Life With a World Champion

Well, it's really not so different. She may walk with a little more attitude, but --. Oh, yeah, I'm talking about my wife, Nanci, who came home a world champion, gold medallist a few of days ago. She's a member of the 144 member San Diego Chorus of Sweet Adelines International. They sing female barbershop style, acappella music (Imagine a barbershop quartet, but make it 144 person chorus instead.), performing for the public and competing against other Sweet Adeline choruses from the U.S. and many other countries.


Last week they had their annual international competition in Portland Oregon. The choruses performed before an audience of 10,000 and a panel of judges who scored them on areas like sound, music, showmanship, etc. San Diego made it to the finals, and then won the whole enchilada, beating out the "Richtone" chorus from Dallas, "Pride of Baltimore" chorus, a strong group from Sweden, and a bunch of others.


These women train like Olympic athletes, getting voice coaching (One of Nanci's coaches used to work with Manhattan Transfer.), rehearsing more and more as competitions approach, attending coaching "retreats" and workshops, and working on stuff at home, all under the guidance of their director, for whom this is actually a career. Some form quartets and perform and compete in that mode as well. San Diego's chorus has been one of the best in the last few years, and is also the source of the past two international champion quartets.


If you've never heard this kind of chorus, try to do so sometime. It's quite an experience. The good ones really create an amazingly powerful sound with impressive precision. I'm not sure, but I think it may be the most complex, disciplined form of choral singing.


So hooray for San Diego! And three cheers for Nanci, world champion!! /images/biggrin.gif

Congrats to you wife Bro!!!


It's not easy getting to the top of anything!!


rcf

im sure she earned it and i am sure you are proud.

Congratulations to Nanci. I have been to a few (only a few)SPEBSQSA national finals events and they are outstanding. The only trouble is, only friends and family are usually aware of them. They are well worth attending.


Alden

Ooops, sorry! I only read your title before responding....

Sredni never even heard of such collective choral contestations.


Sredni congratulates Nanci on her accomplishments. Sredni wonders how Englebert Humperdinck will react?


Sredni has been practicing "Born to Be Wild" in the shower.


Could Mr. Feeney send notice when there is an opening on the team? Assuming they allow ferrets, of course.


Sredni Vashtar

I am trying to imagine 100+ ferrets singing "Born to Be Wild" in four part harmony.


Steppenwolf ---> <BIG>Steppenferret</BIG>

Yes, some of the men's groups are amazing. I've mostly heard quartets when they perform as guests of the San Diego Chorus. They add a lot of humor and do it very well. Very entertaining.

I once read a descriptive list of things that make for a great friend, and one has always stuck out: "you play the piano excellently but we knew you for two years before we learned this."


During my too-short dinner conversation with Nanci when the topic was often expertise generally I don't recall her prowess as a singer being broached. (By anyone ;-). My guess is that yours is one of the more pleasant "lives with a world champion."


As we have a prominent barbershop quartet singer in the family something tells me that I've lost a round in the "name-the-baby" contest for our third due to arrive in February, as my wife has been pushing hard for "Blythe."


Congrads!

Thanks Chris. And hey, a third on the way! Congratulations right back at you! Speaking completely objectively /images/wink.gif , we really like the name Blythe, and highly recommend it. Blythe does too. I think you're outvoted.

What a nice post. With all the threads about anthrax, September 11, taxes, K-3o and how it insults people, here is one from a nice man, proud of his wife, who has trained hard to do something well, something that provides pleasure to other people. Congrats! Three cheers indeed.


Someone who works for me has a son who won two Olypmic swimming medals, one gold and one silver, in Australia. (The swimmer's name is Jason Lezak.) Really nice young man. There's something exciting about being around him; just being around someone who is one of the best in the world at what he or she does inspires admiration. Sounds like you're a lucky man, Mr. Feeney.

Thank-you for the nice e-mail. I haven't ignored you, but my email is still down after a tumultuous ordeal with a computer virus (I can read but can't reply), so I'm responding here in the hopes that you see it.


Kathan's dad, Darrell Meyer, has been signing in a barbershop quartet throughout Nebraska (HQ'd in Bertrand, NE, I think) for some 40 years, and appears at numerous events. I don't know if he actually competes.


My best to Nanci and the kids.


Chris

testing