The Rich-Tone Chorus is an all-female, barbershop

Barbershop music

Barbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era , is a style of a cappella, or unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture...

 chorus, located in northern Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The group was founded in 1968 and currently has over 150 members. The current musical director is Dale Syverson who has held that position since 1976.
The Rich-Tone Chorus is a chapter, located in Northern Texas, of a worldwide non-profit organization known as Sweet Adelines International

Sweet Adelines International

Sweet Adelines International is a worldwide organization of women singers committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and performances. This independent, nonprofit music education association is one of the world's largest singing organizations for women...

. This is a group of over 30,000 women committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and performance.

The members of the Rich-Tone Chorus range in age from 17 to 75 and come from all over the North Texas area.
The membership is drawn from a cross-section of society, including accountants, doctors, engineers, homemakers, nurses and teachers.

The Rich-Tones' musical repertoire includes contemporary hits

Hit parade

A hit parade is a ranked list of the most popular recordings at a given point in time, usually determined by sales and/or airplay. The term originated in the 1930s; Billboard magazine published its first music hit parade on January 4, 1936...

, big band

Big band

A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...

, Broadway

Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

 and American classics.

International recognition

Internationally, the Rich-Tone Chorus aim to compete by displaying an innovative entertainment style that pushes the limits of barbershop music. Each year, Sweet Adelines choruses throughout the world compete at an annual competition – the Olympics of barbershop. Twenty-six regional championship choruses compete for the gold medal title of International Chorus Champions. The Rich-Tone Chorus is the first in its five-state region to earn the world's championship titles and will return to International Competition again in the future.

The Rich-Tone Chorus have developed a progressive entertainment style as well as a strong barbershop sound, and have been judged the "best in the world" five times: in 1992, 1995, 1998, 2006, and 2009. They are the first chorus in the history of the Sweet Adelines International to win three consecutive first place medals.

Professional support

As a performing and competing Sweet Adeline chorus, the Rich-Tones are involved in all aspects of barbershop life. There are highly trained and talented arrangers, choreographers, and technicians in the Rich-Tone chorus. These professionals have helped define the Rich-Tones' keenly etched identity as a cohesive group that enthusiastically embraces an American art form and transfuses it with their individual character.

Musical direction

Dale Syverson has been the musical director of the Rich-Tone Chorus since 1976, during which time the chorus has grown from 18 members to over 150. She is the daughter of a barbershopper, and has been a part of the Sweet Adelines organization since she was a child, gaining qualification as a Certified Expression Judge. She was recently presented with the "President's Lifetime Achievement Award", an honor which has been awarded annually by the President of Sweet Adelines International since 1998 to a member whose contributions to and achievements within the organization are truly exceptional. Dale is a certified judge in Expression Category and is qualifying for certification in the Sound Category as well.

External links

• Rich Tone Chorus website
• Sweet Adelines International

Discography

The Rich-Tone Chorus has produced 9 albums (CDs) for sale on their website:

• One of a Kind (1990)
• Turnin’ Up the Heat (1993)
• Rich-Tones – Unwrapped! (1994)
• 50TH Anniversary (1995)
• Footloose (1996)
• Take 3 (1999)
• A “Live” and Swingin’ (2000)
• Wrapped Up in the Holidays (2002)
• What Happens in Vegas (2007)