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Hey folks, it's Laurie here, reporting for the quartet semis.

MC Diane Huber takes the stage and reminds us of all those wonderful
rules...like no smoking!

Mic tester quartet A Cappella Gold takes the stage and sings "How
Many Hearts." They are wearing a two piece short gold dress and
jacket. It looks great on all four of them. Their medals are strung
on a gold chain at their throats. These gals are working hard this
week, in addition to singing last night with San Diego and as the
featured quartet on Showcase, here they are singing as mic testers.
"If You Love Me, Really Love Me" is their second song. Good thing
for the rest of the quartets that they're not competing! Bette nails
the hanger on the tag and it just rings into the rafters. There's a
reason these guys are champions.

Quartet members are listed tenor, lead, bari, bass.

Key: Regional Champions (RC), Wild Cards (WC), Returning Qualifiers
(RQ), ## = queen; first region number listed is the one in which the
quartet qualified; @ means a member of SING who has outed herself

.1...Jackpot! (#9) - WC
.....Michelle Reyes@, Gina Anton@, Jan Anton, Joanie Jacques
.....Jacksonville Harmony, Sound of Sunshine
Stage Attire: long sleeved sparkly blue sweater set with a clasp at
the neck. Long black skirt.
Song #1: Dancing this Dance in the Wrong Romance: Nice sound. The
quartet watches the object of their affection dancing across the
floor with another. Nice strong tag. Very cleanly done.
Song #2: Dixie Sunshine: Nice vocal texture on "puffing" down the
line. Nice job for two SINGers and the other two weren't too shabby
either.

.2...Surround Sound (#3) - RQ
.....Joan Boutilier, Debi Miller, Amy Brinkman##, Bonnie Fedyski##
.....Choral-Aires
Stage Attire: short two piece black velvet dress and jacket with
silver accents on one shoulder.
Song #1: Keep Your Eye/Bill Bailey Medley. Very tight sound with
great ring, especially on the tag. Solid performance from a multiple
time finalist quartet.
Song #2: Here I Am Broken Hearted. (We're hearing a loud ringing
from the sound system, or maybe the lights, here in our seats...hope
it's not bothering the quartet.) Solid solid job, despite the sound.

During the break between quartets there is some activity in the pit.
I'm sure they're aware of the problem. Yep, we're taking an awfully
long time between competitors. Carol Schwartz (from HQ) just came by
and said they're working on it. It's official now. Diane Huber just
came to the podium and announced that they are trying to isolate the
problem. Folks are now visiting.

We are sitting just to the left of the pit. Sitting in the front
row, right behind us is Fanatix, outgoing quartet champs. My, their
crowns are big! In addition to the judges who are doing the actual
scoring of the contest, there are about 5 trial scorers this year.
We recognize Bonnie McKibben (bass of Panache), Renee Porzel
(Melodeer's choreographer), Mary Ann Wydra (Alamo Metro director),
Ruth Anne Parker (Hurricane Honeys). Yippee! We're starting again,

.3...Taylor Street Union (#3) - RC
.....Tori Hicks, Bon Pressley##, Lynn Vaughn, Ellen Marincic
.....Midwest Crossroad, CAL
Stage Attire: long sleeved turquoise duster jacket over pants
Song #1: Jazz Baby. "Then Came Me" Bon, knows it's all about her!
"Play me a LOTTA Jazz". This quartet has such a commanding presence.
"Little? Jazz Baby, that's me," Bon questions? (For those who don't
know, she is well over six foot tall.) Well done!
Song #2: If You Love Me, Really Love Me. I love the way this quartet
connects with the audience. Facial expressions on all four are so
believable. Nothing is contrived. Stong performance!

Oh...a tv crew is here. They recorded Taylor Street!

.4...Distinction (#17) - RC
.....Barbara Hiner, Jennifer Perry, Amy Lentner, Tamela Moore
.....Pride of Toledo, CAL
Just a fun triva fact: Barb's husband is DJ Hiner of the Ritz,
SPEBSQSA international champs.
Stage Attire: Tea length red duster over red dress. Silver accents
Song #1: I'd Give the World to Alexander's Band Again. Wow! They
nailed the tag really well. They look like they're having such fun
up there.
Song #2: Here am I, Broken Hearted. (Will this be the song of the
contest?) Again, a very strong finish to a well sung song.
Excellent job for a first time competitor!

.5...Flashback (#10) - WC
.....Hilda Mancillas, Marcy Scofield, Nita Myers, Vickie Dennis
.....Alamo Metro, Houston Horizon, CAL
Stage Attire: Black velvet tea-length dresses each with it's own
styling at the neck and waist. Vickie has a jacket, Marcy has mesh,
etc.
Song #1: This is My Lucky Day. A very big sound from this
experienced quartet. (Although they haven't sung in this combination
before, there's a new bass this year, all four of these women have
sung together in various combinations and there is a lot of
experience on the international stage.)
Song #2: Roses of Yesterday. We don't hear this ballad very often,
and it's a pretty one. Nice job.

.6...Natural High (#10) - RC
.....Jody Cram, Sonya Perez, Sasha Perez, Ronda Perez
.....Alamo Metro
Another piece of trivia, Sonya and Sasha are twins and Ronda is their
mom. Friend Jody rounds out the quartet! They've been here a few
times before.
Stage Attire: Black pants and sleeveless top with white flair from
the left hip.
Song #1: Jazz Me Blues. Very sexy, fun take on this popular
up-tune. Strong performance.
Song #2: All the World and It's Gold. Nice sustained softs in their
strong dynamic plan. Nice job from this young quartet. Imagine what
it might mean to sing a "mother" song with your mother standing right
next to you. Shiver!

