Graig MantleIt’s late on a Tuesday night and the halls are vacant at Judkin’s Middle School in Pismo Beach. A light shines from the band room and sound emanates out into the darkness.
“Be our guest. Be our guest…we are here to do a show for you… You bring up your arms like this and you point your right finger at the audience,” Jan Zilli, member and choreographer tells the group. Zilli informs a woman in the front that she’s too nice with her finger wagging.
“Once again ladies,” Zilli calls.
A little box lets out the correct note.
The Celebration Chorus is preparing for its Nov. 18 concert.
The chorus is a member of the Sweet Adelines International, a global coalition of women who perform four-part harmony, barbershop style. Competitions are held locally and internationally, with around 29,000 women and more than 600 choruses worldwide according to a Sweet Adelines International brochure.
Cal Poly graduate Alisa Zichterman, 23, joined the chorus about a year ago and is one of the youngest women in the group.
“If we could get 10 more like her (Zichterman) it’d be great,” said Connie Ross, who confesses she is one of the eldest members at age 70. Zichterman’s music minor helps the group tremendously, said Ross, because of her musical ability (she also plays the piano) and the fact that she reads music.
With a degree in mathematics, Zichterman lives in Grover Beach and works at Lockheed Martin in Santa Maria as a software engineer. She realizes how lucky she is to be able to stay in the area, but plans to return to school by fall 2008 and get her doctorate in mathematics, although she is not quite sure the concentration.
Zichterman was a member of the Polyphonics all four years, which is an ensemble choir group that performs “challenging literature from many style periods,” according to the Cal Poly choir Web site.
The Celebration Chorus supports Polyphonics and that is how Zichterman first heard about them. Zichterman likes the fact that there are no other factors to assist the group’s sound, it is purely driven on their collaboration as a team.
“I capitalize on the fact that we sing with no instruments,” Zichterman states.
In fact, in late July Zichterman joined a quartet group, Rio, as well. Rio members include Cal Poly music major Rachel Beckner, 21, and other Celebration Chorus members Dani Prigge, 60, and Diane McGrath, 53. On Oct. 21, Rio won second place in the first Atascadero Barbershop competition sponsored by Masters’ Corral.
Fellow Rio member Prigge says Zichterman is an amazing musician. Beckner and Prigge both love that Zichterman plays the piano because she has a good ear to keep them on-key.
“If you don’t hear the chords, you have no chance of fitting in,” Zichterman jokes.
It was her time at Polyphonics that prepared her for chorus competitions each year. She remembers her first Polyphonics performance as a scary one. Now during practice she has an easy time singing and acting out parts of the songs.
The regional competition for the Celebration Chorus is held each spring in Bakersfield. All 18 choruses in the area compete and both choruses and quartets have the chance to go on to the international convention. Ross confesses that even though the competition is a lot of fun and measures how well a chorus has improved, it is usually the groups of 100 or more members that get the opportunity to go abroad.
Performances are judged on sound, music, expression and showmanship.
The chorus is more than just a hobby – they’re an extended family, the women say. Every Tuesday from 6:30 p.m. to about 9 p.m. the women get together to prepare for competitions and plan other events to spread the word about Sweet Adelines International.
The theme to their November show is “Over the Rainbow,” a tribute to Judy Garland. Also appearing in concert is the International Championship Quartet, Chicago Fire, which the current Celebration Chorus leader, Dani Priggee, is also a member of. The Gold Coast Chorus and the Harmony 101 quartets will also perform.
The last international competition was held in Las Vegas and five of the women from the group rented a van and drove the distance to view the finalists. An additional member met up with them there, and Ross said it was a great time spent laughing, singing and gambling.
Most nights after practice the women head to Applebee’s in San Luis Obispo and usually stay there until 11 p.m. talking, laughing and sometimes even singing some more.
Anyone interested in joining must try out, but Ross admits not to stress because if there is passion, there will be no problem joining the celebration.
Wesligh Chriss, 16, came on after going to practices with her mom.”It just looked like a lot of fun,” she said.
Fun is one of the key points of the group.
“It’s always fun to be part of a group. You always have to have a release,” Zichterman said.
Mary Michael has been in the group for five months. One night her friends convinced her to karaoke and since then has stuck with it.
“It’s good for the soul,” Michael said.
Zilli has been involved in the Sweet Adelines on and off since 1980. Zilli was watching her husband sing with his barbershop quartet when a woman came up and asked her if she sang. The rest is history, said Zilli, who confesses the chorus is her therapy.
“Last time ladies, let’s make this one the best,” Zilli calls to the group.
At the very end of practice the women gather in a circle for the last song of the night. Zichterman gets to choose the piece. She chose “Somewhere over the rainbow.” It wasn’t the Judy Garland version, the chorus adds their own pizazz. Everyone ends with a smile.
The show will take place on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. in the Clark Center for the Performing Arts, located at 487 Fair Oaks Ave. in Arroyo Grande. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the center’s box office for $18.