August 31, 2024 - The San Diego Chorus was among 10 regional barbershop choruses and 20 quartets from across two states that performed at the 2024 Music on the Porch Day.

The event took place on Saturday, August 31st, 2024 from 2 PM to 5 PM at 4th of July Park in Harmony Grove, Escondido. More information is available online.

Music on the Porch Day, which is hosted by SoloVoce Quartet, is celebrating it's 5th year in 2024. The quartet is the 2024 Region 21 Golden West third place medalist quartet and was named quartet champions in 2023. Members hail from three regional choruses and include Tenor Kim Alley, Lead Tracey Sandberg, Baritone Jennifer French and Bass Marina Hayden. 

The original southern California Music on the Porch Day, Barbershop Edition, was launched in 2020 in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. With no shows or performance opportunities for choruses or groups, SoloVoce decided to create their own stage. The foursome delivered performances at two outdoor San Diego locations to small but enthusiastic crowds.

From that point, the outdoor festival-style performance has gained momentum each year, with the 5th anniversary landing as the largest lineup to date.

The event is affiliated with International Play Music on the Porch Day, which connects musicians in 70+ countries and over 1,000 cities worldwide

September 14, 2024 - The San Diego Chorus is delighted to welcome coach Dan Wessler to our upcoming rehearsal on August 14th. Dan is a barbershop arranger, singer, and chorus director who currently resides in Long Beach, California. Wessler has been arranging for barbershop quartets and choruses since 2011. 

Dan’s songs are frequently performed on the Barbershop Harmony Society contest stage at both the district and international level, to high acclaim. He writes contestable and performance arrangements for various groups around the world, a number of which have been published by Hal Leonard. 
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Dan Wessler holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Choral Conducting and Literature from University of Colorado Boulder (2023) and a Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting from Western Illinois University (2012). He is currently the Musical and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles based Westminster Chorus, four-time International Barbershop Chorus Champion and 2009 Choir of the World Champion.

Dan also sings with After Hours, the 2018 International Barbershop Quartet Champion, with whom he travels and sings frequently, inside and outside of the United States. He is a frequent clinician at barbershop chorus festivals, and teaches courses internationally at barbershop educational events. 

Dan also currently serves on the adjunct faculty of Concordia University Irvine, teaching undergraduate choral methods. Before moving to Southern California, he served as Director of Choral Activities at Freeport High School in Freeport, Illinois from 2012-2020.

The San Diego Chorus hosts member-only Coaching Events for singers multiple times a year, particularly when preparing for competition. The chorus is currently ranked 5th Internationally and has accepted a Wild Card invitation from parent organization Sweet Adelines International. The Chorus will take the stage as contestant #1 in the Chorus Semi Finals in Kansas City in October of 2024.

The San Diego Chorus will be one of 32 competitors performing in the International Semi Finals, presenting a barbershop ballad and up tune. Contests are adjudicated by four judges, each of whom intensively evaluate one of the four categories that comprise the overall score: Sound, Music, Expression and Visual Communication. Every competing organization has the potential to earn 100 points per category per song. The total possible points available for a performance is 800. 

Choruses that rank within the top 10 earn a chance to present a second entertainment package in the finals for the championship title. The 15-minute finals package blends a barbershop number with contemporary a cappella numbers.
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