The Rich-Tone Chorus

The Rich-Tone Chorus is an all-female, barbershop chorus, located in northern Texas in the United States. The group was founded in 1968 and currently has over 150 members. The current musical director is Dale Syverson who has held that position since 1976.

The Rich-Tone Chorus is a chapter, located in Northern Texas, of a worldwide non-profit organization known as Sweet Adelines International. This is a group of over 30,000 women committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and performance.

The members of the Rich-Tone Chorus range in age from 17 to 75 and come from all over the North Texas area.The membership is drawn from a cross-section of society, including accountants, doctors, engineers, homemakers, nurses and teachers.

The Rich-Tones' musical repertoire includes contemporary hits, big band, Broadway and American classics.

International recognition

Internationally, the Rich-Tone Chorus aim to compete by displaying an innovative entertainment style that pushes the limits of barbershop music. Each year, Sweet Adelines choruses throughout the world compete at an annual competition — the Olympics of barbershop. Twenty-six regional championship choruses compete for the gold medal title of International Chorus Champions. The Rich-Tone Chorus is the first in its five-state region to earn the world's championship titles and will return to International Competition again in the future.

The Rich-Tone Chorus have developed a progressive entertainment style as well as a strong barbershop sound, and have been judged the "best in the world" four times: in 1992, 1995, 1998 and 2006. As such, they are the first chorus in the history of the Sweet Adelines International to win three consecutive first place medals.

Professional support

As a performing and competing Sweet Adeline chorus, the Rich-Tones are involved in all aspects of barbershop life. There are highly trained and talented arrangers, choreographers, and technicians in the Rich-Tone chorus. These professionals have helped define the Rich-Tones' keenly etched identity as a cohesive group that enthusiastically embraces an American art form and transfuses it with their individual character.

Musical direction

Dale Syverson has been the musical director of the Rich-Tone Chorus since 1976, during which time the chorus has grown from 18 members to over 150. She is the daughter of a barbershopper, and has been a part of the Sweet Adelines organization since she was a child, gaining qualification as a Certified Expression Judge. She was recently presented with the "President's Lifetime Achievement Award", an honor which has been awarded annually by the President of Sweet Adelines International since 1998 to a member whose contributions to and achievements within the organization are truly exceptional. Dale is a certified judge in Expression Category and is qualifying for certification in the Sound Category as well.

Ruth Ann Parker joined the Rich-Tone Chorus in 2007 and has enhanced the chorus with her strong showmanship and performance background. As a judge specialist in the Showmanship Category, Ruth Ann challenges the Rich-Tone Chorus to new levels of performance and presentation of vocal skills, story-telling and passion.

External links

* [http://www.RichTones.org Rich Tone Chorus website]
* [http://www.sweetadelineintnl.org Sweet Adelines International]

Discography

The Rich-Tone Chorus has produced 9 albums (CDs) for sale on their website:

One of a Kind (1990)

Turnin’ Up the Heat (1993)

Rich-Tones -- Unwrapped! (1994)

50TH Anniversary (1995)

Footloose (1996)

Take 3 (1999)

A “Live” and Swingin’ (2000)

Wrapped Up in the Holidays (2002)

What Happens in Vegas (2007)