Hickory Tree Chorus Makes Beautiful Music
By Marie L. Pfeifer • Special to the Daily Record • July 15, 2008
Photo: Eric Cahall
The Hickory Tree Chorus, a champion chapter of Sweet Adelines International, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The group, which sings four-part a cappella harmony in barbershop style, is credited with keeping older women young at heart and helping younger women mature and grow older gracefully.
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"Our 60 active members are real-life women who are teachers, lawyers, nurses, mathematicians, scientists, homemakers, students and entrepreneurs who love to sing," said Dana Dunlevy of Florham Park, publicity and marketing chair.
Patti Smith of Chatham told how singing with the group enhances her life.
"Both my mother and aunt sang barbershop," she said, "so that kind of paved the way for me to join this group in 1992. I am a nurse; not everything I see is pleasant, but when I am here singing, my whole spirit lifts.
"The chorus is supportive of each other, emotionally, spiritually and financially. It is very much like a sisterhood."
The chorus has its roots in the Hickory Tree section of Chatham Township. While the location of rehearsals has changed frequently over the years, the group retained the name. Currently it practices in New Providence.
Sweet Adelines International is a worldwide, independent, nonprofit music education association whose motto is to "Harmonize the World." It is committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and performances.
Hickory Tree Chorus is one of 15 choruses in the greater New York region, one of 30 regions in Sweet Adelines International and 600 choruses worldwide.
Lilas Schmidt of Gillette, mother of the group's director, Carolyn Schmidt, at age 82 shared her history with the group.
"I have been with the group since 1971. I really enjoy being with both younger and older women. There is a great deal of satisfaction sharing music with the group. I used to sing in a quintet, competitively, with Dana's mother. Singing keeps me young."
Lilas Schmidt's granddaughter, director Carolyn's daughter, Lauren Kahn, is a student at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.
"Sweet Adelines has been the highlight of my life," she said. "I learned the love of it here while singing in the group with my grandmother and my mother. Now, I sing with the Sweet Adelines in a chorus called the Melodeers."
Initially, Dunlevy, whose mother sang with the group, didn't have an interest in singing with the chorus. Three years ago she was inspired to join the group and has taken advantage of leadership training provided by the Sweet Adelines by becoming publicity and marketing chair. More recently she has taken on the position of regional marketing chair.
"The level of talent is awesome," she said. "Sweet Adelines is considered an amateur-performing group because everyone is a volunteer, but they are truly professionals. Sweet Adelines also provides vocal training to its members."
Ase Hagerman of Sweden, director of the Alba Chorus, a chapter of the Sweet Adelines, was with the group recently for two days of coaching. She is an experienced coach who travels the world sharing her expertise with Sweet Adelines groups to achieve tonal harmony.
"Several years ago I was with this group coaching," she said. "I am very pleased and happy that this very talented group invited me back to coach them. I remember some of them by their faces from my last trip here.
"I am in the U.S.A. for four weeks and will travel across the country to California, with many stops along the way, then on to Vancouver and New Zealand."
Because it is a performance-oriented singing group, two members of the Hickory Tree Chorus, Jeannene Butler and Sara McHugh, are choreographers. They work with the group teaching the moves that make the performance professional.
Patty Danner of Parsippany, a music teacher at Mendham High School, has been with the group for two years.
"My mom used to sing with a barbershop group," she said. "I'm what they call a 'barbershop brat.' I love to sing. I am also the assistant director of the baritone section."
Mary Lou VanHandle of Succasunna gave a little insight into the performance aspect of the group.
"It's a little like being in show biz," she said. "I enjoy music and performing for people. It's also given me an opportunity to make some nice new friends."
Carolyn Schmidt of Gillette, master director for 14 years, has been singing with the Sweet Adelines for 20 years. Schmidt is also a Sweet Adelines-certified music arranger. This provides the group the benefit of a wide variety of music to perform, from Broadway tunes and chestnuts to old-time barbershop music.
The international membership of nearly 27,000 women, all singing in English, includes choruses in most of the 50 United States as well as in Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, Wales and the Netherlands. There are also prospective choruses in Denmark, Greece and the United Arab Emirates. The group encompasses more than 1,200 registered quartets and 600 choruses.
The Hickory Tree Chorus awards an annual $1,000 scholarship to a college-bound high school senior who intends to further her music studies.
It has won many awards within Sweet Adelines over the years. In 2007 it won a first place gold medal in the Greater New York Region, for the seventh time in its history, qualifying the chorus to travel to Honolulu on Nov. 5 to compete in the SAI International contest.
The chorus performs at community events, such as this year's Fishawack Festival in Chatham. Its next public performance will be the group's annual show, "The Best of Times," on Sept. 28 at Chatham High School.
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