Festival Sounds Chorus is a membership organization of female singers formed in 1957 as a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, who meet regularly to sing and have fun! We have Chorus members of all ages, with varied life stories that come from Perth, Oxford and Middlesex Counties. Most of has have had no formal musical training but we all love to sing! We are committed to empowering ourselves through education , performance and competition. 

The Chorus sings in 4 part a cappella harmony, often in the barbershop style. The four voice parts include 

1. Leads: this group usually sings the melody and has the job of keeping the song moving forward. 

2. Basses: this group sings the bottom note in the chords most of the time. They have to provide a strong support for the chord. If you feel comfortable singing in the lower register, we'd love to have you join us!

3. Baritones: this group usually sings the notes between the leads and the basses. Sometimes, they switch with the leads for a few notes and become responsible for the melody. The baritones make the chords sound like "barbershop". 

4. Tenors: this group usually sings the high notes of the chords. We refer to their singing as the "icing on the cake"!

Performing a variety of music from traditional barbershop to modern show tunes, we learn our songs by listening to learning tracks on our own time and then coming together at rehearsal to fit the parts together. Bringing a song from the learning stage to the point of performance readiness is so satisfying! Our director, Dr. Brooke Dufton, makes it a joyful and satisfying experience. 

You are welcome to join us on Wednesday evenings from 6:30pm to 9:00pm at St. Paul's Anglican Church, 9 Douro St. in Stratford to see what we're all about. Call or text Annamarie at 519-301-5636 to let us know you are coming, so we can have a music folder and name tag ready for you.