38th Annual

The Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival is the premier American showcase for vocal harmony music. 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.

2023 National Finals Champions

Radius

Radius is an all-male identifying vocal ensemble, hailing from different corners of the country. Radius was formed in the midst of the global pandemic with the intention of creating top-tier virtual content and bringing some light to the world during the lockdown period. After working on virtual projects for several months, the group started to hit their stride and was fortunate enough to spend a week together in Chicago the following summer. From that point on, it was apparent that Radius was more than just a quarantine passion project: it was a group of talented, passionate, and hardworking friends who wanted to take their artistry to the next level. Radius released their first EP, Silver Lining, in July 2021, available on all major streaming platforms, including Apple Music and Spotify. The group intends to release several studio-length albums, and is currently on tour throughout various parts of the United States!

2023 Results
1st	Radius
2nd	'Round Midnight
3rd	Take Flight
Audience Favorite	'Round Midnight
Best Original Arrangement	Take The A Train - Wayne Grimmer - “Round Midnight

2023 Participating Groups

TBA

With Special Guests

The stalwart singing lads from the Dickens Faire

Brass Farthing

Brass Farthing is a group of stalwart lads brought together to sing songs, raise good cheer, and otherwise make merry in the company of friends both old and new. We take our inspiration from many periods and enjoy performing historical, traditional, and contemporary compositions in traditional styles.

George started the group in August 2006. We first performed at the Dickens Chistmas Fair and have performed there every year. We cut our self-published CD "Brass Farthing" in summer 2007. We also perform at the Northern California Ren Faire, Steam Punk Conventions and local bars.

Your Emcee for the Evening

Angie Doctor

Angie is a jazz singer and arranger, has brought her extensive experience in solo and small group harmony singing to workshops and festivals as a judge and clinician for over 35 years, and has been an additional singer for groups such as The Manhattans, Heatwave, Gene Chandler, Barbara Lewis, Billy Paul, and many others. She is a studio singer and voice-over talent, is the soprano in the jazz vocal quartet Clockwork and was the Girl Bob in the wackiest of all a cappella groups in the last 6 years of their 36-year run, The Bobs. Additionally, she has been singer and soloist for music projects with Bobby McFerrin, Sufjan Stevens, Sweet Honey in the Rock, John Zorn, Meredith Monk, performing at venues that include Zellerbach in Berkeley, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Philharmonie Berlin. Her vocal work is on many recording projects, including as a featured soloist on the Grammy-nominated recording of Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass” (Harmonia Mundi), conducted by Kent Nagano. Angie has recorded two albums of a cappella jazz duets with Dan Schumacher of “The Bobs”, arranged, recorded and produced by Richard Bob Greene. He Said, She Said, “Duets For Two Voices” and “Two: Vol. 2”.

A member of the San Francisco Bay Area vocal music community since 1995, her latest project was as Music Supervisor/Vocal Director/Arranger for a new musical about the life of Betty Reid Soskin, at Z Space in San Francisco March/April 2024. Angie was the vocal jazz ensemble instructor for all voice majors at the California Jazz Conservatory from 2014 through Spring 2020 and has been teaching a vocal jazz ensemble for community singers at the JazzSchool in Berkeley, California since 2014. More info and music can be found at angiedoctor.com.

2023 Judges

Johnny Colla

A recognizable fixture on the Bay Area music scene for decades, singer/songwriter/saxophonist Johnny Colla played with such artists as Sly and the Family Stone and Van Morrison before becoming a founding member of Huey Lewis and The News. Johnny co-authored many of the band's hits, including "Heart of Rock and Roll", "If This is It", and "Power of Love”. HLN’s first big hit, “Do You Believe In Love,” features Colla’s signature vocal sound carrying the chorus, overdubbing up to eight tracks.

As the primary vocal arranger for HLN (performing a cappella numbers at their concerts), Colla credits his influences as diverse as 50’s Doo-Wop to the Beach Boys. Johnny’s most recent solo release, “I Hear Other Voices!!” spotlights his passion for vocal harmony, the human voice, and all that it is.

Kevin Fox

Kevin Fox is a GRAMMY-winning choral director who started singing in choirs at the age of eight. He holds degrees in Music with Honors from Wesleyan University, Connecticut, where he received the Lipsky Prize for outstanding scholarship in choral studies. He has studied music at Oxford University, England, and Westminster Choir College.

Mr. Fox was the Founding Artistic Director of the Pacific Boychoir Academy. Starting with six boys, Pacific Boychoir Academy grew to serve more than 175 boys in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Mr. Fox has prepared choirs for most of the world’s leading orchestral conductors, including Michael Tilson Thomas, Gustavo Dudamel, and Kurt Masur. He has collaborated with numerous choirs and artists including San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Kronos Quartet, Tölzer Knabenchor, Dmitri Hvorostovky, Harvard Men’s Glee Club, and cellist Zöe Keating. Mr. Fox has been on over 40 choir tours to almost all 50 states, and to six continents. He has prepared choirs for a variety of clients that include the United Nations, Yahoo! Corporation, comedian Zach Galifianakis, and America’s Got Talent. Mr. Fox currently directs the Marin Symphony Chorus.

Jeff Kaliss

Jeff Kaliss has featured and reviewed classical, jazz, rock, and world music and other entertainment for the San Francisco Chronicle and a host of other regional, national, international, and web-based publications. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University, is a published poet, and is the author of I Want to Take You Higher: The Life and Times of Sly & the Family Stone (Backbeat Books) and numerous textbook and encyclopedia entries, album liner notes, and festival program notes. Jeff is also a frequent contributor to SF Classical Voice.

Join us after the show for drinks, food and a chance to sing with the groups at the Afterglow at Pete’s 881 Club.

Complete list of 2023 participants

Tweet the Sweeps! #harmonysweeps

National Finals Recordings

Interested in Performing?

We are always seeking groups who would like to participate in our events.

Groups of any style are welcome, but you must have between 3 and 12 members. We have a rule book which explains many of the details of the event, which you can see by clicking here. All groups must audition in order to compete. Generally this is done by sending a current tape and photo, although live auditions are sometimes arranged. The purpose of the audition is to make sure the group is appropriate for the Festival and to help the Director determine the performance order. If a group has competed previously, the audition process may be waived.

How to enter

Please send music and photos to the regional director :

Our Hall of Fame - The Harmony Sweepstakes National Champions

The Harmony Sweepstakes National Audience Favorites

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Marin Center

The Frank Lloyd Wright designed Marin County Civic Center is a national-and state-designated historic landmark. Wright's 770th commission, the Civic Center is the last and one of the most important works by this internationally acclaimed architect who has been described as "one of the most creative architectural geniuses of all time" and "the most original architect the United States has ever produced." The Marin Center is an outstanding venue for entertainment, meetings, and special events. The 55-acre campus includes a park and a 14-acre lagoon.Directions -Yelp reviews -Photos

38th Annual