By Linda Arnold, Team Leader
We are changing! We are growing! We are embracing our diversity! We are women whose voices are ringing together in beautiful harmony! When South Florida Jubilee first chartered in January 1997, we were 27 women committed to building a new chorus. Twenty-plus years later we are still doing that, one new voice at a time.
It is not always an easy journey. Florida is a geographically transient area and, of those 27 voices, only four original members remain. Some voices moved, some retired, some tried other hobbies, some departed from us way to soon but each voice leaves its stamp and helps us grow.
We love all of the support we get from our family and friends, and our sisters in harmony. There is nothing more exciting than being at regional or international conventions and greeting old friends. We always seek each other out, because this is a friendship and a relationship that lasts.
The level of singing in the organization keeps getting higher and higher. Every one of us who participates in a chorus works very hard to ring those chords. Barbershop is a true American art form that has now spread around the world. We give thanks to the four women who started singing in Edna Mae Anderson’s kitchen in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1945. Sweet Adelines International counts close to 21,000 members all over the world.
South Florida Jubilee is now 40 members strong and growing. We are working hard but we are also having fun being with each other and singing. We are up to the challenge of critiquing ourselves as individuals and as a chorus. We are seeking ways to improve. We sent James Kastler, our director, Kimberly Heilbrun, assistant director, and Heather Elswick, choreographer, to a Sweet Adelines workshop this summer to learn from the experts. They are using their new knowledge to help us grow. We also tap into the talents of our own members, such as Arlene Louis, who uses her years of experience as a psychotherapist to help us tap into our inner selves. It takes a whole village to keep our organization going – our management team and our music team, our directors, costume and visual teams, and more. Of course, there are bumps along the way but we are committed to becoming a great chorus.
We are gearing up for our annual show on December 8. It is not just a holiday show but a show that highlights love all through the year. It begins with ringing in the New Year, explores love in all the seasons and closes with holiday favorites. This show reflects our desire to do a different kind of show that will entertain you. You will find more details below.
Again, we cannot do any of this without the support of all of you! You are so important to our growth and expansion. Come watch us grow!
