Our very own director, Jack Anderson has been named the 2010 Salute to the Arts recipient by Masterworks Choral Ensemble. Since 1990, Masterworks Choral Ensemble has honored deserving individuals with its annual Salute to the Arts award. Award recipients have played prominent rolls in fostering the arts in the South Sound, truly shaping the region's cultural landscape through their talent, energy, and commitment. Masterworks salutes Jack Anderson as this year's award recipient. Jack has directed the Olympia Sweet Adelines since the group's inception as the Olympia Chorus in 1965. The chorus, which draws from a five-county area, won the regional Sweet Adelines championship in 1979, and has regularly placed in the top five. Jack also directed the local men's barbershop chorus, The Puget Sounders. Now, in his ninth decade of life and still known for his incredible ear, Jack also sang with a local award winning quartet, The Artesians.
2009 Region 13 Competition Awards
Olympia Sweet Adelines is back from their regional competition in Spokane, Washington. We placed 3rd in the division of mid-size choruses. We were the 1st chorus to win the "Audience Choice" award, because it is the first year it has been awarded. The audience filled out ballots to choose their favorite chorus and Olympia Sweet Adelines won the award.
The audience roared as we sang "Get Me To The Church on Time". The chorus' front row was dressed as bridesmaids and one as a bride. Eight chorus members were dressed as groomsmen and the rest of the chorus wore their finest as the wedding guests. Yes, there was a wedding, but with a twist. One particular wedding guest had a plan. She intended to steal the young bride-to-be's fiance...and she did, but not before a battle ensued between the two women. The wedding guest won the battle and married the groom-to-be instead!
Standing Ovation for Sweet Adelines at Carnegie Hall
We
were finally there on the stage of Carnegie Hall in New York City. The
date was February 16, 2009, it was the Grand Finale, the house was
packed, and in two of five side balconies stood four Sweet Adeline
choruses, Gateway, Mission Valley, Jacksonville, and Texas Harmony. The
three choruses on stage were Prairie Winds, Olympia, and Christchurch
City. Three hundred forty voices were about to join together in
singing the final song, "New York, New York". Dennis Loy, our
Conductor-in-Residence for MidAmerica Productions, raised his hands and
the audience quieted as we started singing. It was surround-a-sound on
a tremendous scale. When we began the stomp part of the song the
audience started cheering and by the end of the song they were
standing, applauding, and shouting. But that was definitely not the
end of the show! We had a surprise for the audience that we had
practiced on Saturday. Dennis raised his hands again, even though the
audience was still going nuts, and we repeated the second part of the
song that included the stomp again. The front rows of Olympia,
Christchurch City, and Prairie Winds choruses joined together to make
one long kick line. The audience, still standing, shouted and applauded
their approval as the kick line danced their way into the hearts of New
York City. This was a once in a lifetime experience something we will
never forget.
Submitted by Diane Hills
Olympia Sweet Adelines Chorus, Copyright 2008, 2009
