Local A Cappella Chorus Earns Regional Ranking

Pawtucket, RI, April 25, 2022 — Harmony Heritage, the Pawtucket, RI chapter of Harmony, Incorporated, an international organization of female a cappella singers specializing in the barbershop harmony style, recently earned regional recognition and will take their spot at Harmony, Inc.’s international competition, which will be held in Verona, New York later this year.

Harmony Heritage, based in Pawtucket, RI, placed fourth out of seven competing choruses in Harmony, Inc.’s Area 2, which spans all of New England, plus Montreal, Quebec. The competition took place in Westborough, MA in April, and participating choruses and quartets will go on to the international competition of Harmony, Inc. choruses in November.

Harmony Heritage also received three awards: The Rising Star Award, given to the most improved chorus at the Area 2 competition; the Betty Costellow Award, awarded to the highest scoring chorus of less than 26 members and the Sandi White Membership Award, awarded to the Area 2 chapter attaining the highest percentage of growth in membership during the previous membership year.

”The Harmony Heritage chorus rehearses all year long to become more masterful at the four-part a capella harmony that characterizes the barbershop style. These awards are truly an honor,” says Kim Thompson, chapter president, “and more meaningful coming out of a pandemic, in which we’ve had to be very creative in order to keep singing. We plan to build on the success of our area contest performance as we prepare for our international contest. We are so very proud to be representing the Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts community among choruses from all across the United States and Canada.”

Harmony, Inc. has hosted area and international conventions for more than 50 years, gathering female singers of all musical backgrounds and experience levels to participate in a series of competitions for quartets and choruses. Participants are adjudicated by a panel of trained judges evaluating categories that encompass what songs the performers elect to sing, the skill with which they sing those songs, and how they present the songs, which can include emotionally connecting with the audience. “Harmony Heritage not only earned area recognition for its performance, but it has also accomplished something equally notable in joining other choruses at the premier event in Harmony, Inc.’s annual competition cycle,” says Linda Brehaut, Harmony, Inc. president. “This positions Harmony Heritage as one of the top representatives of our organization, and we appreciate the talent that these women bring to the barbershop harmony genre.”

With approximately 20 members, Harmony Heritage is directed by Bob O’Connell of Pawtucket, RI. The chorus presented two vacation-themed songs at the area contest to earn its placement, “Let’s Get Away from It All” and “California, Here I Come. These selections are a small sample of the chorus’s extensive repertoire, which is ideally suited for a wide range of audiences and events. To learn more about the chorus’s upcoming performance schedule, visit www.harmonyheritage.org. 

About Harmony Heritage:
Founded in 2001, the Pawtucket, RI chapter of Harmony, Inc., also known as the Harmony Heritage chorus, brings four-part a cappella harmony to the local community through regular performances and educational events. The chorus consists of women representing a wide range of musical backgrounds, from novice to trained professionals, and performs under the direction of Bob O’Connell. Harmony Heritage rehearses at 7 pm on Tuesdays at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Pawtucket. For more information, visit www.harmonyheritage.org  

About Harmony, Incorporated:
Harmony, Inc. is an international, non-profit organization whose purpose is to empower all women through education, friendship and a cappella singing in the barbershop style. Since its founding in Providence, RI in 1959, the organization has expanded from its Eastern roots to include more than 60 chapters in the United States and Canada, from California to Newfoundland, and from Manitoba to Florida. For more information, visit www.HarmonyInc.org.