History
The date was November 24, 1958 when 30 members of the newly formed Columbus Chorus received its charter as a chorus of Sweet Adelines International. A special celebration of this momentous occasion was held April 2, 1959 at the Maennerchor.
Little did this new group of singers and performers realize what the next 50 years would bring. The chorus began performing regularly in the central Ohio area at a variety of venues, and this has continued through the years. Especially memorable are performances at the Park of Roses, the Ohio State Fair, Easton Town Center, Columbus City Centre in its earlier days, the Franklin Park Conservatory and the Lancaster Music Festival.
Presenting an annual show has been high on the list of priorities. Shows have been presented at a variety of locations in the area, including the OSU Mershon Auditorium, the Ohio Theatre, the Palace Theatre, the Capitol Theatre at the Riffe Center, and The Bluestone (formerly BoMA).
An essential facet of the Sweet Adeline world is competition which helps all choruses to improve in their craft of singing barbershop harmony. Columbus Chorus firmly believes this to be true and has attended regional competition in their four-state region almost every year since being chartered. Columbus Chorus has been among the top choruses in most of these competitions resulting in the award of medals in the majority of those events. Twice the chorus won the regional competition, making them eligible to compete at the International Chorus level -the first time in 1975 in Seattle, Washington placing 10th among 15 choruses, and then in 1984 in Las Vegas, Nevada, placing 7th among 27 choruses. In 2003 Columbus Chorus won the AA Midsize Chorus Competition in the region, making them eligible to compete at the Harmony Classic Competition at the International Education Symposium in 2004 where they won!
Columbus Chorus participated in the Adult Choreographed Division of the Johnny Mann Choral Festival in 1982 and 1983 finishing 2nd the first year and placing 1st the next year. That championship provided a grand prize of $10,000 - a tremendous boost toward the cost of chorus transportation to the Sweet Adeline International competition in Las Vegas in 1984.
The years have provided many memorable events for Columbus Chorus to enjoy, such as presenting Singing Valentines, traveling to Washington D.C. in 2001 as part of the National Festival of the States and to Philadelphia, PA and New York City in 2006, and sharing good times and harmony at weekly rehearsal. The chorus loves to sing together, to work together, to laugh together, to enjoy each other’s company and friendship, to perform and to entertain. It’s only natural to believe that IT’S GREAT TO BE A PERFORMING CHORUS!
Here are all the women and men that have successfully led Columbus Chorus through 52 years of harmony!
Bill Oursler Novemer 1958—August 1962
Kay Ingraham August 1962—June 1963
Charlie Hummel 1963
Dean Porter Directed 1966 contest
Charlie Hummel September 1966—January 1969
Cam Karau January 1969—August 1969
Charlie Hummel September 1969—August 1970
Mary Ellen Guntzelman September 1970—January 2012
Kathy Larkins March 2011—present
