Our Chorus
Canadian Showtime Chorus® is a competitive women’s singing group, specializing in 4 part a cappella harmonies in the barbershop style. Barbershop is the “the blackbelt of a cappella singing”, according to the producer of the Pitch Perfect Trilogy, and a cappella guru Deke Sharon. A chartered member of Sweet Adelines International (SAI), Canadian Showtime Chorus ranks in the top 18 of more than 500 choruses worldwide.
Canadian Showtime Chorus draws its members from across the city of Ottawa and the surrounding areas. We have members from Prescott, Smith Falls, Carleton Place, Rockland, Arnprior, Kemptville, Merrickville and on the Quebec side of the river from Gatineau and Cantley. Our members range in age from 15 to “I’m not telling”, with membership open to women 13 years of age and up. We have teenagers, young adults, new mothers, working women as well as those who have retired.
The Chorus repertoire includes classic barbershop arrangements as well as contemporary pieces. Barbershop singing specializes in the unaccompanied singing of popular songs in which four voices move in close, highly chromatic harmony. We take our cue from our pitch pipes and our voices are our instrument. In the past we have performed with flutists, jazz bands and fiddles.
Our History...
The Chorus is a member of Sweet Adelines International. Founded in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1945, Sweet Adelines started as a small group of women who loved to sing. Since then, it has evolved into an worldwide organization of nearly 21,000 singers, connecting women around the world in one sisterhood. It’s dedicated to preserving the unique sound of a cappella barbershop harmony, sharing a passion for music and empowering women in every area of their lives. Now there are approximately 500 choruses and 1,000 quartets in the organization.
Our Chorus was formed for the joy of singing in 1982 by Sandie Nason. The first night attracted 4 singers. Many others soon joined and over the years the Chorus has grown in numbers and achieved International top 18 placement. Joe Connelly, an experienced director in both Sweet Adelines International and the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS), a recognized international coach and four-time BHS International quartet gold medalist is our fearless leader.
Competition…
Each year in the spring, the Chorus competes in a Regional Contest (Lake Ontario Region 16). Placement here determines who will go to International Contest to compete with the other winning choruses. Most recently we competed for the eighth time at the International Convention in New Orleans in 2019 and previously performed at International contests in Las Vegas and Hawaii to name few.
Performances…
Canadian Showtime Chorus has performed in a wide array of venues.
Carnegie Hall, New York City
The MGM Grand arena, Las Vegas Nevada
The Embassy of the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands
RCMP Sunset Ceremony
Kinsmen Club of Ottawa
Catholic Diocese of Ottawa
Great Hall of the National Gallery
The National Arts Centre
Wayne Rostad's Holiday Show
The Canadian Tire Centre, home of the Ottawa Senators
Meridian Theatre at Centrepointe
Mayor of Ottawa’s office during Open Doors Ottawa
Sala San Marco
Landsdowne/TD Place , home of the Ottawa RedBlacks, Fury and 67’s
The Jeanne Fuller Red Dress Charity Golf Classic 2018, Loch March Golf & Country Club
Our collaborations include the December 2018 Butterfly Child Holiday Benefit. This beautiful Holiday concert was hosted by Tara Shannon and featured special guest performers to raise money for DEBRA Canada and to remember our Butterfly Child Ambassador, Jonathan Pitre. The Chorus was also the opening act for the Tom Jackson Huron Carole this past December 2019. This concert was in support of Tewegan Housing for Indigenous Young Women in Ottawa.
What can you expect from us in performance? We know you will be moved by our close harmony singing and by songs such as Rodgers and Hart’s You Took Advantage of Me, Marvin Hamlisch’s The Way We Were, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, Bobby Darin’s As Long As I’m Singing and many more. Our repertoire is wide and varied. Performances also feature dazzling costumes and song interpretation expressed in our visual performance and our animated faces. Truly a unique experience.
Watch for our next appearance!
