Offering a welcoming and inspiring environment for all women who love to sing.
Region 14 of Sweet Adelines International proudly represents a vibrant community of women singers from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia who are passionate about the art of a cappella barbershop harmony. As part of one of the world’s premier organizations for women’s vocal music, Region 14 fosters excellence in singing, musical education, and personal growth.
Heart of the Blue Ridge Region 14
Region 14 is more than a musical organization—it is a sisterhood built on harmony, empowerment, and shared achievement. Whether you’re a seasoned vocalist or discovering the joy of singing, Region 14 offers a welcoming and inspiring environment for all women who love to sing.
Our region is home to talented choruses and quartets, including internationally recognized performers. Presto!, a standout quartet, earned a spot among the Top 15 quartets worldwide, and Song of Atlanta Chorus achieved an extraordinary 2nd place finish at the 2025 Sweet Adelines International Contest in Kansas City, showcasing the musical strength and artistry of Region 14 on the international stage.
In addition to our performers, Region 14 is enriched by members who serve in leadership and educational roles within the broader Sweet Adelines organization. Jamy Claire Archer is a valued member of the Sweet Adelines International Faculty, and Beth Kimlick, Kimberly Graham, and Michelle Little are in the Judging Candidate Program, contributing to the development and integrity of barbershop competition standards.
All of the choruses and quartets in our region are affiliated with Sweet Adelines, a non-profit organization of approximately 30,000 members in choruses and quartets, worldwide. The Sweet Adelines International Missions Statement reads:
Elevating women singers worldwide through education, performance, and competition in barbershop harmony and a cappella music.
Performance
Our a cappella ensembles, both choruses and quartets, get out and sing for our communities. You will find our groups singing in annual shows, a number of community events, and at annual competitions.
If you're looking for a unique musical experience to liven up your event, visit our Groups page for larger ensembles and our Quartets page for smaller ensembles near you who would love to perform!
Education
Our mission strives for musical excellence with high member involvement at the chapter, regional, and international levels through education, understanding, and sharing of our love of barbershop harmony. Region 14's goal is to provide top-notch vocal, administrative, and performance education that is applicable to every member, whether a new singer or one who has attended educational events for many years.
Competition
In the spring of every year, our choruses and quartets participate in the Region 14 competition and convention. Quartets and choruses from our region come together to sing for each other and get some constructive feedback from a panel of judges. The regional winners in both quartet and chorus divisions travel to International Competition, which is held in the fall in a city selected each year by Sweet Adelines.
History of Sweet Adelines International
After World War II, barbershop singing was growing increasingly popular for men. In 1945, a small group of women wanted to participate in the chord-ringing, fun-filled harmony that the men were singing. So these women organized "Sweet Adelines in America." From its humble beginnings in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Sweet Adelines International, as it is now called, has grown to a membership of almost 30,000 women in countries all across the globe.
Glossary
CHOIR vs CHORUS
Both “chorus,” and “choir” can be traced to the Greek word “χορός” [khorós] which translates to “dance accompanied by song.” Societally, we usually think of a classical or choral ensemble as a choir and a group with more of a musical theatre flair as a chorus. In our organization, we employ movement and costuming as a part of our shows making us more of a musical theatre style, and as such most of our groups call themselves choruses.
BARBERSHOP
Barbershop is a style of arranging in close, four part, a cappella harmony. The melody is usually in the second voice with harmony above and below. The arranger harmonizes every melody note with few passing tones or doubles, and creates more harmonic movement by adding secondary dominant chord progressions. The baritone part functions in a unique way, filling in the missing note of each chord.