Hello Region 16! All of us on the Regional Management Team are sending our very best to each of you as you deal with the craziness of the pandemic. We know this is a challenging time for all.

We’re looking forward to another exciting year for Region 16. In spite of the virus issues, we’ve already begun this new 2020-2021 Sweet Adeline year with several successes:

  • Waiver of our $100 Regional Assessment for all members – Click here for the April 14 communication.


  • Plans to hold our first-ever webinar, the 2020 Vision & Beyond 2-part virtual educational event in June. See article in these Sixteenth Notes for more information.

  • Two new RMT members: Jacqui Barron and Susann McKinley, both of North Metro. (We sincerely thank our outgoing team members - Sue Heighway, Durham Shores, and Leila Brown, The Heartland Singers - for the many contributions they’ve made to Region 16.)

As always, please reach out to any of us on the Regional Management Team for questions, problems or assistance of any kind. Stay Sweet Adeline-Strong friends!

In harmony,

Region 16 Team Coordinator
May 2020

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From International
As of today, May 1, 2020, Sweet Adelines International welcomes Joan Boutilier as their new International President!

The Regional Management Team congratulates Joan in her new position and looks forward to her wonderful leadership of the organization over the next two years.


Sweet Adelines International has announced a new quartet competition: the Diamond Division Quartet Contest. The inaugural event will be held at Queens College in Richardson, Texas on July 15, 2021.

Click here for all the details.

Click here for the video announcement by Patty Cobb Baker.
Join "The Voice Of Harmony" Virtual Chorus

A few weeks ago, the SAI Education Direction Committee (EDC) re-introduced our newest official song,  The Voice Of Harmony , with instructional videos and learning tracks provided by Scenic City Chorus Master Director Jennifer Cooke ( view here ).

You are invited to submit a video of yourself singing your voice part for an opportunity to join the virtual chorus!  Please follow the instructions carefully so your submission follows all technical requirements. We are currently accepting the first 25 videos (per voice part) that meet all technical requirements.

Video creation and submission instructions:

  • Watch Jen Cooke’s instructional video for directions on how make your video/audio recording for the virtual chorus. (Click image to watch.)
  • Wearing headphones, listen to the learning track for your voice part and sing along.
  • Record video on your device in landscape orientation (horizontal for phones).
  • Save file in mp4 format (For iPhone and iPad users, view this guide and video explaining how to convert to mp4 format.)
  • Title your mp4 file as: FIRST_LASTNAME_MEMBER#_VOICEPART (Example: Jane_Smith_12345_Baritone)

Upload your mp4 file into the folder specific to your voice part:


Video submissions accepted through Friday, May 15, 2020.
Here’s what’s new from Sweet Adelines International...

For your ease, Sweet Adelines International has compiled a document listing each of the new educational offerings, a brief description, and a link to the content. Please view the list   here .

Resources located in Sweet Adelines’ Public Education Portal
(You do not have to log in to view content in the Public Education Portal!)


Resources located within Sweet Adelines’ Members-Only Education Portal
To access, visit  www.sweetadelines.com  and log in as a member.
Not sure how to log in to view? Please view our  step-by-step login instructions  (includes screenshots and how to navigate our members-only portal.)

Most of us are trying to be optimistic about this COVID-19 isolation. One wonderful entertainment source is the music that is being posted on YouTube and Facebook by musicians of all genres. In case these are new to you, I will list a few that I have been enjoying.

Angie Kunasek sings tags, and includes sheet music, and learning tracks for full mix, each part alone and part omitted. She has posted more than 14 of them.

Mo Field and Amelia Charnock have posted Beatles-a-Day videos for 44 days straight. They exude fun. I bet you can’t listen without singing along with your favourite Beatles tunes. When I heard the ones that I have sung in barbershop, I belted out my baritone line.

Katherine McPhee of American Idol and movie fame and husband Music Producer David Foster have done at least a dozen fun half-hour sessions in their living room around the piano. You can find it at Kat & Dave Show. After the first short one of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, they realized how much fun they were having so they pick a theme for each session, e.g. #5 Country, #6 Feel Good Night, #7 Disney, #8 Movies, #9 Birthday Bash, #11 American Idol.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has allowed full free broadcast of his Broadway shows – one per week. I caught Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Phantom of the Opera so far.

There is also an entire opera available every day from previously-recorded performances at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.

Do your own search of someone you are inspired by (maybe John Legend), or someone to sing with if you are missing your quartet mates or someone to learn from. I have sung with four different vocal warm-up sessions with Kathleen Jansen. She uses understandable language, includes timing for repetition, all in 15 minutes or less.

If you have found other wonderful audio and visual sources that have become free in this COVID-19 time, please post them on the Region 16 Facebook page for us all to check out. We are here for each other, right?

These are not normal times but parts of what we experience today will have to be incorporated into our daily lives for the next year or so, ‘til we have a vaccine to be safe. Until then we can still sing, make our own joy and phone a friend.

