2003 New York Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival

19th Annual

The Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival is the premier American showcase for vocal harmony music. The annual national competition draws from hundreds of vocal groups from around the country with regional competitions in eight cities. The winning group from each festival is flown to perform in front of celebrity judges and a sold out house of enthusiastic a cappella fans at the National Finals.

Hosted by

2x2

The vocal ensemble Sixation first formed in Tbilisi ,Georgia in 1996. At first their program contained only jazz standards but later included folk and contemporary jazz. In 1997 the ensemble won the nomination "Best Vocal Group of the Year" on the Hit-Parade of National Radio in Georgia. In 1999 Sixation became the prize winner of the International Festival in Tampere, Finland and got invitations to Vienna, Moscow, Kaunas and Kiev. The same year the group won the grant of George Soros Foundation in the nomination "Modern Opinion of Folklore". In 2000, Chevron Corporation became the sponsor of the group and the first demo album was released. The same year Sixation was invited to Holland to collaborate with the famous artist Andre Rieu in recording his new album. In 2001 the group participated the Boston Regional Harmony Sweepstakes. The same year the sextet was reorganized into quartet and took the name "2+2".

2003 New York Champions

Cadence

Four men. Four microphones. No instruments. This is the formula for Canada's celebrated vocal band, Cadence.

Combining the lyricism of Stan Getz, the sophisticated harmonies of the Count Basie Big Band and the devil-may-care attitude of Louis Prima, this fabulous foursome has been entertaining audiences worldwide for over a decade with their innovative jazz arrangements, genre-hopping covers and eclectic originals. With an infectious energy and a good measure of wild stage antics, this cool cat rat pack of musical misfits is guaranteed to leave you shouting out for more.

>Wherever they are performing, incredulous audiences are left raving about Cadence's instrumental imitations, vocal acrobatics, and charismatic stage presence.

2003 Results
1st	Cadence
2nd	Pieces of 8
3rd	Moondance
Best Original Arrangement	Blue Meridian

2003 Participating Groups

Cadence
Four men. Four microphones. No instruments. This is the formula for Canada's celebrated vocal band, Cadence.

Combining the lyricism of Stan Getz, the sophisticated harmonies of the Count Basie Big Band and the devil-may-care attitude of Louis Prima, this fabulous foursome has been entertaining audiences worldwide for over a decade with their innovative jazz arrangements, genre-hopping covers and eclectic originals. With an infectious energy and a good measure of wild stage antics, this cool cat rat pack of musical misfits is guaranteed to leave you shouting out for more.

>Wherever they are performing, incredulous audiences are left raving about Cadence's instrumental imitations, vocal acrobatics, and charismatic stage presence.

Listen to: Straighten Up And Fly Right | Listen to: Tempted

Members: Carl Berger, Keven Fox, Ross Lynde, Dylan Bell, Dylan Bell

The Fonic
The Fonic is a five-man vocal band based in New York City. Founded in 1999 and recently described as "a rock band who left their guitars in the van," The Fonic has appeared at area clubs including Le Bar Bat, Triad, The Elbow Room and The Bitter End. On the road, The Fonic has performed for high school and university audiences, as well as The East Coast A Cappella Summit, The Arlington A Cappella Festival and the Maine Music Society's "Battle of the Blends."

Members: Bryan Johnson, Damon Maida, Orlando Powers, Aaron Belinfanti, Jeff Smithson, Aaron Belinfanti

Moondance
Moondance is a popular award-winning quartet in Region 15 of Sweet Adelines International a women’s barbershop organization. We have been performing together for the past four years, and have competed on the International Level in Orlando Florida. Sure we enjoy singing the barbershop standards, but we love entertaining audiences with our eclectic repertoire, which also includes songs from the 50’s through the 90’s. Our passion is to show you what a barbershop quartet can do with any style of music - have you ever heard a women’s barbershop quartet perform Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen?

Members: Carol Bill, Karen Mullen, Harriette Walters, Sylvia Posso, Sylvia Posso

Mystery Date
Award-winning a cappella sensation Mystery Date sings to entertain and inspire. This gay male a cappella group has roots as diverse as rock and roll, classical music, musical theater, soul, and collegiate a cappella. They delight audiences with their jazzy sound and sweet, sassy ( and sometimes irreverent) stage presence. Their repertoire defies categorization, ranging from Spike Jones and Gershwin classics to the B52s and contemporary songwriters like Alanis Morrisette and Desiree. They have performed nationwide sharing stages with a cappella legends “The Bobs”, Sweet Honey and the Rock’s Y’saye Barnwell, Lea DeLaria, The Persuasions, Kate Clinton, and Naturally Seven, among others. From New York cabarets and concert halls to theaters and arenas across the country, their performances are fueled with uncompromising musicianship, explosive energy and offbeat humor.

