Sweet Adelines plan upbeat show for annual winter extravagnza

Featured guests this year include Unplugged, 6th place international quartet champions from Seattle and Vancouver BC, Hot Topic, Region 24 quartet champions from Portland and Seattle, and Rose City Mixed, quartet from Portland.

Tickets to the show which sell for $9 in advance are available from all members, by phone at (541) 386-2897 or at Waucoma Book Store in Hood River, Klindt's Booksellers in The Dalles and Sterling Savings Bank in White Salmon. Tickets will also be sold at the door for $10.

Show chairs are Dee Neff and Kristin Reese who have devised a creative and fun format for the show which will include jazz instrumentalists playing before the show and at intermission. Part of the show this year will feature a special stage format and music from the big band era.

Music sung by the chorus is sung in four parts and is always sung acappella, but is otherwise widely varied in style from lovely ballads, to gospels, modern jazz arrangements, toe tapping up tunes, and familiar popular music.

As an example of the musical variety sung by this group, a partial listing of the songs the chorus will sing in its Nov. 13 show includes: "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," "It Had to Be You," "Nevertheless," "Sing You Sinners," "Fly Me to the Moon," "If" and "Sentimental Journey."

Hood River Valley Sweet Adelines have been active and enthusiastic members of the performing arts scene in the gorge for 21 years. The 28 members of this award winning small chorus come from communities throughout the Columbia Gorge area. Singers live in Hood River, The Dalles, White Salmon, Klickitat, Mosier, Parkdale, Lyle, Stevenson, Dallesport, and North Bonneville. Karla Callaway, the director, and two other singers come to the weekly rehearsals from Tualatin.

In recent competition in Boise, Idaho, the chorus placed third among all choruses in Region 24 which includes choruses from throughout Oregon, southwest Washington, Idaho and Montana. They placed 2nd among all choruses with less than 40 members.

Director Karla Callaway says, "It is exciting to work with a group of such dedicated women from all walks of life, who excel in our challenging acappella art-form. It's worth the long drive from Tualatin each week to watch them grow. We have a great show planned for our audience."

Anyone wanting information about singing with the chorus, purchasing tickets to the Nov. 13 show or booking a performance by the chorus may call (541) 386-2897 or visit the chorus website at: www.hrvsa.com.

Membership is open to women of all ages who like to sing.