Submitted by Danny Dodd on
SPOKANE, Wash. – The Northwest Sound men’s chorus repeated as Evergreen District Chorus Champions on Saturday with a score of 1490 (82.8 average). Coming in a close second was the SenateAires out of Salem Ore. who scored 1482 (82.3 average). Northwest Sound will represent the Bellevue chapter and Evergreen District next summer in Nashville, Tenn. at the 2016 Barbershop Harmony Society International Convention.
Led by new director, Ken Potter, Northwest Sound put an impressive 72-singers on stage for their competition set – the largest Evergreen District chorus since 2000. The expanded number of singers was thanks in large part to the addition of a new young adult’s chorus to the Bellevue chapter called “Emerald City Sound” (ECS).
“The ECS guys made a huge impact on our overall look and sound,” Potter said. “I can’t thank Michael (Kelly) enough for his dedication in putting all of this together, and a big thanks to all the men of Northwest Sound for stepping up to the plate and knocking one out of the park. This chapter is poised to do some great things.”
With only limited time until the district convention, Bellevue chapter member, Michael Kelly, had a vision for a Bellevue chapter youth chorus program. After a concerted recruiting effort, Emerald City Sound was born. Then with only a month until contest, ECS was successfully integrated into the larger Northwest Sound. The young men of ECS also plan to compete in the youth chorus competition at the Midwinter International Convention in Reno next year.
The district championship victory is the second in as many years for Northwest Sound, and prior to that their previous Evergreen District title was in 2005. In last year’s contest, the chorus earned an average score of 80 to take top honors. This year’s victory and improved scores solidifies the marked progress since Potter took over as director less than a year ago.
To stay up to date on all things Northwest Sound, visit our new website at northwestsound.org, and also be sure to ‘like’ us on Facebook. Tickets for Northwest Sound’s seasonal holiday show on December 5th are on sale now at northwestsound.org/holiday.