.7...Backstage Pass (#11) - WC
.....Theresa Carey, Doreen Philbin, Bron Latta@, Sandy Gilson@
.....Southland Harmony, Channelaire, Verdugo Hills
Stage Attire: Multi-colored jackets with gold trim. Black pants.
Song #1: That's my Weakness. Another quartet with great stage
presence. I believe them. Cute twist on some lyrics.
Song #2: Come Take Your Place in My Heart. Bron grabs the hanger
on the tag and there is a nice soft ring resonating through the arena.
Trivia time! Doreen is the daughter of Carolyn and Bill Butler AND
she's married to Brian Philbin, bass of Metropolis, current SPEBSQSA
5th place medalist quartet.

.8...Persuasion (#21, #11) - RC
.....Patty Cobb, Dani Avalos-Prigge##, Carol Krenek, Meredith Emley
.....Central Coast Celebration, Harborlites
Stage Attire: Long blue/black dresses two strands of rhinestones
across the chest.
Song #1: Take Another Guess. This quartet has a very "full" sound.
Great job on a very difficult song. Their experience is paying off!
Song #2: Beside an Open Fireplace. Beautiful dynamic plan that
shows off the artistry of this quartet.
Trivia time: Now that Dani has sung, all four members of Chicago
Fire have been across the stage today! What fun that they are all
still have the competition bug.

.9...SoundDesign (#13) - RC
.....Carolyn Huber, Katy Sansburn, Sue Beck, Judy Widener
.....Pacific Sound, CAL
Stage Attire: Red pantsuit with silver shell
Song #1: Who's Sorry Now? Sue Beck give a "nose wave" asking "who's
sorry." Cute visual plan. Carolyn stomps whomever it is on the
ground and they end with a strong, ringing tag.
Song #2: My Buddy. Very tenderly delivered. This is a great
ballad, and they do it justice! Very solid performance from this
quartet. This is the first year they've competed as regional champs;
their other two appearances were as wild-cards.

10...Ms. Behavin' (#8) - RC
.....Rosemary Baltensberger, Monica Kastman, Heather Tavel, Sue Brown
.....Skyline, CAL
This quartet was all the buzz last spring when they posted a regional
score of 637. The audience is excited to hear them!
Stage Attire: Long creamy white duster jacket and pants with a gold shell.
Song #1: Falling in Love All Over Again with You. I've not heard
this song before, and now it will always belong to them in my memory!
A tender delivery
Song #2: I'm Somebody Else's Now/Who's Sorry Now? Again, a new
song/medley for me. This is definitely and up and coming quartet.
Excellent job for a first time competitor.

11...Angel City (#11) - RC
.....Sally McLeish, Jenny Motzkus, Corky Harvey, Jeannie Vercillo
.....Agoura Hills Harmony, Verdugo Hills, CAL
Stage Attire: Sort black above the knee dress with a copper colored jacket.
Song #1: If You Love Me, Really Love Me. They display some great
artistry in their interpretation of this ballad. I like some of the
vocal inflection they use. A strong, rich sound from this long time
competitor.
Song #2: Jazz Me Blues/Jazzin in New Orleans. I like how they play
with some of the lyrics and maintain a great tempo with this fun
medley.

Quick ten minute leg stretch!

12...Remix (#32) - RQ
.....Hillevi Martinson, Marie Flink, Camilla Ljung, Inger Bergqvist
.....Ronninge Show, Stockholm City, CAL
This Swedish quartet has a lot of fan support in the audience. The
Swedish flags are flying! They made the cut last year, and people
are anxious to hear them.
Stage Attire: Hot pink short dress with over-lay that splits over the skirt.
Song #1: If You Love Me, Really Love Me. They have a very tight yet
full rich sound. Seemless. The lead has no break. Darn her!
Okay-These guys are IN!
Song #2: Lulu's Back In Town. The bass IS Lulu. She's the
red-head and she's in charge. This is the first quartet we've seen
today that has taken the stage and said "Here We Are. Go ahead and
score us!" They're in as far as I'm concerned.

13...Unplugged (#13, #26) - RQ
.....Teresa McCafferty@, Julie Hagstrom, Anna Chamberlain@, Judy Pozsgay@
.....Pacific Sound, Lions Gate
Last year's mic testers in the finals, Unplugged won the audience
with their show package. They've come here with a mission and the
audience is clearly on their side as they receive a huge ovation when
they walk on stage.
Stage Attire: black sparkly duster jacket over black slinky pants and top.
Song #1: Two tickets/Sentimental Gentleman. What an in-control
group. They have the audience in the palm of their hands. The crowd
loves them! Big sound.
Song #2: I Never Meant to Fall in Love. Lead, Julie Hagstom, can
deliver a ballad like nobody's business. Exquisite. I'm up to two
sure things now!

14...From The Edge (#1) - RC
.....Lynn Morgan, Susan Broudy, Penny Schroeder, Marion Devokaitis
.....Sound of New England, CAL
Stage Attire: Blue pants suit with blue sparkly over-shirt.
Song #1: How's Every Little Thing in Dixie. They set and maintain a
fun tempo. They clearly enjoy performing this song.
Song #2: All Dressed up With a Broken Heart. Beautiful unison
phrase in the middle of the song. They have a good dynamic plan and
they sing this emotional ballad well.


Laurie O'Brien for the SING Reporting Team
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SweetAdelinesScores/messages
LovejoyMar @ att.net <--remove spaces