Quartet Coordinator
North Metro Chorus
North Metro Chorus members say “hello” to all Region 16 members and hope you and your families are all well and safe during this pandemic. We have all had to make many adjustments and sacrifices in order to comply with the demands necessary to manage and control our current circumstances. We know there are so many of you selflessly extending yourselves in various roles to help others. Wanting to recognize our members who are helping others, Erin introduced a Hero's Recognition platform to give credit to all those who are reaching out to care for others who need their help. Today we would like to highlight just one of our deserving members, Yve Hall, a dedicated ICU nurse at Toronto General Hospital. Yve works in Intensive Care in the COVID-19 Unit, caring for patients and consoling their loved ones. She is right at the very heart of the crisis and we are so very proud of her and the integral role she plays today and every day.

In our internal communications with chorus members we will continue to recognize all members who offer community services either in health care or domestically assisting others, because we are sincerely grateful and proud of every one of them.

In our attempts to keep connected with our members, Erin introduced teaching videos on vocal production, interpretation and expression. These have been such a valuable and appreciated tool to ensure, in the absence of being together, the momentum we lose is minimized. We have also received from our President, Suzanne Askin, a library of old, and I mean old, NM videos of our performances at Regional, International and North Metro shows. Were we really ever that young! What a wonderful and nostalgic walk down memory lane and a reminder of just how far our organization has come over the years. To further challenge the memories of our members, and to help our newer members become more familiar with our chorus, a fun, cryptic NM History quiz was developed with questions being sent to members weekly. And the latest fun project - we have the North Metro BioFest, devised by Kagey Gray. Our members give a written short bio on themselves, tag the person next to them on the risers, and so on and so on. This promotes learning some really interesting facts about the riser buddy you have perhaps harmonized with for years, and knew little about.

It is a time of reflection and also a time of re-inventiveness about how we live and how we do things. Zoom technology has allowed us to have virtual Board meetings, joyful large group sessions with Erin, and of course wonderful get togethers with our families and friends. If you have not already used this technology, respectfully we encourage you to do so as it serves to lessen the gap, reach out to those we care about most, connect us and keep us strong in the absence of not being together.

We welcomed two new members: Marisa Phillips and Kathy Withnell to our sisterhood. What a way to start, eh ladies!

Be well, be safe.

Jacqui Barron
Greater Kingston Chorus
Like most of the world, the majority of us find ourselves shuttered in our homes during this pandemic for our safety and for the safety of our front-line workers; it is a small sacrifice for us to make for the good of all, even though it is difficult not seeing friends and family and especially grandchildren during this time! There is a light at the end of the tunnel though, and we WILL get through this.
May 2, 2020 marks the 60th anniversary of Greater Kingston Chorus ' charter! Like so many other things, this has meant that our celebration has had to be postponed due to the virus; a disappointment for all the work and planning that went into it, but it has a good 'shelf life' and has now been rescheduled to April of next year! There will however be official proclamations made in Kingston, and the neighbouring towns of Gananoque and Napanee, which make up the 'greater' part of GKC, to declare May 2, 2020 ' Greater Kingston Chorus Sweet Adelines Day'. Included is an archival photo of the chorus at their very first contest in 1962.

Our co-directors Sue and Andria continue to work away on planning, new music searches, and encouraging all of us to continue singing and listening to music of all genres, because music helps to soothe the soul and keep our spirits lifted during this time that we're apart. We SO look forward to the day when we are able to get together again!

Stay safe and be well everyone!
York Harmony Chorus
What an interesting time we are in. This global “pause”. It’s truly amazing how much creativity, kindness, inspiration and innovation has surfaced from so many people around the world.

The one common trend that’s on the forefront is videos of people sharing the gift of song! It is a natural way to evoke joy, boost our endorphins, improve alertness, boost our immune system and strengthen our lungs. Big benefits to all who do the things we do!
Challenges are meant to teach us! Our YHC members have certainly been traveling on the fast track, learning how to use the amazing technological resources that so many have tapped into: Zoom, Teams and FaceTime, to name a few. While it will never replace the real live in person experience, it is helping all of us stay connected and keeping us on track with our rehearsals. Thanks to our Master Director, Martha and our fabulous Team Leader, Sue Dubois, it’s like we have hardly missed a beat. Here are some YHC members doing our physical warm-ups!!!
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, our “Death by Chocolate” event has been postponed, however, with creativity, our members facilitated our big PRIZE DRAW. It officially took place, using proper measures, on Saturday March 21. Our tech genius Meaghan arranged for a draw to be “live streamed” through Facebook. Thank you to all of those who purchased a ticket!

