Entering Nordahl Hall in Los Gatos on a Tuesday night, you’ll most likely be greeted with the sound of harmonizing voices working together to create beautiful music. Women fill the rafters, possibly waving colorful flags around as a part of their warm up, dancing along to music or eagerly awaiting to sing their parts in the chorus.
This experience is what a typical rehearsal looks like for the Mission Valley Chorus, a women’s barbershop group based in the South Bay.
“We’re like Broadway on the risers,” said team coordinator Sarah Clish. “We incorporate choreography and movement into all our performances.”
The Mission Valley Chorus is a singing group that is a part of Sweet Adelines International, a larger organization that focuses on teaching people to sing in the barbershop style. The more than 50 women who are a part of the MVC meet every Tuesday night from 7:30-10:15pm to practice for their performances and work on their harmonies.
The Sweet Adelines have been around since 1945, when they were founded in Oklahoma, but are now divided into regions around the world. Mission Valley is part of the Pacific Shores Region and competes in competitions within those parameters. The group was founded in 1958 and has been an important community building spot for women around the South Bay since.
While the Chorus meets to practice in Los Gatos, members come from near and far to participate, with some driving more than 90 minutes one-way to attend rehearsals.
Modesto resident Dee DiDomenico makes such a commute to attend rehearsal once a week. While there are singing groups closer to where she lives, Mission Valley stands out for their strong community and multitude of members, she said.
“It’s better music, more people to sing with, and more people that want to practice singing in quartets,” DiDomenico said. “Everybody’s very friendly and warm and inviting.”
Despite some having to drive far, members of Mission Valley praise the group for their commitment to closeness and their acceptance of people from all different backgrounds. They prove their sense of community through monthly birthday celebrations, holiday parties and various other get-togethers.
Member Becky Maguire has been a part of Mission Valley for around eight years and has been a Sweet Adeline for more than 20 years. She joined Mission Valley after moving to the Bay Area in hopes of making new friends.
“I didn’t know a single soul when I moved out here,” Maguire said. “These ladies jump in and they’re welcoming, they call you, they make sure you’re OK. I feel like I walk into a room full of aunts.”
Their closeness was unwavered, even during the Covid-19 pandemic, during which practices were held on video calls and spirits were hard to keep up.
Having been a member of Mission Valley since 1991, Harriett Feltman has experienced all the ups and downs. While Covid-19 was a difficult time for the group, there were positives to meeting online.
“Covid has dealt us a big blow because singing was the worst thing you could do during Covid because it’s an air-transmitted infection,” she said. “Our choruses Zoomed the entire time and it was actually a good way to learn music and actually learn it in the right key because we always heard the right key playing back at us.”
Currently, the Chorus strives to become a larger community presence and gain back the traction they lost during the pandemic. They host annual fundraisers, including a tea party around Christmas time, and are going to be performing the Star Spangled Banner at the San Jose Giants game on July 22. This will be their third year performing at the game, and they are hoping to make it a tradition.
The Chorus welcomes visitors to sit in on rehearsals on Tuesday nights and are looking for new members.
San Jose resident Deborah Calantropio-Covington was nervous to join but has always loved to sing. She highly encourages others to make the same decision and attend a rehearsal, whether or not they are confident in their singing abilities.
“If you want to expand your voice, if you want to also learn about the nuances of different styles of music, if you’re just looking to make new friends, it’s great,” Calantropio-Covington said. “If you think you’re on the fence about it, just show up. Everyone here is really friendly and they’ll welcome you with open arms.”
