The Sweet Adelines International Competitions are the annual global championships for women's barbershop harmony a cappella singing – in quartets and choruses – for members of Sweet Adelines International (SAI) and have been held annually between September and November since 1947. They are now the largest women's singing competition in the world with over 8000 participants at the 2014 convention. There are two competitions for choruses (the international championships and the "Harmony Classic" for smaller choruses), and two competitions for quartets (the international championships and the "Rising Star" for young singers). Currently, the first three of these competitions are held together and form the Sweet Adelines International Convention. Over the course of competition history, the most successful chorus has been Melodeers Chorus from Chicago with seven championship titles, and the most successful quartet singer was Connie Noble who won with four separate quartets. Lustre Quartet from Baltimore holds the record for highest quartet score, and Rönninge Show Chorus from Stockholm for highest ever chorus score.
History The first convention was held in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1947 for quartets – two years after the foundation of the first Sweet Adelines Inc. chapter in the city. The competition was expanded to include choruses in 1973 and in 2000 the Harmony Classic competition for small and medium-sized choruses was introduced. Originally, Harmony Classic was held independently but since 2009 all three are now hosted together and run over the course of the convention week. A fourth event, the "Rising Star" competition, was introduced in 1999 for quartets whose members are 25 years old or younger. It was also held as part of convention from 2009 until 2012 but due to scheduling and cost constraints is now held independently again. Many non-competitive performances are also held during convention week, including by the previous year's chorus and quartet champions.
The convention is usually held in a city in the continental United States but has thrice been held internationally (England 1977, Canada 1962, 2007) and four times in Hawaii (1969, 1987, 2008, 2013). A "spectacular fifty-year anniversary celebration" was held in New Orleans during the 1995 convention and the competition was to be held there a decade later in 2005, but was moved due to Hurricane Katrina. From 2015 to 2017, the city of Las Vegas hosted the convention – the first time that the event has stayed in the same location for more than one year. The 2020 "75th Diamond Anniversary" convention is expected to be the first use of the newly renovated Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky – expecting to draw 10,000 attendees. Since 2004, the competition has been livestreamed over the internet as a popular donation-funded webcast, operated by an in-house media production team.
In recent years, the formal events of convention week proceed as follows: Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Harmony Classic Quartet semi-finals Chorus semi-finals Quartet Finals Chorus finals
Qualifying The competitions held during international convention each have a different qualification processes:For choruses, the highest scoring chorus of each SAI regional competition qualifies directly for the following year's SAI international competition semi-final. For example, the winner of a regional competition in 2014 is granted entry as their region's representative to the 2015 competition. If that chorus cannot compete, the second-placed chorus is offered the place. There are 28 active regions numbered 1–35 (some have been merged with others over time) although a region is not obliged to hold a regional competition every year. A chorus may not compete in a regional competition in the year that they are also qualified to compete in the international competition. This rule ensures that one chorus does not monopolise their region's attendance to the international competition. In addition to the direct-qualifying places, since 2002 "wildcard" places are awarded to the highest-scoring second-placed choruses across all regional competitions making it possible for a region to have two representatives at internationals in one year. Initially four wildcard places were made available, subsequently increased to 10. Wildcards ensures that a high scoring chorus is not unfairly excluded from international competition due to being in a highly competitive region.
Qualification for the Harmony Classic competition happens as part of the regional chorus competition. The five highest-scoring small (division A, fewer than 30 singers) and midsize (division, AA 31–60 singers) choruses across all regional competitions qualify directly for the Harmony Classic of the following year. With five choruses in each of the two divisions (A & AA) a total of 10 choruses compete in this competition each year. Only one chorus from a region may compete in each of the divisions and a chorus may not compete in the same division again two years in a row. Furthermore, a chorus may not compete in both the main competition and also the Harmony Classic at the same year. A chorus may potentially qualify for both the main chorus competition and the Harmony Classic, but are only permitted to compete in one, thereby making a space available for the next highest qualifier to take their place at the other competition.
For quartets, qualification proceeds in much the same manner as for choruses – with regional winners and wildcard places. The regional qualification process happens in the same calendar year as the international competition (not the preceding year as is the case with choruses). Furthermore, quartets that obtain a ranking of 2nd to 15th place at the previous year's international competition are considered to have pre-qualified for the following international competition and are offered a direct place in the semi-final if they wish without the requirement to compete in their regional competition. This means that the total number of competing quartets is higher than the chorus competition.