Congratulations to all of our raffle winners:

1 st Prize, $1,000 – Evan Rodgers
2 nd Prize, Cottage Getaway – Al Kope
3 rd Prize, $500 LCBO Card – Bethany Houghton
York Harmony took a moment during a recent rehearsal to express A HUGE THANK YOU to all those who continue to work on the front lines during this time. Every day they are helping others by saving lives, delivering much needed supplies, ensuring our food sources are safe and reliable, and working to discover a cure. WE ARE TRULY GRATEFUL!
To our SAI and Regional Management Teams, we would like to express our sincere gratitude for keeping all of us well informed, connected and safe while navigating through this unprecedented time. You have all shown great leadership, resolve and professionalism. Thank you!

To our fellow Region 16 Choruses and Global Choruses, we are in this together.
“Those who sing, frighten away their ills!” – anonymous
Canadian Showtime Chorus
We struggled to know what to write for this issue of the Sixteenth Notes . Normally at this time of year, we would be talking about successes, achievements and the fun we had with our Region 16 sisters at regional convention. And we’d be planning for spring shows and other activities.

It’s a different world today, but despite challenges everyone is facing, we find rays of sunshine, positivity and generosity as we patiently wait for the world to get back to normal, whatever the new normal may be!

Connecting during these times is made easier with technology! We continue to have Tuesday rehearsals using Facebook Live, starting with physical warm-ups by JD Crowe, business with our management team leader Nancy Mantle, and then Director Joe with a session of musical information and learning. A master class each week and we love it! Like many choruses are experiencing, these all-in online gatherings feel like coming home with one small but important part missing – the hugs. We’ll need an entire rehearsal devoted to hugs when we’re able to meet again.

For now, Tuesdays generate love, laughter, fun exchanges and expressions of gratitude amongst our members, and musical assignments from Joe. We are getting one-on-one advice on how to improve our craft, using our own personal vocal recordings. It feels great to continue to have musical goals! Bonus, we can now have snacks and a glass of wine during rehearsals – let’s keep that our little secret, shall we?
Trivia set artwork

Many of our members connect in other ways, using What’s App, Zoom and Messenger for both business and social gatherings, game nights and book clubs to name a few. One of our members and her husband, host a weekly bingo/trivia game show for friends and family.
Porch drop of JD’s Acadian meat pie to winners Carol Dubue-Pinhey (CSC member) and her husband Jeff
Game shows have generated a flurry of generosity from far and wide, with donations of prizes and food bank donations (on behalf of winners). Events are followed by porch prize drop-offs, made safely at a distance.

New skills and hobbies are also being pursued – bread making, gardening, painting, acapella videos, puzzling, baking, knitting projects and more. Very inspiring!
‌
Prize donations - Hand-knit Yip Yip by Stacy Hugman (CSC member) and watercolour by Diane Seaward (North Metro member)
Until we meet again Region 16 sisters, wishing you and yours good health and happiness.
Northumberland Chorus
Northumberland Chorus is hanging in there through these unusual times. We meet every Monday night on Zoom and the majority of the chorus is available for these get-togethers. We talk for awhile about what has been going on in everybody’s life and how everyone is coping. It is so great to actually see each other, if only on the screen. It is the next best thing to being there physically. For the last two weeks, we did some personal singing to tracks to go over some new repertoire. For some, it encouraged us to get back into practicing.
I always wonder how we would have got through this without all of today’s technology. I’m sure everybody is learning more about technology than they ever thought they would. I know I am.

We had the chance to welcome new members to our chorus before virtual rehearsals started. We are happy to have Elizabeth McKinlay (Lead, returning member), Geri Loukes (Tenor, dual member) and Michaela Peters (Lead) join us.

Northumberland Chorus had their Management Team Meeting on Zoom on Sunday afternoon and it went really well. We planned our Annual Meeting, which may or may not be on Zoom.

We are excited about the time when we can physically meet, as is every other Sweet Adelines chorus.

Laura Heighway
The Heartland Singers
2020 has brought many changes that we never could have imagined. We are conducting ourselves in new and inventive ways. Who would have thought that our beloved regional convention would have been cancelled? We missed seeing all our Region 16 sisters in harmony!

We started 2020 with a bang and are happy to share our news!
In January, we jumped in with two feet as we had the amazing June Dale come out to coach our contest songs and give us our new standing positions. We also welcomed new member Mary Ellen Chown, singing lead, who is new to Sweet Adelines but has had a musical life.

Erin Howden joined us on two separate occasions in February and March. We always love her energy, passion, perspective and butt kicking! LOL!
Another thing we have had in the works to go along with our name change from Ontario Heartland Chorus to The Heartland Singers is a new logo. We were fortunate enough to have had the young gentleman who does our risers also do graphic design. Leo Lee came up with several ideas that went to the chorus for a decision.

Introducing The Heartland Singers' new logo…
Circle of Harmony Chorus
Circle of Harmony is now very much back into rehearsals, using online technology and having a great turn-out! For many of us, it’s become the highlight of our week, and helps us figure out what day it is! 
 
We’ve had fun with community building during these rehearsals. One night we expressed our feelings creatively using the words Circle of Harmony . Another rehearsal was hat night! Our members are enjoying these creative ways to show our chorus spirit.