We started preparing ourselves to Charter as a Chorus of the Sweet Adelines International and finally in August 1974, we had taken all of the steps necessary to become a Chapter.  We received our official letter dated October 1974. We had our Chartering Party at the Clayview Country Club in Liberty with 28 members present.  We immediately starting working on our first show which was held at the Liberty High School, now the Liberty Jr. High.  We presented our show to the public on April 26, 1975.  The name of the show was "This Could Be The Start Of Something Big".  We had 28 members in the Chorus at the time of the show and the MC for that show was Dan Henry, weatherman for TV Station 4, At that time TV Station 4 was the NBC affiliate.   Dan was also a member of the S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A., Inc. 

 

We presented our second show on February 28, 1976, again at the Liberty Jr. High School.  Our MC at that show was Richard C. Brown , actor for the Tiffany"s Attic and the Waldo Astoria,.  He was with the  Missouri Repertory Theater in Kansas City, with his wife Mary Loy, spokesperson for the Missouri-Kansas Safeway, Inc. The name of that show was "Dixieland Jamboree".  The  show featured  the Soundsations and the men’s quartet Rural Route Four.  The Chorus had 36 members at that time and was being directed by Don Webb.  Don directed the chorus from 1974-1977.

 

The chorus moved from the Liberty area to the Kansas City North area and changed their name to the Northland Chorus, in 1978. That was the  first year the chorus went to competition  under the direction of Nancy Pool, our new director.  We also won the Harmony Petite award in 1978, and again in 1980. Nancy was the director for Northland from 1978-1982. 

 

Our  directors have been  Don Webb 1974-1977, Nancy Pool 1978-1982, Gordon Lankenau 1983 and Jo Kraut was the director in 1984. Kim Kraut became our director in 1985 and was the chorus director through 1987. The chorus won the Second Place Small Chorus Award in 1985, under the direction of Kim Kraut.  We were directed by Kelly Deare from 1988 through 2002. Duane Lawson became our director in 2002-2003 and Joseph Toma directed us 2005. Our current director is Kathy Wattenbarger.  Kathy has held almost every musical and administrative position in the chorus (except costume). She has been an Assistant Director of the Northland Chorus for the past nearly 20 years. She has served in several capacities at the regional level as well.  Kathy became our director in January 2006.  In 2005 it was decided we would change our name to Heartland Harmony. We changed it back to Northland Sweet Adelines in 2006.
 
Our achievements and activities include an annual Regional Competition in which we have placed very well against 20 or more other choruses, many of which are twice our size. Northland  has competed every year from 1978-2004. We competed for evaluation in 2006 and were back on the stage in 2008. We are preparing our competition package for 2009. The chorus has presented a show almost every year since 1974. 

Our chapter offers members an opportunity to develop their talents in many ways.  Some members provide music education to the chapter, while others have learned to sing in a quartet, arrange music, write news articles, lead administrative meetings, or design show props.  We are also active in regional activities, such as regional music schools.

 

As our main purpose is singing and promoting four-part harmony, barbershop style. We welcome  the opportunity to perform for civic affairs, churches, clubs and organizations.  If you would like to join our chorus or have us perform for your organization, please contact our business manager.
                                                                               

Ramona Fuenfhausen,

Charter Member of Northland Sweet Adelines