Brief History of Bay Area Showcase Chorus
The chorus was organized in July 1955, and chartered on January 4, 1956 as the San Jose Chapter of Sweet Adelines. The photo below shows the three top choruses from the 1956 regional convention. San Jose placed second. They are the chorus on the right side of this photo, wearing striped blouses. The winning chorus was Peninsula, in the center of the photo. 



Directors:
Bob Hokanson            1955-1959
Jerry Lynch                 1959-1964
Johnnie Fagundes      1965-1968
Bev McVicker              1969-1973
Pat LeVezu                 1973-2002
Julie Starr                    2002-present
 
Milestone Events:
March 1957              1st place in Region 12 competition
March 1987              1st place in Region 12 competition and winners of the Most Improved Chorus award
October 1988            First time performing at Sweet Adelines International Competition, Houston, TX, placed 17th
February 1990          El Camino Real Chorus disbanded and merged into San Jose Chorus
October 1991            Second time performing at Sweet Adelines International Competition, San Antonio, TX, placed 10th
May 1993                  Changed name from San Jose Chorus to Bay Area Showcase Chorus

Regional Championships:
1987, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018

International Competitions:  
1988 (placed 17th), 1991 (placed 10th) 1994, 1996, 1998 (placed 10th), 2001 (placed 5th), 2003 (placed 6th), 2005 (placed 11th), 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 (placed 11th), 2017 (placed 10th), 2019 (placed 14th)

Region 12 BRAVO award:
in 2018 for the chorus with the highest member retention, 95.74% in the previous year
 
Membership: 
-  There were 13 members when the chorus chartered in 1956
-  Our members have ranged in age from 12 to 95
-  We currently have about 90 members on our roster, with about half actively singing with the chorus. 
-  While most members live in the Bay area, some commute quite a distance to be together on Thursday evenings. We have members who live in Vacaville, San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, and Santa Cruz.
-  Members include business and professional women, stay-at-home moms, retirees, and students.

We are known for:
-  our varied musical repertoire, from traditional barbershop to contemporary songs, all in 4-part a cappella harmony
-  our warm and welcoming nature 
-  the diversity in our membership, with women of all ages, backgrounds, and musical abilities

Subgroups:
We have numerous quartets, including many that have placed in the top ten at Regional competition. Visit the Quartets page to see our current performing quartets.