By Isabelle Ghetti, events coordinator at Wollongong Harmony Chorus

The Wollongong Harmony Chorus has brought home the 5th place medal after competing at the Sweet Adelines Australia Convention held in Hobart, Tasmania last weekend.

Competing in a large and competitive field from around the country, the Wollongong group scored a total of 574 points, improving their previous performance by more than 30 points, and achieving their highest score in 15 years.

Co-directed by freshly minted directors Alison Charlton and Samantha White, the chorus had set a clear goal for this year’s performance: to elevate their energy and stage presence, and bring an engaging performance to their audience, and they did it! The panel of four international judges praised the chorus for their energy, describing their performance as “confident”, “expressive”, “free and easy”.

Adding to the excitement, Wollongong Harmony Chorus surprised both the audience and the judges by performing without a conductor out front – a rare and bold move that is extremely challenging for an acappella group to pull off, requiring deep musical trust and cohesion among the singers. The result was an emphatic “Wow!” throughout the auditorium as the group took the stage and did their thing.

As co-director Sam reflected, “It takes confidence, unity, and a finely tuned sense of musical awareness to perform that way – we took a risk, but the feedback we received tells us it paid off.”

In recognition of their outstanding leadership, Alison and Sam were honoured with the national Novice Director Award, a prestigious accolade presented to first-time directors who demonstrate exceptional musical direction, creativity and impact.

“We are thrilled with the result,” said Alison. “To see such a significant jump in our scores, and to have our energy and risk-taking recognised, is incredibly rewarding.”

The chorus also expressed deep gratitude to their coaches Rob Sequeira, Vicki Dwyer, Lea Baker and Glenda Lloyd, for their expert guidance, encouragement, and inspiration throughout their exciting ride.

The Sweet Adelines Australia Convention brings together top women’s barbershop choruses from across the nation, celebrating vocal excellence, artistry, and community. Wollongong Harmony Chorus congratulates all 17 choruses on their inspiring performances, and extends special congratulations to Perth Harmony Chorus, the overall winner of the competition.

Wollongong Harmony Chorus continues to welcome new members and is passionate about sharing the joy of acappella harmony throughout the Illawarra and beyond.

Watch the Wollongong Harmony Chorus performance at the convention