Forte! quartet, a part of Piney Hills Harmony Chorus, won the Novice Quartet Award at this spring’s regional competition.
Members of Ruston’s Piney Hills Harmony Chorus brought home multiple accolades from this spring’s regional Sweet Adelines competition in Houston, including Novice Quartet Award.
Sixteen choruses and 11 quartets gathered for the a cappella event. This is the first time that Piney Hills Harmony has participated since competitions resumed following COVID-19 cancellations.
A quartet made up of Piney Hills Harmony members – Forte! – received medals for being the highest scoring newcomer quartet at the contest. Members are Candice Bassett, baritone; Lynette Murphy, tenor; Sheila Nugent, lead; and Judy Sisson, bass. Bassett, who serves as chorus director, and Murphy, the assistant director for musical expression, both directed on the contest stage for the first time this year. The visual communication judge commented that “both directors are quietly and effectively in control – wonderful!”
Additionally, at the Regional All-Member Meeting that preceded the contest, Bassett officially received her director’s certification from the Sweet Adelines International office. This followed Bassett’s undertaking an extended, in-depth musical study and passing a series of evaluations.
Other chorus commendations included a Certificate of Merit for Membership Growth, with a 31% increase from March 2, 2022, to March 1, 2023. Among the 14 members who attended this year’s competition, six were first-timers.
The chorus also received a Community Harmony Certificate of Merit for the number of non-paid performances presented from Feb. 1, 2022, to Jan. 31, 2023. Region 10 includes choruses from Louisiana, Alabama and a large portion of Texas.
During competition, choruses and quartets are scored in four categories: sound, music, expression and visual communication. The sound judge commented, “You have such fun singing together, and there is an appealing freshness to your sound.”
Murphy, who serves as chorus president, said that singers who might be interested in joining that sound are invited to visit the chorus during its rehearsals at 6:30 Thursdays in the fellowship hall of the Presbyterian Church of Ruston, 212 N. Bonner St. Piney Hills Harmony currently has 20 members from five parishes, ranging in age from 13 to 80.
For more information, visit the Facebook page Piney Hills Harmony / Sweet Adelines International or the webpage pineyhillsharmony.org.
