The Melodeers are an all-female,

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

barbershop harmony chorus based in the metropolitan

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

area.

History

Founded in 1960 in

Deerfield, Illinois Deerfield is a north shore suburb of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois, United States, with a small portion extending into Cook County, Illinois. The population was 19,196 at the 2020 census. Deerfield is home to the headquarters of Walgreens Boo ...

, the Melodeers Chorus is an a cappella chorus of female singers who sing in the barbershop style. Based in

Northbrook, Illinois Northbrook is a suburb of Chicago, located at the northern edge of Cook County, Illinois, United States, on the border of Lake County, Illinois, Lake County. Per the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 35,222. When incorpo ...

, they are the seven-time International Champion Chorus of

Sweet Adelines International Sweet Adelines International is a worldwide organization of women singers, established in 1945, committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and performances. This independent, nonprofit music education ass ...

, the world's largest singing organization for women, with over 25,000 members worldwide. More than 600 choruses compete each year in regional contests to qualify for the international contest to determine the International Champion Chorus. The Melodeers have won the championship title in the years 2014, 2011, 2008, 2003, 2000, 1997, and 1994. Choruses placing first in the international contest are required to sit out regional qualifying contests for two years after winning. Their most recent win was in Baltimore on November 8, 2014, with a score of 3129. They are the current international Third Place bronze medalist chorus. The Melodeers are directed by Jim Arns, who was honored in 2009 by Sweet Adelines International with the designation "Master Director 700", given only to the directors of choruses scoring 700 points or better in regional contests. Jim earned his Bachelor of Music degree at Benedictine University in Illinois and his Master of Music from

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

, also in Illinois. He has directed the Melodeers since 1988. The chorus is made up of approximately 130 singers, ranging in age from 16 to 80. Members hail not only from the Chicago metropolitan area, but from

downstate Illinois Downstate Illinois refers to the part of the U.S. state of Illinois south of the Chicago metropolitan area, which is in the northeast corner of the state and has been dominant in American history, politics, and culture. It is defined as the part ...

, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Members—homemakers, business owners, attorneys, medical and health professionals, to name a few of their backgrounds—are united by their love of singing and a desire to learn more about vocal production, women's barbershop singing, and showmanship. Members of the chorus have given their talents to assist others in their musical education. Some members serve currently on the Sweet Adelines International Board of Directors, the International Faculty, the International Judging Program, and on the Management Team of the SAI Lake Michigan Region 3 board. Some members of the chorus also sing in quartets, four of which—Jubilation, the Melo-Edge, Chicago Fire, and the Four Bettys—were named Sweet Adelines International Champion Quartets. The Melodeers typically produce two shows each year: one in late spring, and one celebrating the December holiday season. The Melodeers have performed at Ravinia Festival and have sung the National Anthem several times at games of the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

. The chorus also sponsors a Young Women in Harmony Festival for high-school singers each spring. The Melodeers have been the recipients of grants from the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

, the

Illinois Arts Council The Illinois Arts Council is a government agency of the state of Illinois formed to encourage development of the arts throughout Illinois. Founded in 1965 by the Illinois General Assembly, the Illinois Arts Council provides financial and technica ...

and the Young Singers Foundation, official charity of Sweet Adelines International.

References

External links

* {{authority control A cappella musical groups Choirs in Illinois American vocal groups Sweet Adelines International Musical groups established in 1960 Northbrook, Illinois Women's musical groups Deerfield, Illinois 1960 establishments in Illinois Women in Illinois