Quality

St. Louis Harmony Chorus is probably more famous outside St. Louis where it plays in an international arena of 750 women's barbershop choruses and is ranked among the top 25 choruses in the world. Since 1961, the St. Louis Harmony Chorus has provided the St. Louis community with the highest quality a cappella and barbershop harmony through its own chorus and through the presentation of world-championship groups, such as international championship quartet, costume designers, choreographers and vocal production specialists. The St. Louis Harmony Chorus is at the forefront of harmony-based adult choirs in the nation and vocal education in the community. Through its educational outreach programs, it takes master classes into schools and malls to take barbershop harmony - the music of the people - to the people of St. Louis, and the entire bi-state area.

Innovation

Artistic Director, Sandi Wright, is a sought-after presentation and vocal production specialist and her coaching and consultation is in demand worldwide. The Chorus has a worldwide reputation of presenting innovative and creative presentations. By exploring these new and challenging musical experiments, the traditional art form of barbershop harmony is getting a contemporary boost. It is bringing a new generation back to singing the old songs in new and interesting ways. By adding the visual aspect of planned ensemble choreography, the St. Louis Harmony Chorus is not only entertaining and interesting to watch, but it is attracting a highly-motivated and energetic group of young women with high school show choir experience.

Availability

Each year, the St. Louis Harmony Chorus presents more than 20 performances to audiences of all ages, races and income levels with an amazing range of vocal styles packed within its tight harmonies. St. Louis Harmony Chorus will continue its partnership with the Sheldon Concert Hall as part of its "Notes From Home" series. The Sheldon and St. Louis Harmony Chorus partnership is strong because it is one of the most well-attended concerts in the series. Cross promotion to each other's audience base helps to expand the public's perceptions and appreciation of a cappella harmony in general and the barbershop style in particular.

Community Recognition Value

St. Louis Harmony Chorus is committed to a diverse audience. Extensive marketing partnerships with St. Louis' culturally rich ethnic groups have led to increased diversity in its audiences. The repertoire includes traditional African-American Spirituals, doo wop, urban street music and Motown melodies as well as popular favorites, Broadway show tunes and sentimental barbershop standards.

Outreach / Educational Programs

St. Louis Harmony Chorus presents a series of "informances" throughout the year. These are 45-90 minute educational presentations to choral music classes and student assemblies. The chorus also participates in master classes and workshops sponsored under the auspices of Sweet Adelines International.

Part of the richness of the music is explaining what sets the barbershop style (where the melody is in the second highest voice) apart from traditional choral music (where the melody is in the highest voice part). The chorus attracts young women (high school and junior high school) because it is interesting, challenging and affordable. Unlike community music schools and choruses charging tuitions of $300 or more per semester per student, the St. Louis Harmony Chorus has maintained its low overhead structure with an assessment of between $17 and $20 per month per member.

Through grants, corporate gifts and various fundraisers throughout the year, the chorus has been able to maintain a high standard of excellence, while attracting quality voices, great rehearsal spaces and the expertise of a top rated master-level artistic/musical director. The chorus also holds master classes with vocal production specialists and experts in the barbershop style for its singers and the community at no charge.

Music for all women ~ from high soprano to low contralto / male tenor ranges

Barbershop harmony spans the entire vocal range. There are four parts represented. The tenor part is traditionally sung by women with a high, lyric soprano range. Unlike SATB or SSAA arrangements, the highest voice part in barbership harmony does not carry the melody -- it is a harmony part, and so it must be sung lightly, with a lyric quality. The lead part is the melody line, and it is sung best by women with a mezzo soprano range. The next lowest harmony part is called baritone, and it is sung by either altos or mezzo-sopranos. Then, unique to the barbershop style, there is a bass part. Women with low voices -- women who sing men's tenor, men's baritone or have contralto ranges -- sing the bass part.

Because the vocal range is so diverse, the style of music invites all women to join. There are no solo voices required, and in fact, the soloist will usually not blend with the other voices. Barbershop harmony is perfect for the average to above-average singer with a straight tone quality who longs for an ensemble role where she can sing, dance and perform.

Bound by singing, there are no age, race, weight or religious limitations. The St. Louis Harmony Chorus is a diverse group of women ranging in age from teens to upper seventies. Acceptance in the chorus is by audition and ability to carry her part alone. Where the average length of chorus membership is five years, there are more than a dozen members of St. Louis Harmony Chorus with more than 20 years experience in this chorus. This longevity is exemplified by musical director, Sandi Wright, who joined the chorus in 1969 and began directing in 1982.

