Harborlites Chorus Annual Show 2008 - How Swede it is!

Reprint from The Vasa Star* - by Kathy Wright

This November, Southern California will host a unique concert uniting over 120 local singers, the Harborlites Chorus of Anaheim, with 140 singers from Rönninge, Sweden to share an evening of a cappella vocal music.

The show, "How Swede It Is!" will be held at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach on Nov. 1.

The host chorus for this multi-national event is the Harborlites Chorus, awarded the 2008 International Chorus Championship of Sweet Adelines after winning the singing "Olympics" competition last year in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Under the direction of Pam Pieson, the Harborlites Chorus is known internationally for its musical excellence and visual artistry.

It was this reputation for musical excellence that gave Rönninge Show Chorus Co-Director Britt-Heléne Bonnedahl the idea for a joint show with the Harborlites Chorus. Bonnedahl explained, "The Rönninge Chorus knew a year ago that that Harborlites Chorus would be the 2008 World Champion. We knew before the competition was held. It was a dream to have a show with Harborlites."

It was not enough to just dream about singing together. Bonnedahl contacted leaders in the Anaheim chorus and shared her vision of a joint show between the two barbershop music choruses. With some creative planning, there was an opportunity to make Bonnedahl's dream a reality. Trying to follow in the footsteps of the Harborlites Chorus, the Rönninge singers will be traveling to the United States to try and win their own international championship.

Rönninge Show Chorus was crowned Gold Medalist at the Nordic Barbershop Championships in May 2007. The win in the European contest means that the Swedish Chorus will be traveling to Hawaii to compete in the 2009 Sweet Adelines International Competition. A plan was formulated: on their way to the Pacific Island, the members of the Rönninge Show Chorus would stop in Los Angeles and the two choruses would hold a joint show. The idea for "How Swede It Is!" was born.

"It's going to be a unique experience for both of our choruses," said Harborlites Director Pam Pieson. "We speak different languages, live in different countries, but we all love the challenge of singing barbershop and the sisterhood that comes from making harmony together."

The concert will be more than just a joint performance of the two choruses from opposite sides of the globe. Members of the Rönninge Show Chorus will be hosted by the Harborlites, giving the women in both choruses an opportunity to get to know each other better and share their cultures as well as their music.

When it is time for both choruses to take the stage, it promises to be an evening to remember. Harborlites will perform its music that won them the International Championship, including American classics such as "Sweet Georgia Brown," standards such as "Danny Boy" and poignant show tunes ranging from "Tonight" to "Bring Him Home" to a dynamic "Phantom of the Opera" medley.

The Rönninge Show Chorus will showcase their music that they are bringing to International Competition including a Swedish package and a take on the stereotypical view of Swedish women, "Big, Blonde, and Beautiful."

Adding even more international flair to the evening, "How Swede It Is!" will also feature the 2007 Sweet Adelines International Quartet Champions SALT in their first-ever Southern California performance. Hailing from Huddinge, Sweden, SALT is made up of accomplished singers Anna Öhman, Annika Andersson, Susanna Berndts, and Anna-Stina Gerdin.

"We are really looking forward to doing a show together with the Harborlites Chorus," said Öhman. "That much talent on the same stage? It's gonna be a show to remember!"

Two of the quartet contestants in the 2009 International Competition from Southern California will also be featured: SparX, the returning 12th place International finalists; and Regional Champion Spirit, heading to International as the representatives of Southern and Central California.

As a grand finale, the stage will be filled with the voices of the combined choruses, over 250 singers strong, performing together in harmony.

"Visste ni att det finns ett tusental kvinnor i Norden som sjunger barbershop?" asked Rönninge Show Chorus President Helen Lindberg. "Denna genuint amerikanska sångstil har fått oss intresserade av att sjunga såväl i kvartett som i kör. Rönninge Show Chorus är den största och mest meriterade av de nordiska körerna. På väg till de internationella tävlingarna i Honolulu passar vi på att hälsa på vår systerkör och guldmedaljörerna Harborlites. Det vore roligt om ni ville passa på att lyssna på oss lördagen den första november."

A reception to welcome the members of the Rönninge Show Chorus, celebrate their performance, and enjoy more singing in an informal atmosphere will be held immediately following the concert at The Point in Long Beach.

Tickets for "How Swede It Is!" will go on sale July 1, 2008. For more information, visit the Harborlites Chorus website at www.harborliteschorus.org or call (949) 926-6415.

Translation for Helen's remarks: "Did you know there's thousands of women in the Nordic Region who sing barbershop? This genuinely American song style has whet our appetites to sing not only in quartets but as barbershop choirs, of which Rönninge Show Chorus is the largest and most successful in the Nordic region. We are taking the opportunity on our way to the International Competition in Honolulu, to drop in on our sister-choir and gold medalists, Harborlites. Why don't you also take the opportunity and drop in to listen to us on Saturday the first of November?"

* The official publication of The Vasa Order of America, a Swedish-American Fraternal Organization