Greater Richmond Chorus takes gold at Sweet Adelines regional contest

Competing against 17 women's a cappella show choruses from four states, the Greater Richmond Chorus won the 2009 Blue Ridge Region Chorus Competition of Sweet Adelines International.

The competition took place May 9 at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, N.C. GRC has won this honor five times since 1998. This year's score, indicating an A-level performance, was the highest that any chorus has achieved in this region for more than 20 years.

Each regional championship earns a chorus the opportunity to compete at the international level the following year, along with more than 30 of the highest-ranking Sweet Adeline choruses worldwide. GRC won the regional contest in 1998, 2001 and every time it has competed since 2005.

The international conventions the group attended were in Las Vegas (2006) and Honolulu (2008). The current win will allow the group to perform in Seattle in 2010.

Under the direction of Roger Tarpy, the 65-voice Greater Richmond Chorus performs four-part a cappella arrangements of show tunes, jazz, and traditional and contemporary American songs, in the barbershop-style. Its members have ranged in age from 14 to 70 plus, and come from the greater Richmond area and beyond, including the Tidewater area and Northern Neck.

Also competing at the regional contest were two quartets associated with GRC. Its newest quartet, incognito!, won the Margaret Mabry Novice Quartet Award presented to the highest-scoring quartet having at least two members who have never competed before. The group Breaking News competed for the fourth time and achieved its highest placement: 11th out of 23 quartets. However, GRC's quartet Crossfire had to withdraw because of illness.

Upcoming events associated with GRC include a free vocal skills workshop, open to all women who love to sing, on Mondays during June at 7 p.m. at Forest Hills Presbyterian Church in Richmond. And the chorus' annual show will be Nov. 14 at the Scottish Rite Auditorium, with afternoon and evening performances.

For more information, call (804) 282-SING or visit http://www.grcsings.com.