A chorus may win many international competitions or Harmony Classic competitions over the years, but may not compete at the international level two years in a row. In contrast, a quartet may compete at the international competition many times in succession, but must retire from all SAI quartet competitions if it wins, although the quartet may participate in a regional competition for evaluation. Quartets performing for evaluation receive a scoresheet with comments and grade, but are not awarded a score and are not eligible for awards.
There is no formal qualification process for the international Rising Star competition; rather, an eligible quartet registers their interest. A quartet may compete at the Rising Star competition several years in succession, provided all its members remain 25 years old or younger, but winning quartets may not compete in the Rising Star competition again.
Scoring Both choruses and quartets are judged according to four categories: Sound: judging mastery of vocal skills, tuning of chords, delivery of vowels with matched resonance, "Barbershop balance", vocal lines, artistry and finesse. Music: judging creative arrangement of a barbershop style song, timing of chords, and execution of interpretive plan. Expression: judging matched open vowels, diction, execution of interpretive plan, use of barbershop style and vocal drama, and emotional communication. Visual Communication (previously Showmanship): judging command of the stage, theatrical skill and projection of character, audience captivation, performance energy, and the visual plan. For all categories, judges are also scoring for whether "mastery of vocal skills [is] demonstrated" and whether the "performance transcends technique".
In scoring both the semi-final and the final, penalties may be applied for a variety of rules including time-limits, not singing competition-songs in American English, the use of musical instruments, singing religious or patriotic songs and "misconduct".
In regional competitions, there is one round of competition and each category is scored by one judge. Therefore,:
Regional competition: 4 categories x 1 judge each x 2 songs, maximum 100 points per judge = maximum possible 800 points.
At International competition, the number of judges for each category is doubled (making eight judges in total). Consequently, the maximum possible score in each round of international competition is also doubled to 1600.
Until 1985, there were three rounds of competition for quartets (quarter-final for all qualifiers, semi-final for the top 20, and final for the top 10) and only one round of competition for choruses (the final). Therefore, the perfect score was 4800 for a quartet and 1600 for a chorus. From 1985 the two competitions' structures were standardised to the semi-final/final format (semi-final for all qualifiers, final for the top 5) This set the new perfect score for both choruses and quartets at 3200. Two years later in 1987, a maximum of 80 "bonus points" were added in the final round (10 per judge) for scoring the performance "package" in both the quartet and chorus competitions, raising the maximum score to 3280. Two years after that in 1989, the quartet competition re-introduced the quarter-final with a reduced score (20 per judge) but retaining the bonus points system in the final. This increased the quartet perfect score to 3440 while the chorus competition continued without change. In 1998 the two systems were standardised again with the quartet competition returning to the format introduced in 1987, but with the size of the final round for choruses and quartets doubled to 10 contestants. Following a further rule change, from the 2015 competition the "bonus points" were removed, reducing the perfect score back to the 1985 standard of 3200.
Chorus and quartet competition scoring system changesEraRoundChorusesQuartetsPre-1985Quarter-final–1600 (4 categories x 2 judges each x 2 songs, 100 points per judge)Semi-final–1600 (same process as QF)Final1600 (4 categories x 2 judges each x 2 songs, 100 points per judge)1600 (same process as QF)Perfect score16004800 (combined total of QF, SF, and F rounds)1985–1986Semi-final1600 (4 categories x 2 judges each x 2 songs, 100 points per judge)Final1680 (Same process as SF)Perfect score3200 (combined total of SF and F rounds)1987–1988Semi-final1600 (4 categories x 2 judges each x 2 songs, 100 points per judge)Final1680 (Same process as SF + up to 10 "bonus" points for the package from each of the 8 judges)Perfect score3280 (combined total of SF and F rounds)1989–1997Quarter-final–160 (4 categories x 2 judges each x 2 songs, 10 points per judge)Semi-final1600 (4 categories x 2 judges each x 2 songs, 100 points per judge)Final1680 (Same process as SF + up to 10 "bonus" points for the package from each of the 8 judges)Perfect score3280 (combined total of SF and F rounds)3440 (combined total of QF, SF and F rounds)1998–2014Semi-final1600 (4 categories x 2 judges each x 2 songs, 100 points per judge)Final1680 (Same process as SF + up to 10 "bonus" points for the package from each of the 8 judges)Perfect score3280 (combined total of SF and F rounds)2015 onwardSemi-final1600 (4 categories x 2 judges each x 2 songs, 100 points per judge)Final1600 (4 categories x 2 judges each x [1 song + 1 performance package], 100 points per judge)Perfect score3200 (combined total of SF and F rounds)