No chorus in our region does more to encourage the barbershop art form among young women than the Dundalk Chorus. In fact, in the upcoming regional competition, there is a quartet of quartets (that would be four) from that chorus, all made up of young women. While we still consider ourselves young women, the Sweet Adelines International organization sadly disagrees, defining young as 25 and under. On this point, we reluctantly accept that you are only as “not young” as you feel.
I occasionally wonder how I might be different had I discovered this hobby while still meeting the SAI definition of young. How might my life be different had I inherited a chorus full of mothers and aunts and sisters when I first struck out in the world on my own? Would I have developed leadership skills more quickly? What would my music skills be like now, had I started sooner? None of that is worth too much pondering, as I was lucky enough to find this hobby eventually.
What we can do now that we are no longer young (I hesitate to use that ugly, opposite word) is to encourage and support the young women that have discovered this hobby and the people of the Dundalk Chorus that work so hard on their behalf. On Sunday, March 28 at 3pm, we will be singing on a benefit concert to benefit the young women of the quartets Darling Divas, Harmonizing Honeys, Stars of Harmony and Whole ‘Lotta Harmony. Another thing we can do is cheer as loudly as (and still remain vocally healthy) when each of these young women “takes the stage” in regional competition in Ocean City on April 23.
Please consider joining us in support of these young women and the vitality and promising future they provide to Sweet Adelines International! Click here for details on the March 28 benefit.
Nice article…I am thinking about taking my young(by SAI definition) niece to this event. I can relate to wondering, sometimes wishing that I had found Sweet Adeline’s sooner, there are so many benefits, my favorite being the education.
Many people on the outside of our organization don’t realize the massive amount of teaching that is provided in the Sweet Adeline journey. I believe I’d be a much better singer if I’d understood what I was missing earlier in life that I’m learning now as a part of this amazing group of singers.