Organization

The Chorus is governed b an administrative team of chorus members elected by the membership. The chorus maintains a zero income-to-expense ratio with a budget of $30,000 annually, with the fiscal year running from May 1 to April 30. The finance committee submits a budget for full board approval, and since its charter in 1961, the chorus has maintained solvency and 501(c)3 status as a non-profit educational organization for women who like to sing and perform.

Area and Audience

The St. Louis Harmony Chorus serves the city of St. Louis, as well as suburban and rural regions of Missouri and Illinois within a 200-mile radius of St. Louis. Members drive up to two hours to rehearse weekly with the chorus, and audiences come from Chicago, Kansas City, Indiana and Lake of the Ozarks to see its concerts and performances.

Diversity, growth and expansion

St. Louis Harmony Chorus has an ethnically and age-diverse board and staff. Our performance and outreach programming features culturally and ethnically-specific song selections and choreographic movement.

Financial Stability - Audited Financial Statements

The chorus has maintained member-supported financial stability since 1961, and it has a clear financial plan for growth and expansion. It has never operated in a deficit, due in part to the vigilance of the finance committee to spend what it can afford. The St. Louis Harmony Chorus holds a reserve of accessible assets equal to two years of operation. Each year a certified, outside accountant audits the financial statements of the chorus.

Long Range Plan

The chorus has a long-range plan in process in increments of one year, five years and 100 years. The management staff's vision for the future has been shared with representatives of the artistic, finance and development committees for questions and comments. This process was formulated through meetings with chorus members and the artistic and governing committees of the chorus.

Organization Supported

The St. Louis Harmony Chorus has a financially committed membership. In addition to the fiscal responsibility each member takes, its membership has logged more than 21,000 annual volunteer hours in the maintenance and governance of the chorus. No members of the chorus receive any renumeration for services except for a small honorarium for artistic director, Sandi Wright.

Artistic Director

Sandi Wright has been a member of the St. Louis Harmony Chorus since 1969 and the artistic director of the chorus since 1983. She is a master-level barbershop director, a member of the American Choral Directors Association, the Contemporary A Cappella Society, Harmony Incorporated and Sweet Adelines International. Ms. Wright is a certified international barbershop faculty member and a certified competition judge in the showmanship category. She is also a world-recognized performer having been a member of two international championship women's barbershop quartets (Tetrachords, 1978 and Ambiance, 1986) and four regional medalist quartets.

Funding Partnerships

St. Louis Harmony Chorus has participated in and received funding for Arts & Education Council sponsored activities. Through its pro bono performances in the two St. Louis On Sale concert, past participation in A&E Weekend events and assistance to KETC-TV membership drives and the Sheldon Concert Hall Notes From Home Series, the chorus believes that the partnership in A&E activities not only provides exposure for the Council and the Chorus, but lends credibility to the chorus as a valuable cultural asset to the community. Project funding has also come from the Missouri Arts Council and the Regional Arts Commission as well as various corporate and private donations.

Musical Excellence

St. Louis Harmony Chorus is part of a worldwide network of barbershop choruses called Sweet Adelines International. One of 700 affiliated choruses worldwide, St. Louis Harmony Chorus must live up to strict competition and quality standards, approved bylaws, and rules and a minimum number of members in order to retain this international accreditation. The St. Louis Harmony Chorus has maintained a tradition of musical excellence as nin-time regional champions of Sweet Adelines International. The chorus was named as a finalist in the Search for a Star competition held at Powell Hall and sponsored by Marvin Hamlisch. The chorus has shared the stage with the St. Louis Symphony, Marvin Hamlisch and Ryders in the Sky. The Chorus has also been the featured performer of the National Anthem for the St. Louis Baseball Cardinals, the St. Louis Steamers, the Storm and the Billikens.

The chorus is a two-time Grand Champion of the Columbus, Ohio Buckeye Invitational where they competed with male and female barbershop choruses.

Marketing and Community Positioning

Increased visibility attracts new members and brings increased funds. Because the St. Louis Harmony Chorus depends on member tuition, grants and corporate support, it is important to the mission and purpose of the chorus that it be visible in the community. Through its "informances" (free informational performances) it maintains this standard. But even more important, the chorus has continued a commitment to educating its audience base on the components of "good barbershop." By knowing the science of the overtone structure and harmonics involved in the triadic-based barbershop-style, an educated audience will appreciate the "lock" and "ring" that occurs when it is done well.

By showcasing its own quality and introducing the community to the best quartets and choruses from other areas as well, the St. Louis Harmony Chorus continues to educate and entertain. By creating informed audiences, an appreciation for the barbershop style will grow and it will be more accepted and embraced as a cultural phenomenon, truly American in its origin and unlike any other choral music in its form and style.

www.stlharmony.org