Women’s a Cappella Ensemble Open Rehearsal Night September 18

HAYWARD, CA – Harmony Fusion, a women’s a cappella vocal ensemble, will host a special open rehearsal guest night to welcome new singers. Details are as follows:

Open Rehearsal Night

Monday, September 18, 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 18 is set aside as a special open rehearsal.

“We’re looking for women who love to sing and are interested in performing, competing, and improving their vocal skills,” says Sharon Reyes, Membership Chair. “Many of our members also sing in choruses at their place of worship or at other organizations in their communities, while others have sung in a high school or college chorus. 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. If you have a good ear for music, we want you! 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. Guests who are interested in further exposure to our singing style will have the opportunity to attend future rehearsals and learn one full arrangement to perform at our show on December 16, 2023.

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.”

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 Joanne Morrison, Board President. “We are the first and only group 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. 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.”

For more information about the open rehearsal night, contact Sharon Reyes at (510) 397-1920. General information about Harmony Fusion is available on its Facebook page @harmonyfusionchorus or website at www.harmonyfusion.org

About Harmony Fusion Chorus
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 organization’s motto is “Harmonize the World.”

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.