The Woodlands Show Chorus: Joy of Singing with Excellence!
After a three-year pandemic delay, The Woodlands Show Chorus members boarded flights heading to Phoenix. Excitement overtook the singers even before leaving, because they had been missing the Sweet Adelines International (SAI) Competition for which they had consistently qualified in previous years since they chartered over 10 years before. For this contest, they qualified regionally in 2019. As has happened to so many organizations, competitions came to a halt during the pandemic per SAI mandates, so they were not able to compete in the international competition in 2020; it had been cancelled. It was cancelled again in 2021. In September 2022 they gratefully headed to the international stage in a BIG way; they then placed in the Top Ten out of the 500+ SAI choruses around the world.
This tenacious group of women of all ages has an overriding goal of excellent singing and perfecting their craft in every way. They hail from all over south Texas to sing for the world-renowned coach and their Master Director, Betty Clipman, because they believe in the joy of hard work and dedication to their craft. And they LOVE to sing! Betty asserts that the chorus accepts her mantra that, “It IS fun to sing, and it’s even more fun to sing extremely well.” They most assuredly sing well, as evidenced by their hard work, dedication and accomplishments. In addition to Betty’s expertise, she utilizes several assistant and associate directors as well as world-renowned coaches to prepare and educate her chorus members for local performances, as well as regional and international competitions.
In 2013 TWSC won first place with unusually high scores in their very first regional competition just one short year after chartering and won again in each regional event in which they competed thereafter. Their region, Region 10 region10sai.org, encompasses chapters in portions of Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. Winning their regional competitions has qualified the chorus to compete the following year internationally in 2014 (Baltimore), 2016 (Las Vegas), 2018 (St. Louis) and after the pandemic hiatus in 2022 (Phoenix). Their goal for each international competition has been to place in the top ten, and they accomplished that goal in 2016 (placing 9th), as well as this past September (again placing 9th).
TWSC has performed in and around the Conroe and The Woodlands areas including performances at the Greenwood Forest Women’s Club in Champion Forest, April Sound Ladies Association Luncheon in Conroe, for the International Friends Association, the Mobile-Exxon Retirees, Conroe Stars and Stripes Celebration in downtown Conroe, and the opening act for the prestigious Houston Symphony’s July 3rd Star-Spangled Salute at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and the Greater Conroe Arts Alliance Fall Festival on November 5. They presented a Holiday Show last November, 2021 and another show in July of this year. In addition to their upcoming FREE December 12 friends and family performance, their future plans include performances at the downtown Conroe and the Greater Conroe Arts Alliance Spring Art Festival, March 18, 2023, in Historic Downtown Conroe, as well as a performance for music students of Conroe ISD high school in early 2023.
Visitors and interested women singers are welcome at rehearsals each Monday evening from 7-10 pm at the First Presbyterian Church, Family Life Center, in Conroe. More information is available by emailing info@thewoodlandsshowchorus.org and/or visiting their website at www.thewoodlandsshowchorus.org.
