‘The stars were in alignment’

After performing “Almost There” and “Back in the Old Routine” during the small barbershop chorus competition between 10 a cappella groups from four states, members of Shades of Harmony gathered in the ballroom of a Lancaster, Pennsylvania, hotel on April 7.

“Wouldn’t it be great if we got third place?” the group’s membership chair, Karen Bonin, recalled asking as the singers awaited results of the Region 19 competition of Sweet Adelines International. “It wasn’t us. Maybe we’ll win second place. It wasn’t us.

“When they announced that we won, all of us leapt out of our seats and screamed,” she recounted of the first-place win. “I lost my voice.”

“It was a huge accomplishment, above and beyond what we were looking for,” noted musical director Lori Ludlum during the group’s weekly practice on May 13 at the Whitehall School auditorium in Williamstown. The win came as Shades of Harmony celebrates its 20th anniversary as a chartered chorus.

“All of the stars were in alignment,” Ludlum believes. “As we celebrate two decades of harmony, friendship and growth, this milestone is a beautiful affirmation of what our chorus is capable of.”

“It was pretty amazing,” recalled team leader Jeanne Cekala. “We were so excited.”

To make the celebration even sweeter, the Shades of Harmony’s Voices Carry Quartet of Melissa Guzman, Deena Osmer-Sikoutris, Lauren Pluchino and Wendy Lombardi won second place overall among quartets in the small, medium and large chorus divisions.

The chorus consists of 21 member singers who are either tenors, leads, baritones or bass, and they all blend together. In the quartet competition, there is one of each type of singer. Cekala praised the women who sang like a team, had fun, and won first place as the best small chorus in Region 19.

The chorus members are Tatianna Bilyj, Betty Ann Liguori, Karen Bonin, Wendy Beth Lombardi, Nancy Burns, Lori Ludlum, Karen Canonica, Mickey Mears, Jeanne Cekala, Carole Michaels, Kerri O’Leary, Linda Ewing, Deena Osmer-Sikoutris, Ginger Gagnon, Lauren Pluchino, Melissa Guzman, Amy Sabo, Carolyn Hand, Teresa Siwak and Maureen Wynkoop.

As practice began at Whitehall School, the women did exercises to get their bodies warmed up.

“The whole body is an instrument,” Cekala explained. “We have a lot more movement on stage when we sing.”

Singing in the chorus “keeps your brain active,” noted Bonin, pointing out that the performers have to memorize the songs, without sheet music on stage. The women enjoy camaraderie with each other and every year put on a large fall show for Williamstown residents at the Pfeiffer Community Center.

In honor of their award-winning performance at Region 19, Monroe Township council honored Shades of Harmony during its meeting on April 23. Mayor Gregory Wolfe and Council President Donald Heverly presented the chorus with a certificate of recognition to celebrate the win.

Shades of Harmony is a women’s barbershop chorus and member of Sweet Adelines International, a worldwide organization committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and performance, according to Cekala.

“As the chorus reflects on 20 years of music and memories, we are more inspired than ever to continue growing and sharing their sound,” she observed, noting that Sweet Adelines is organized into 24 regions across the globe.

For more information about Shades of Harmony, including upcoming performances and membership opportunities, visit www.shadesofharmony.org.