Be careful when watching Sue Montgomery sing with the Melodeers, the Northbrook, Ill., chapter of the Sweet Adelines choral association. You may trip over one of the group’s seven international trophies.
One of the world’s largest women’s singing organizations, the Tulsa, Okla.-based Sweet Adelines boasts a membership of 23,000 across 10 countries, hosting competitions that bring together more than 500 choruses and almost 1,000 registered quartets worldwide.
As a member going back to the ’80s in choruses spanning four states, Montgomery, chief administration officer of consultancy b2b Solutions, Lake Forest, Ill., joined the chapter with a history of trouncing the competition, standing above all other choruses in seven of the Sweet Adelines’ 18-month contest cycles.
The secret, she says, goes beyond raw talent. It’s like assuming the mindset of a gold-medal athlete.
Q: How did it all start?
A: I sang in a church choir in Massachusetts, and someone suggested the Sweet Adelines there. The name sounded old-fashioned, but when I investigated, I heard something totally different. They arranged and sang modern music. It was contemporary and exciting. Not your “Down by the Old Mill Stream” barbershop.
Q: How was it different than church?
A: They don’t applaud for you in church. Of course, it’s not just that—there’s singing, dancing and performing. We have a whole team devoted to costumes. Beyond that, though, our mission really focuses on education: You learn administration, financials, marketing, everything about performance production.
Q: Was it tough to get in?
A: When you audition, they’re seeing if you can hold your own part. It’s not like everyone around you is singing the same notes in the chord. You could be standing anywhere, so you have to hold your part and stay on pitch. Barbershop takes as much of your ear as your voice.
Q: What’s the secret of seven wins?
A: No other chapter has that many trophies. We started in 1994 in Reno, Nev. Then Salt Lake City; Orlando, Fla.; Phoenix; Honolulu; Houston; and then last in Baltimore in 2014. The secret is our director, James Arns. He’s a musical prodigy who coaches all over the world. He’s created a culture of excellence in the Melodeers.
Q: How did you find him and the Melodeers?
A: After starting in Massachusetts, I joined a different chorus in Farmington Valley, Conn. Then we moved to Ohio for a year and I sang there. Then came Chicago. Because I read Pitch Pipe, which is our Sweet Adelines International magazine, I knew about the regional winners, so I went to see Jim in action. Wow. Because I wanted to settle into the Chicago area first, I took a year to make sure I was ready to audition. I officially joined in 1991.
Q: What’s the best thing about competing?
A: Every year, it’s great to see the women I’ve met from Connecticut, Massachusetts and Ohio. They’re friends I’ve made, so I love running into them. We all know what it’s like to be a Sweet Adeline, and it’s wonderful.
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