Pacific Empire Chorus

The award-winning Pacific Empire Chorus is a women's performance and competition chorus singing four-part, a cappella harmony in jazz, pop, rock and barbershop styles. Membership includes women from all walks of life who come from eight different north-bay counties.

Members range in age from their early twenties to eighty and come from a wide range of occupational backgrounds. The chorus provides a supportive environment for women who want to develop their musical skills -- while some members sight read music, others learn by using audio recordings.

 

We are a competitive chorus, fresh from winning 11th place at the 2008 Sweet Adelines International Competition. Our beloved director, Jan Gervais, has announced her April 2009 retirement.  Under her direction, Pacific Empire has won numerous regional contests and has represented our region at International Convention in 1993 (4th place), 1995 (9th place), 2000 (8th place), 2002 (12th place), 2004 (11th place), 2006 (11th place) and 2008 (11th place).

Pacific Empire Chorus welcomes women who love to sing and are striving for excellence. If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, please join our rehearsal any Wednesday evening.

The chorus rehearses year round on Wednesday nights at the Petaluma Veterans Memorial Building in Petaluma, California. Rehearsals begin at 7:30 p.m. and end at 10:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to attend rehearsals and actively participate in the art of a cappella singing.

1094 S. Petaluma Blvd.
Petaluma, CA 94954

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Pacific Empire Chorus
P.O. Box 5976
Petaluma, CA 94955

For more infomation:

Call toll free (877) 772-0087 or

 

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PACIFIC EMPIRE CHORUS

What is Barbershop harmony?

Barbershop harmony is a style of unaccompanied singing with three voices harmonizing to the melody. The lead usually sings the melody, with the tenor harmonizing above the lead. The bass sings the lowest harmonizing notes and the baritone provides in-between notes, either above or below the lead to make chords (specifically, dominant-type or "barbershop" sevenths) that give barbershop its distinctive, "full" sound.

Probably the most distinctive facet of barbershop harmony is the phenomenon known as expanded sound. It is created when the harmonics in the individually-sung tones reinforce each other to produce audible overtones or undertones. Barbershoppers call this "ringing a chord." Singing in a quartet or chorus and creating that "fifth voice" is one of the most thrilling musical sensations you'll ever experience, leading to goosebumps the size of golf balls.