Prairie Gold Chorus sings in sweet harmony
From swing to rock and everything in between, singing in four-part harmony ties together songs of every kind and people of every background. Even the phrase is ubiquitous in music, with dozens of artists including it in their lyrics.
For 35 years, the Prairie Gold Chorus, Sweet Adelines Intl., has been bringing Regina women together to harmonize their singing and their lives. “The type of music and the camaraderie build strong relationships,” said Karen Ell, president of the organization that got its start in Regina back in the 1960s. “It’s a great outlet for people.”
The four-part a capella stylings of the Chorus are more than familiar to Ell, who got her start with Sweet Adelines back in 1968. The Prairie Gold Chorus formed as a chapter of Sweet Adelines International in 1983. The Chorus placed second in its first competition that same year and has received numerous regional and international awards over the course of its history. Sweet Adelines International was formed in 1945 and has grown to be a worldwide organization of women singers committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education, competition and performance, boasting 23,000 members in five continents.
While still going strong, the Chorus now has 16 members, a reflection of the changing times according to Ell. “There are so many options [for entertainment and involvement],” she said. The group performs at a diverse range of functions throughout the year, including its popular Christmas performances, and competes annually in the Region 26 Chorus Competition for Western Canada. Its performances range from civic and charitable organizations, private groups, churches, community events to fund-raisers. “We’re available for entertainment,” said Ell.
Starting this August, the Chorus will hold a regular open house on Tuesday evenings where people ages 14 and older are welcome to come see, and hear all about the Chorus at its new rehearsal facility at the Saskatchewan Choral Federation at 1415B Albert St. in Regina. In addition to its holiday performances, the Chorus will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2018, with an event slated for early in the year.
In addition to sharing its music, which includes the full chorus as well as a quartet, the group is also committed to learning more about the art of a capella singing, or singing harmony parts without instrumental accompaniment. A couple of times a year, a visiting coach in the art of barbershop is brought in to augment their learning. The barbershop quartet is the familiar male counterpart to the women’s chorus and quartet and while Prairie Gold is all women, Ell says some of the directors are men.
Ell points out that while singing is the main focus of the Chorus, it is more than just the music that can benefit the singers. “Music is also physical,” she says, pointing out the value of proper breathing for example.
“There are so many things [to be gained],” Ell says. She describes the Chorus she describes as “warm, friendly, compassionate and a fun group of women to belong to, who continue to strive to keep quality singing in their performance and to keep the art of barbershop harmony for women alive in our community and in the world.” And that’s a sweet song indeed.