Escape in the Record Press

Read about the pride of Hickory Tree Chorus — Escape quartet, the Region 15 quartet champions — and their third trip to international competition in Calgary!
http://www.nj.com/news/recordpress/community/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1191615343244740.xml&coll=17

"Local Women's Quartet 'Escaping' To Calgary"

Record-Press — Friday, October 5, 2007

With a combined 12 children, four husbands, students, patients, clients, and PTA meetings - who wouldn't want to escape? Well four area women, performing as the Sweet Adelines quartet named Escape, will do just that when they fly on Oct. 8 to Calgary in Alberta, Canada for the 61st annual Sweet Adelines International Convention and Competition.

This will be the third consecutive year of international competition for Michelle Metallo (tenor), Susan Schuman (lead), and Georgette Chrystal (baritone) who are also members of the Sweet Adelines 2007 Greater New York Region (#15) chorus champion, Hickory Tree Chorus, of New Providence.

Janel McNally (bass), a member of Jersey Harmony Chorus, of Princeton, will be performing in her first international competition. She replaced Escape's previous bass just eight weeks before the quartet won the Region #15 quartet competition in April, qualifying them to compete against 51 other quartets on the international stage in Calgary.

Metallo and McNally are residents of Hillsborough. Metallo is a math professor at Raritan Valley College and McNally owns her own business, "Mrs. Fix-It LLC." Chrystal, of Scotch Plains, is a Registered Nurse in the Neuro-Intensive Care unit of a major hospital. Schuman, of Fanwood, is an Assistant Director of Hickory Tree Chorus and a member of the Sweet Adelines Director Certification Program.

"Sweet Adelines does an amazing job of educating and encouraging women to achieve and succeed," Schuman said. "There is no other business out there where competitors coach each other, teach, and share like Sweet Adelines."

In addition to competing, Escape performed last year for many organizations like the Women's Club of Morristown and the Sage Seniors in Berkeley Heights and even caroled in downtown Westfield during the holidays. They performed at the annual Hickory Tree Chorus show and will be guest performers at the Jersey Harmony Chorus show on Nov. 4.

The women performed a farewell show for Hickory Tree members during the chorus's Sept. 26 rehearsal at the Suburban Music Center, located at 570 Central Avenue in New Providence. They finished with a parody of "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," expressing gratitude for the child-free rehearsals that the start of the school year would bring. And while the commitment is great, so is the personal satisfaction.

"Sweet Adelines has helped me grow as a singer and musical leader," Chrystal said. "I am blessed to be singing with such talented ladies, they make my 'escaping' worthwhile."

Sweet Adelines International is committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and performances. It is one of the largest singing organizations for women, with almost 30,000 members worldwide. To learn more visit www.sweetadelineintl.org. For more about Escape, visit www.harmonize.com/escape.