Adelines International. Harmony Bay Chorus, chartered in 1973, rehearsed in Oakland at the Lake Merritt United Methodist Church. Harmony Crossroads, chartered in 1993, rehearsed at the Pleasanton Community Church in Pleasanton. Once the two groups had occasion to sing together, they realized that their combined voices sounded amazing and so Harmony Fusion was formed.
About the Director Barbara Vander Putten
Barbara Vander Putten, a Bay Area native, began her vocal music career in 1977 joining the West Valley Masterworks, with whom she sang a diverse repertoire including Mozart & Verdi’s Requiem (with a performance at Carnegie Hall), Bach B minor Mass, Rutter’s Gloria, as well as a variety of folk music, madrigals, show tunes, and spirituals. Since joining Sweet Adelines International in 1995, she served as the Assistant Director of the award-winning Mission Valley Chorus and as its Interim Director in 2005. Barbara was named Director of Harmony Fusion in April of 2007.
She is a Certified Director, a member of the SAI Region 12 coaching faculty, and served three terms as the Regional Directors Coordinator. She is also a professor for the regional L.A.W. (Learn Arm Waving) School for aspiring directors. More recently, she was invited to serve as judge for the Western Writers of America/Western Song category.
Barb is especially proud to have been a member of the off-the-wall comedy quartet, The Aquanettas (1999-2006). Her role as The Duchess of Dippity-Doo in that quartet has earned her the enviable title of “The Duchess” to this day. She followed that with the thoroughly dry but entertaining Neutraltones. She currently sings bass in With a Twist quartet (2013 Regional 4th Place medalists).
In 2006 and 2022, Barb was thrilled to be invited to participate on the judging panel for the West Coast Regional Harmony Sweeps Semi-Finals in San Francisco.
In addition to singing and directing, Barbara used her speaking voice for 22 years as one of the enthusiastic hosts of The Human Voice Show, featuring vocal a cappella harmony, on People’s Radio KKUP – Cupertino.
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1808 B Street
California 94541
usa
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