17th Annual

The Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival, the premier American showcase for vocal harmony music, celebrates its 17th year in 2001. The annual national competition draws from hundreds of vocal groups from around the country with regional competitions in eight cities. The winning group from each festival is flown to perform in front of celebrity judges and a sold out house of enthusiastic a cappella fans at the National Finals.

Eclipse is an ensemble of six who met while attending Utah State University in northern Utah. They have performed extensively with the USU Department of Programs and Entertainment, which was instrumental in helping them gain exposure when they were getting started. In January 2000, they toured Thailand with Colors and the USU Sunburst Singers. Last year they were featured on a Christmas CD produced for the USU Aggie Carolers. Eclipse is currently recording their own debut album, due out in March 2001. Their repertoire consists of an eclectic mix of vocal jazz, pop, R&B, and even big band tunes. Contact: Patrick Rose, 1189 W 400 So, Logan, UT 84321; 435-787-8334; eclipsesingers@hotmail.com
Members: Paul Hansen, Kevin Jones, Shayne Taylor, Pat Rose, Dan Kartchner, Kirk Mecham

Eclipse is an ensemble of six who met while attending Utah State University in northern Utah. They have performed extensively with the USU Department of Programs and Entertainment, which was instrumental in helping them gain exposure when they were getting started. In January 2000, they toured Thailand with Colors and the USU Sunburst Singers. Last year they were featured on a Christmas CD produced for the USU Aggie Carolers. Eclipse is currently recording their own debut album, due out in March 2001. Their repertoire consists of an eclectic mix of vocal jazz, pop, R&B, and even big band tunes. Eclipse: Paul Hansen, Kevin Jones, Shayne Taylor, Pat Rose, Dan Kartchner, Kirk Mecham Contact: Patrick Rose, 1189 W 400 So, Logan, UT 84321; 435-787-8334; eclipsesingers@hotmail.com

Fretless, from Redmond, Washington, may be only a year old, but its members are experienced veterans of the music world. Martin was a member of The Banned, which won the Northern California Harmony Sweepstakes in the mid '90s. He and Beth were both members of the award-winning a cappella group Baysix. Fretless is rounded out by Sean, a professional actor, and Linda, a nightclub singer and symphony violinist. Fretless performs an unusual variety of styles from English Madrigals to Motown to original pieces. They're still figuring out how they found each other-but the result is magic. Fretless: Beth Puryear, Linda Vogt, Martin Puryear, Sean Mitchell Contact: Beth Puryear, 5226 240th Avenue NE, Redmond, WA 98053; 425-868-1885; fretlessacappella@home.com

Kickshaw has been performing in the Northwest for about four years. The founding five members were all part of a select vocal jazz choir at Edmonds Community College. They have been in thousands of shows, leaving people stunned and surprised with the Kickshaw experience. Their premiere album project, "Superstar," was released in September 1999, and was recently nominated for best pop/rock album by the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA). What started as five ambitious guys with a common love for singing has blossomed into a dynamic and creative musical force that captivates audiences wherever they go. Kickshaw: Jim Castaneda, Danny Figgins, Andy Marshall, Blake Lewis, Dan Scheumacher Contact: Jim Castaneda, PMB 1163, 22833 Bothell-Evt. Hyw 102, Bothell, WA 98021; 425-489-7900; kickshaw@earthlink.net

Rescue: In the Spring of 1996, encouraged by college professors to pursue his a cappella musical talents, Jason Overstreet got in touch with a few friends. They formed Rescue and the calls for performances began to come in. Rescue released their first CD in 1998, their second CD a year later, and have performed at festivals, for televised broadcasts, and at venues around the US. Their captivating sound and style is fresh and exciting, influenced by Take 6, Rockapella and Glad. Rescue: Jason Overstreet, Jason Pearce, Josh McKenney, Jason McKenney Contact: Josh McKenney, PO Box 1127 Gresham, OR 97030; 503-730-9874; info@rescueministries.com

Studio One is an a cappella quartet with members from Seattle and Lynden, Washington. Together since 1977, they enjoy singing a variety of musical styles. Originally a barbershop quartet, the group is proud to support the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America through coaching, leadership, and administrative roles. The goals of Studio One include excellence in performance, great singing, musical leadership, and the delight of friends. They share a vision that drives them to seek the unknown, to boldly go where no a cappella quartet has gone before. Studio One: John Rae-Grant, Doug Broersma, Dave Warkentin, Tim Broersma Contact: Dave Warkentin, 4011 Whitman Avenue N #302, Seattle, WA 98103; 206-634-9069; dave@studioonequartet.com

