Harbor City Music Company Show Chorus Brings Home International Medal

Submitted to Patch by Catherine Thomas, Harbor City Music Company

Sixty-five members from the Harbor City Music Company Show Chorus (HCMC) traveled to Houston the week of Oct. 17 to compete in the Sweet Adeline International Contest. To the delight of the chorus, they had the distinct honor and privilege in winning the 2012 Harmony Achievement Award, an award presented to the highest scoring group with no more than 66 members competing.

Five people from Severna Park performed and competed at the Toyota Center in Houston for a crowd of over 10,000.  It was an extraordinary experience.  There were people from all over the world competing.  

The members from Severna Park are Vicki Axton, the Director Michael Gellert, Marianna Gellert, Catherine Thomas and Elaine Wilreker.  

On the way home, members of three choruses (Harbor City, Pride of Baltimore and Upper Chesapeake) were on Southwest Airlines along with the director of Upper Chesapeake Chorus, Rick Taylor.  He led us in song as we came in for landing at BWI.  We were cheered by the other passengers.  It was a wonderful finish to a fantastic week of competition.

In 2011, the chorus won a gold medal in the mid-size chorus Harmony Classic Competition in Seattle, WA. At this contest all of their performing members were dressed as crayons. Three medals in three consecutive years helps to illustrate their dedication to performance excellence in a cappella music!

Four quartets from the chorus also competed including:

a.k.a. - Third place Sweet Adeline International medalists (Sue Taylor, Aberdeen, MD)

Capri -Sixth place Sweet Adeline International medalists (Kate Mannherz, Baltimore; Jen Kuethe, Glen Burnie; Maggie Butts, Bowie & Nancy Disney, Crofton)

Escapade and Lustre quartets were also on the International Stage placing 33rd and 34th, respectively. 

In the Photo:

This is a photo taken during the performance of our contest piece "Nobody's Sweetheart".  Director, Michael Gellert of Severna Park, is in the center. 

It was an incredible experience.  The choruses came from all over the world and it is quite a feat for our chorus to win this coveted award.