Members: Bob Stern, Joshua Koffman, John Whitley, Ken Browne, Ken Browne

Mystique
Mystique originated in 1996 and encompases diverse individual vocal backgrounds in pop, jazz, country, gospel and theatre. Their common love of the unique vocal blend found in street corner harmony has them performing in local venues and radio stations from central New Jersey to New York and Deleware.

Pieces of 8
Powerful, entertaining and bursting with energy, this contemporary a cappella octet blends familiar sounds to create its own expression of American vocal music. The ensemble's voices -- pairs of sopranos, altos, tenors and basses -- combine in rich harmony to create a seamless blend of sound. Saluting the boundless and unpredictable American spirit, Pieces of 8 combines classical music influences with the sounds of jazz, pop, rock, Reggae, doo-wop, gospel and soul to create a multilayered, nearly orchestral texture. Pieces of 8 was founded by Charles Mead, the ensembles artistic director, with support from the Professional Studies Program at the St. Louis Symphony Community Music School (formerly the St. Louis Conservatory and School for the Arts).

Members: Wendy Whitby, Angela LeMar, Jose "Chach" Snook, Kelli Shrewsbury, Chris Lewis, Kevin Manning, Clayton Cromley, Kelli Shrewsbury

Sneaky Sis’
A rock/R&B combo of five veterans of the pro and college vocal circuit bent on grabbing audiences with high-energy jams and unexpected harmonic twists. Includes former members of Doo*Wa*Zoo, Six Day Week, The Hyannis Sound, Dobsonfly and numerous college groups; two are also currently with Minimum Wage and Columbia Univ.'s Clefhangers.

Members: Warren Bloom, Todd Daley, Jeff Sewell, Paul Ashley, Jon Spring, Paul Ashley

Voxy
Six women, culturally and musically dynamic, create a unique convergence of voices and creative expression that is Voxy. Since its beginnings in 1999, Voxy has aspired to bring a new perspective and approach to contemporary melodies, performing in different languages (as almost all of the ladies are bi-lingual) and applying creative musical styles to popular songs. Recently described as having a lush, musically complex sound, Voxy also aspires to shock its audience from time to time with the unexpected.

Members: Allie Shaper, Angel D'Antonio, Indu Raghuraman, Aley Schoonmaker, Margaret Laszczak, Maria-Stella Fountoulakis, Aley Schoonmaker

2003 Judges TBA

Complete list of 2003 participants

National Finals Recordings

Interested in Performing?

We are always seeking groups who would like to participate in our events.

Groups of any style are welcome, but you must have between 3 and 12 members. We have a rule book which explains many of the details of the event, which you can see by clicking here. All groups must audition in order to compete. Generally this is done by sending a current tape and photo, although live auditions are sometimes arranged. The purpose of the audition is to make sure the group is appropriate for the Festival and to help the Director determine the performance order. If a group has competed previously, the audition process may be waived.

How to enter

Please send music and photos to the regional director :

Colette Thompson (New York) Colette Thompson has directed or performed in over eleven vocal ensembles, with her group, Stay Tuned, placing 3rd in the 1998 New York Regional of the Harmony Sweepstakes; Colette has performed/recorded with Lukas Foss, Leonard Bernstein, Jesse Norman, Peter, Paul & Mary, and James Levine A billboard-ranked singer/songwriter, she has also managed several events, including, Christmas at NYU, Complex at the Duplex, and An Evening with The Real Group at NYC's Symphony Space. With performances televised via major news programs including Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNN, and NY1, she is a promoter, producer, adjudicator and an ambassador of vocal music worldwide.

128 Fort Greene Place, Suite 1B, Brooklyn, NY 11217
917-442-2011
colette.thompson (at) mac.com

Our Hall of Fame - The Harmony Sweepstakes National Champions

The Harmony Sweepstakes National Audience Favorites

Other Year's Results - 2024 - 2024 - 2023 - 2023 - 2022 - 2022 - 2020 - 2020 - 2019 - 2019 - 2018 - 2018 - 2017
2017 - 2016 - 2016 - 2015 - 2015 - 2014 - 2014 - 2013 - 2013 - 2012 - 2012 - 2011 - 2011 - 2010 - 2010 - 2009 - 2009
2008 - 2008 - 2007 - 2007 - 2006 - 2006 - 2005 - 2005 - 2004 - 2004 - 2002 - 2002 - 2001 - 2001 - 2000 - 2000 - 1999
1999 - 1998 - 1998 - 1997 - 1997 - 1995 - 1995 - 1993 - 1993

Primarily A Cappella - Your Source For Vocal Harmony Music

Browse

19th Annual

Hosted by

2003 Results

Interested in Performing?

Find a Harmony Sweepstakes Group

Find a Harmony Sweepstakes Singer

Primarily A Cappella - Your Source For Vocal Harmony Music