Vocal Tangent is Laugh-Cry-Smile-Sigh a cappella from Eugene, Oregon. Their six voices have been blending (and clashing!) since 1995, when they went off on a tangent from the Eugene Peace Choir-and didn't come back! Since then, they've left good vibrations at many of the Northwest's premier music festivals. Vocal Tangent loves to sing about issues ranging from the personal to the universal in a variety of styles. Northwest songwriters in particular have provided them with great material. In short, heart + humor + six-voice a cappella harmony = Vocal Tangent. Vocal Tangent: Craig LaFollette, Lori Deskin, Karen Hyatt, Karen Perkins, Wanda Walker, Wayne Leeds Contact: Wayne Leeds, 1460 Hayes, Eugene, OR 97402; 541-302-1616; wleeds@qwest.net

Voce: This five-member vocal sensation has succeeded in carving out a sound and a style that's fresh and new and uniquely Voce. Since forming in 1993, Voce has sung a wide variety of material from doo-wop and gospel to barbershop and traditional. Their sound is clean, energized "pop" and their powerful, energetic performance is always a crowd pleaser. In 1998 they won the Specialty Artists of the Year ARIA (Alberta Recording Industry Award), and three top awards from the 1998 Northern Harmony Festival, a Canadian a cappella competition. Their debut album, "So Many Ways," was released in 1996 and followed last year with their second album, "People Change." The five men of Voce and their undeniable passion for music bring lush harmonies and innovative arrangements to life. Voce: Bruce Cable, Orville Cameron, Martin Murphy, Trent Worthington, Jeff Watt Contact: Janice Flower and Audrey Dalgliesh, 11226 117 Street, Edmonton AB, Canada, T5G 2W2; 780-454-3067; info@voce.ab.ca

Judges

Stephanie Claire has been an active participant in Olympia's music scene for almost 20 years. She has been a performer, teacher, music director, and accompanist for the community as well as the public school system and The Evergreen State College. The a cappella fever hit early for Stephanie; her Uncle Wes sang barbershop to her as a child. Later she sang doo-wop with the Chromatic Connection. Currently, Stephanie is an employee of the State of Washington, sings with a group of co-workers, and is a massage therapist.

Scott Farrell has been a professional singer, music director, and teacher for over 25 years. As a featured singer, he has appeared on cruise ships, theaters and in nightclubs in Lake Tahoe, Reno, New York City, Atlantic City, Miami, Biloxi, Amsterdam, Philadelphia and Bermuda, among others. For 16 years he was the music director for Greg Thompson Productions, the largest producer of staged revue shows in the world, where he arranged and directed over 50 world-class revues. He is currently an adjunct music faculty member at The Evergreen State College, Expressive Arts Ministry Director at Unity Church of Olympia, and has a private voice studio.

Dick Meyer has been presenting concerts by national and international performers for almost 20 years. He owns Traditions Café and World Folk Art in downtown Olympia, where his concerts have been presented for the last five years. For 15 years previous his concerts were presented at the Antique Sandwich Company in Tacoma. Included in the many performances he has promoted are past winners of the Northwest Regional Harmony Sweepstakes. He is honored to be a judge at this year's competition.

Tom Powell performs musically both as a singer and instrumentalist. He studied music at West Virginia University, and received his post-graduate degree in performance from the Joint Service School of Music in Norfolk, Virginia. He has performed a variety of choral selections with the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, the Maenner Musik Verein in Munich, Germany, and with the Masterworks Choral Ensemble in Olympia. Recently, Powell performed here at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts at the International Combined Military Band Concert. Presently, he is the principle trombonist and euphonium soloist, and records and tours with the I Corps Army Band at Fort Lewis.

Mary Tennyson has been a member of Masterworks Choral Ensemble since the Fall of 1983. Mary has studied piano, guitar, and voice, performing with school choirs since 1966, including solo work in high school in concerts and theater. She has sung with an a cappella group, "The Extremes," who performed their own arrangements. For the past 10 years or so, Mary has designed the stage decorations for the Masterworks concerts. Mary has been employed as an attorney by the Washington State Attorney General's Office, and has two daughters.

The Harmony Sweepstakes National A Cappella Festival
PO Box D
San Anselmo, CA 94979
(415) 455-8602
harmony@singers.com