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Website Sponsored by: EBTech.net
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Co-Director
Karen was born and educated in England. In 1964 she married John. They had two children, Andrew and Belinda, before moving to the US in 1967 where her other two children, Wendy and Angela, were born. She boasts 8 grandchildren ranging in age from almost 3 to 18.
Karen has music specialist qualifications affiliated with the Royal Schools of Music, and names as her two instruments: piano and voice. Prior to Sweet Adelines she directed various choirs, including accapella, and "chamber" orchestra ensembles.
Since discovering Sweet Adelines, Karen has had many adventures. It started with the Akron Ohio Chorus in 1968, where she was Section Leader (tenors!), costume chair, choreographer, treasurer, assistant director and eventually director. (This chorus was eventually relocated to Massillon Ohio and became the Cardinal Chapter).
In 1979 the Shackletons moved to Cobourg, Ontario. Karen says she didn't want to be there, there was no chorus. So she got over her grump and started one. She directed them and worked through the chartering process.She repeated this process again in 1982 when they moved to Sarnia, Ontario. Karen directed one more chorus through the charter process and as the Sarnia Lambton Chapter, in their 1st competition won Small Chorus and Novice Directors awards.
In 1984, now located in Tokyo, Japan, Karen found herself as Assistant Director, and Director. They performed on the World Wide Region Show at the International Convention in Hawaii. Wow - what a high!
She moved on to start a new chorus in Singapore in 1988. She directed them until the family, once again, moved to Sarnia in 1990, but unfortunately was not able to complete the chartering process. Once settled and boxes unpacked, from 1991-2000 Karen discovered the joys of coaching taking her to various locations in Tokyo, Bangkok, New Zealand and Canada.
In 2000 Karen decided to stay closer to home and began working with the Blue Water Chordsmen and local quartets as a well-respected coach. June 2004, twenty years after leaving the then-Sarnia Lambton chorus, Karen returned as the Director of Seaway Sounds and we are very happy to begin the next phase of Karen's life with her. Her enthusiasm for this new challenge is obvious when she says proudly, "Another chapter in my barbershop life is about to be written. We will fill the pages with the exciting and joyful sound of harmony and illustrate it in friendship and team work."
Co-Director
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Michelle St. Onge-Mitchell joined Seaway Sounds in 1995 at the age of 20. Starting as a baritone in chorus and quartets, she became a lead a few years later. She would love to be a bass but never a tenor!! Michelle is no stranger to music. Both her mother and her father sing barbershop and she has been in many choirs. “I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember” she said, “my mother said that I used to wake up singing in the crib. I love to sing…put me in front of a crowd and watch me go!” Michelle is French Canadian, born and raised in Point Edward, Ontario and proud of it! She is a child and youth worker and a Pastoral Minister in the local French Catholic High School. She also holds a diploma in Gourmet cooking (another major passion of hers). Michelle is married to a wonderful man named Chris and together they have a beautiful son, Hunter, born September 2003 and a gorgeous daughter, Camryne, born February 2006. Michelle has served as secretary for the chorus board, lead section leader, assistant director, and is now, after many years of tests, a certified director! Michelle thanks many people for getting her where she is today as a Sweet Adeline. “My quartet taught me A LOT about music and life. I learned not only to read music and get to know barbershop chords, but also, how to be a good friend. I grew up with the chorus. Through good and bad they have supported me and kept me going. I’ve had AMAZING directors keeping me going and teaching more and more at every rehearsal. They saw potential in me that I never knew I had…and they keep bringing more out of me…its incredible! I no longer sit and get told what to do by women who see me as a daughter. I listen and work with my friends. Thanks to their support I can only go up from here!”
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Rehearsals and Performances
The Seaway Sounds Chorus holds rehearsals every Thursday night from 7 to 10 p.m.at St.François Xavier Secondary School in Sarnia, Ontario. Members come from Sarnia -Lambton, Port Huron, and Bluewater areas in Ontario and Michigan. The Chorus performs a number of times throughout the year. These performances vary in length and style to fit the occasion. We love to entertain and performing is what we are all about!
You are welcome to come out and see what we do at any regular rehearsal. Please call ahead to Lyn 519-869-1114 so we can be prepared to greet you.
Sweet Adelines International
The Seaway Sounds Chorus is an international chorus which is part of Sweet Adelines International, the world's largest women's singing organization. We are international because we have members from Canada and the United States.
Choruses can be found all over the U.S.A. and Canada as well as Australia, Finland, Germany, Japan, Sweden, New Zealand, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom and we continue to expand to other countries. The organization is divided into 25 regions in North America and five worldwide areas. We belong to Border Lakes Region #2, which includes part of Michigan and Southwestern Ontario.
Each year in the Spring, each Region holds a competition in which the choruses and registered quartets compete. This is a wonderful experience and all the preparation which goes into our competition package helps us to improve our vocal and performance skills. The winners of each Regional contest go on to compete at the International level. International competition in 2006 was held in Las Vegas. In 2007 it is in Calgary and in 2008 in Hawaii.
