Choral-Aires Chorus of Elmhurst place 8th in the world

The Choral-Aires Chorus (Elmhurst, Ill.) placed 8th in the world at the recent Sweet Adelines International convention held in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In November, 95 women of the Choral-Aires Chorus took the stage and stunned the audience of 6,000 with a breathtaking show package of energy and four-part harmony. Their beautiful and entertaining take on the art form of barbershop music earned the chorus 8th place in the world out of more than 500 registered Sweet Adelines International choruses in 15 countries.

The chorus earned participation in the international competition after taking the Lake Michigan Region 3 championship in the spring of 2012. Members of the Chorus then spent more than 200 hours rehearsing and refining their songs for the international stage.

“The ladies of the chorus shined onstage in Hawaii,” says Chorus President Nancy Smith. “What a thrilling moment to share with our members; many of them participating in international competition for the very first time. Our directors Bonnie Fedyski and Amy Brinkman led us in excellence, and we can only imagine what is in store for our chorus now!”

All competing choruses were judged in four categories: music, sound, expression and showmanship.

The Choral-Aires Chorus earned an outstanding total score of 2,653 out of a possible 3,200 points.

More than 100 women from Illinois and Wisconsin sing tight harmonies a cappella (without instrumentation) with the Choral-Aires Chorus, a Sweet Adelines International medaling chorus, and the 2012 Lake Michigan Region 3 Champion.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. More information about the Chorus can be found at their website, http://choral-aires.com.