1997 Chicago Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival

13th 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.

1997 Chicago Champions

Chicago Voice Exchange

CVX is an entertaining award-winning five-member a cappella group based in Chicago. CVX is a three -time winner of the Midwest Harmony Sweepstakes competition, and has entertained crowds at venues such as sports events (Cubs, Sox and Bulls games, the World Cup), holiday events, festivals, industry conferences and bake sales.

One of the first actions of the group was to argue long and hard about what the name of the group should be. There were a whole host of possible names: WeWopDoo (from Peter Harlan, master of cheese), New Caboose, Vox Populi, Digital Voice Exchange, Five Guys named Moe, etc. Eventually, a compromise was reached with Chicago Voice Exchange. Hurrah.

1997 Results
1st	Chicago Voice Exchange

1997 Participating Groups

Blind Man’s Bluff
Bluff rock is vocal rock - more than vocal. more than rock. aggressive. dirty. human. texture that tingles. both familiar and surprisingly unique. gritty but not grating. edgy but not hard edged. a sound you've never heard before. unquestionably modern. undeniably rock. rich. dark. driving. enticingly organic. depth without pretention. no holds barred and widely appealing. what you're waiting for - believe your ears.

Chicago Voice Exchange
CVX is an entertaining award-winning five-member a cappella group based in Chicago. CVX is a three -time winner of the Midwest Harmony Sweepstakes competition, and has entertained crowds at venues such as sports events (Cubs, Sox and Bulls games, the World Cup), holiday events, festivals, industry conferences and bake sales.

One of the first actions of the group was to argue long and hard about what the name of the group should be. There were a whole host of possible names: WeWopDoo (from Peter Harlan, master of cheese), New Caboose, Vox Populi, Digital Voice Exchange, Five Guys named Moe, etc. Eventually, a compromise was reached with Chicago Voice Exchange. Hurrah.
Listen to: Higher And Higher | Listen to: Spiderman

The Essentials

The Essentials have ushered in a new decade with a new member, new sound, new CD, and renewed enthusiasm.

Called "one of the finest acappella groups in the world" by one reviewer and "musical geniuses" by their mothers, The Essentials continue to sell-out shows while reinventing themselves and are now emerging on the international stage with some new twists on some age-old ideas.

"It's been a great journey so far but that was really just a warm-up," said band member Dan Speck. "Since Janet joined the group in the last year, we've basically reinvented ourselves. But we won't ever get away from what got us here - strong vocal harmonies and performances, tied to unforgettable melodies. Maybe we should have called the CD Nothing But New instead of Nothing But Blue!"

Octane

Signature

Throat Culture
Describing themselves as "eclectic a cappella," Throat Culture's diverse material draws upon a variety of influences, including gospel, doo-wop, classic pop and Motown. Alto Betsy Brickey puts her creamy tone to good use on "Chameleon" and "Sweet Dreams" (Eurythmics). "Damaged Goods" is reminiscent of the style and vocal inflection of Stevie Wonder. Their songwriting style is personal and original, and tends toward dark themes of love and loss, but with an irreverent twist.

Vocal Point
Vocal Point was originally founded in 1969 as an ensemble of 12 women accompanied by a piano, simply called 'Women's Ensemble'. Gradually, the group began performing more songs without accompaniment, and by the early 1980's the group was fully transformed into the all-female a cappella group that Vocal Point is known as today.

Vocomotion

Voice By Choice

1997 Judges TBA

Complete list of 1997 participants

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 :

David Wilner (Chicago) David Wilner competed in the Chicago Harmony Sweepstakes with Blind Man’s Bluff and Fiveplay, winning First Place, Audience Favorite, and Best Original Song with each group. During his six years in Blind Man’s Bluff, David toured nationally and recorded five albums. He also spent seven years with the classic rock quartet Ac•Rock, recording two albums. Today, David emcees events throughout the Chicagoland area and performs in the band The Four C Notes. He has been the regional producer of the Chicago Harmony Sweepstakes since 2017.

P.O. Box 4502, Naperville, IL 60567
847-226-3366
david@davidwilner.com

Our Hall of Fame - The Harmony Sweepstakes National Champions