Martha Segura directs the Southern Oregon chapter of Sweet Adelines. (Mail Tribune / Denise Baratta)A new award-winning director is giving a local chapter of Sweet Adelines renewed energy and hope for a win in regional competitions this spring.
Martha Segura, one of the country's premiere Adelines, took over the Southern Oregon Sound barbershop chorus earlier this month.
A tea to introduce Segura will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Rogue Valley Christian Church, 1440 S. Oakdale Ave., Medford.
"We're experiencing a new level of education and we fully expect to go to contest in May and win," says Assistant Director Patty Crumrine of Medford.
Segura, former co-director of the Bay Area-based Mission Valley chapter who continued her membership there after moving to the Rogue Valley two years ago, was invited to a Southern Oregon Sond Christmas party in December. Soon afterward, she transferred her membership and became the group's director.
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Last fall, Segura led her barbershop quartet, the Razzcals, to a third-place win at the organization's international competition. She also coached her daughter's quartet, Underage, to gold in the 2005 International Young Women in Harmony Rising Star Champions.
"When you're involved with Sweet Adelines, it's like a big happy family — they're all about friendship and camaraderie," says Segura. She and her husband, Jay, have four children, ages 21, 17, 12 and 8.
Membership in the Sweet Adelines family started for Segura when her high school chorus director encouraged her to join.
"From 1980 to 1989, I sang with her and then she became my mother-in-law — I ended up marrying her son!" says Segura joyfully. "Her name is Mary and I named my daughter Mary and now my daughter's singing in the quartet with me. It's such a gorgeous circle. And they both sing the lower part — the bass."
Mary, 17, and Sarah Segura, 12, are the youngest members of Southern Oregon Sound, with members ranging into their 60s.
The guidance and experience Segura brings is well-received, largely because the local group of some 30 members hasn't had much exposure to the bigger Sweet Adelines scene and music education.
"Everything that I'm taught and coached on, I bring back to the chorus and all these women are very enthusiastic," Segura says. "It's like a new love affair for us — we're bouncing things off each other, they're getting new music, some say they go home and can't sleep because they're so excited."
Each week with Segura is like a three-hour voice lesson, with a challenging, 30- to 40-minute vocal warm-up followed by learning about and practicing four-part harmonies. Members are encouraged to take work home. The group is currently working on two songs for the regional competition. Although neither piece is easy or normally sung by a small chorus, it's Segura's confidence and skill that drives the group's newfound enthusiasm.
"She's what I call one of the big girls; she's at the international level and to have her in our area to call our own is just amazing," says Crumrine. "We hit the jackpot and we know it and we're extremely grateful."
The Southern Oregon Sound plans a "Meet Our New Director Tea" from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Rogue Valley Christian Church, 1440 S. Oakdale Ave., Medford.
Sweet Adelines International has more than 1,200 quartets, 600-plus choruses ranging in size from 15 to 200 members, and more than 27,000 female members, all singing a cappella harmony, barbershop-style.
All Sweet Adelines are amateur singers. Dues are around $20 a month, which get members an official Sweet Adelines identification card and quarterly newsletter.
The group rehearses from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the Rogue Valley Christian Church.
Admission to the tea on Feb. 3 is free. Call 774-9606.
