About Greater Cleveland

Greater Cleveland Chorus is a membership organization of female singers, who meet regularly to practice, perform, socialize, and have fun. We currently have over 70 singers of all ages, all walks of life, and all parts of the greater Cleveland area.

Performance

The main purpose of Greater Cleveland Chorus is to get out and sing for our community. We sing at annual shows, a number of community events, and at our annual competitions. We also perform Singing Telegrams around Valentines Day and Mother's Day. We are available to sing at your next function or event. If you're looking for a unique musical experience to liven up your event, please check out our Hire Us section.

Education

In addition to sharing our music with others, another great passion of ours is learning more about the art of a cappella singing. Vocal instruction is a regular part of chorus rehearsals, and a very important component of the chorus experience. A couple of times a year, we will get coaching from a visiting master in the art of barbershop, where we learn many fabulous tricks of the trade.

History of Greater Cleveland Chorus

Founded 1986

In 1986, the Greater Cleveland Chorus (GCC) was formed as a result of the merger of three local choruses-Cleveland East Suburban, Cuyahoga Valley and West Towns. The combined chorus numbered over 100 and rehearsed in a number of venues in the Cleveland area, currently at the United Methodist Church in Independence.

Sweet Adelines Region 17The Greater Cleveland Chorus, whose 70 current members range in age from 30-85, is a member of Sweet Adelines International and is part of Region 17 which represents choruses from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Pennsylvania.

Regional Competition
Each spring, the choruses within a region gather to compete for the first place chorus in the region, which then allows that chorus to compete at the International Convention the following year. The choruses are judged on 4 categories-sound, music, expression and showmanship. Points are awarded in each of those categories and the winning chorus scores the highest number of points.

Awards

During the chorus’ first fifteen years, Greater Cleveland received many awards including numerous second and third place medals for achievements at Regional Chorus competitions. In 2000, by virtue of our second place medal in regional competition, GCC was invited to compete in the Buckeye Invitational Competition, a competition comprised of men’s and women’s barbershop choruses and quartets from around the United States. At that competition in Columbus Ohio, we were awarded First place chorus and Best in Competition honors. In 2001, the chorus was awarded the first of its six consecutive first place regional chorus championship medals which made us eligible to compete against all other championship choruses throughout the world. Since the formation of the Greater Cleveland Chorus, we have also had within our membership a number of first place regional quartets, B.L.A.K. Velvet,  Park Avenue, and  most recently TGIF, our current Region 17 champions.  B.L.A.K. Velvet  placed 11th in the world at the Sweet Adelines International Competition in Las Vegas in 2006.

Quartets

Most choruses have a number of members who form their own vocal quartets in addition to singing with the chorus. Greater Cleveland Chorus currently is home to a number of wonderful quartets, and we are very proud of them! Click here to see our quartet section to learn more about them.

Affiliation

Greater Cleveland Chorus is a chapter of Sweet Adelines, International, a non-profit organization of approximately 30,000 members in choruses and quartets, worldwide. The Headquarters is in Tulsa, Oklahoma