Feck, who sings lead, is one of three Villages women who are Toast of Tampa members; the other two are lead Shirley Lett and baritone Helen Tausch.
Feck, Lett and Tausch were included in the 134 Toast of Tampa members who competed against 34 other choruses in Detroit. According to Michele Vickers, Toast of Tampa's public relations marketing chairman, contenders had to be Florida First Place Champions in order to qualify for the competition.
Toast of Tampa members practice weekly under the direction of Joe Connelly, who coaches men's and women's barbershop quartets and choruses all over the United States, Canada and other countries.
Feck, Lett and Tausch typically return home from rehearsals after midnight.
“It's pretty intensive,” Feck said of the training.
Obviously, those efforts to harmonize and do accompanying choreography while wearing flashy costumes has paid off.
The Toast of Tampa's mission is to be “a highly visible, innovative and exciting performing chorus committed to musical excellence while promoting barbershop harmony, friendship, education, self-esteem and a sense of belonging among women of all ages, races, creeds or ethnicities.”
Vickers said the group made of up females - stay-at-home-mothers, career women and retirees - from various parts of Florida takes its mission seriously for one main reason.
“We all have that common bond of that love of music,” Vickers said.
And the caring friendships the performers have developed are second to none, Feck said.
Sweet Adelines International is made up of 30,000 members, with more than 600 choruses worldwide. The organization started as a way for women to learn to sing in four-part harmony and garner an appreciation for music.
Reprinted with permission from the Villages Daily Sun: http://www.thevillagesdailysun.com/articles/2005/10/26/lifestyles/lifestyles02.txt
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