QUARTET NEWS

Greetings from ICE!

We want to send our warmest holiday greetings to our friends and greatest supporters in Region Six!  Our time in Nashville was a good experience.  Of course, dropping out of the top 15 wasn’t in the plan, but watching one of the strongest quartet competitions ever, was a learning experience.  Every year the talent is just amazing and we were just blown away!  We want to recognize and congratulate Espresso and Twin Cities for their competition performances.  We were proud to cheer them from our seats in the Sommet Center . 

For fun while in Nashville we were able to lunch with Espresso and spend an evening dining with Chord Company.  Both were an enjoyable and relaxing experience.  Something we don’t get to do back in Minnesota when we are all consumed with rehearsals, coaching, commuting and the details of our daily lives. 

Once back in Minnesota , ICE! was faculty at a Quartet Retreat held in Waukesha , WI for Region 22.  We had a blast.  There were 40 of us there.  We all learned a song, held sectionals, and conducted five classes.  We were even able to attend the Milwaukee Showcase Sweet Adeline show on Saturday night where they honored their director, Frank Marzocco, with a surprise tribute for decades of directing, arranging and writing songs.  Many celebrity barbershoppers, including Dr. Greg Lyne, were there to celebrate with him.  And his wife Linda’s quartet, “Silhouettes in Sound” even reunited and sang a song.

Personally, we are cutting back on all our Christmas performances because Marcia needs to have surgery on her tongue the week of Thanksgiving.  This requires about four weeks of recovery.  We hope and pray for a speedy recovery.  Currently, Denise is having carpal tunnel surgery on both hands and again, we pray for a speedy and healthy recovery for her.  In early December, Anne Stickler is stepping in on two MSP airport performances, a yearly commitment, so we thank her for that. 

Then we hit it strong in 2010.  We are doing the Osceola, WI Youth in Harmony Festival Saturday, January 16.  And will be doing the Youth in Harmony Festival, Thursday, February 11 in Humboldt , Iowa .  We will be competing in Regional competition as well in Winnipeg , so we will see you there!

Our thanks to all of you for your cards, gifts and monetary support.  You have no idea what your friendly faces and thoughtful words mean to all of us.  May you have the best of holidays!

ICE!

Peg, Karen, Denise and Marcia

Fourté Quartet

Fourté began singing together in December of 2008 and will be competing as a novice quartet in May, 2010. Quartet members are: Lead-Megan Argall, Tenor-Anna Gauslow, Baritone-Lori Scott and Bass-Audra Freeman.

OpporTUNEity Quartet

OpporTUNEity is the newest quartet in the Acappella Xpress chorus. Members are: Lead-Connie Grondahl, Tenor-Stephanie Tupper, Baritone-Shirley Trickle, Bass-Mavis Schobinger. Connie, Stephanie and Mavis are new to Sweet Adelines, having all joined with the past 2 years. Shirley has been a member for many years and has been singing with Fine Line quartet.