Page 32 - Summer 2024 Tags & Swipes Newsletter

Tags and Swipes, Summer 2024

Valley Shore Chorus

We’re not going to fudge the truth. Last year was a major rollercoaster ride. Last November, our chorus
was riding high with a performance at the Niantic green. It was a “Make a Buoy” event to raise money
for the community. We’ve made many friends with the local leaders and are often asked to participate.
We also sang our way around Main Street for the Niantic Stroll. Santa arrived in his sleigh to the dulcet
sounds of “Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer”. We got to sing our Christmas repertoire. It was a
exuberant time. The Holiday season was busy with plans for the future.

VSA also was excited about our newest members. We had welcomed 3 new members over the course of
the year. Having survived the pandemic years, we thought we were moving past the difficult times.

Enter January 2024. Suddenly we had several resignations unexpectedly from long time members. The
reasons varied from moving out of the area, to family illness, to difficult financial times. It was still a
shock to our chorus. The remaining members kept our group together throughout the winter! They
discovered that their sound and syncing improved. VSA was looking forward to the Spring and new
growth in their music. With April came the return of our “snowbirds”. We are also hopeful that our
members recovering from treatment will join us soon.
The members of VSA were determined to keep our chorus going. We’ve revisited Meet-up to reach out
to new singers. It is a work in progress. The region has offered to visit to help and advise us, which we
are gratefully accepting.

So, we have been dusting off our patriotic music for Memorial Day. Our friends in the local Veteran
group have asked us to sing at a special remembrance event. We have sung at this event in the past with
songs of peace and love of country. Every Wednesday evening, we gather at our rehearsal hall to
practice 4-part harmony with our singing sisters. It is great to be a Sweet Adeline!

Marylou Zinser

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North Atlantic Region 1 Sweet Adelines