San Diego Chorus Celebrates 50-Year Milestone of Beloved Member Pat Luebbers

Pat Luebbers first learned about Sweet Adelines when a friend saw a performance at the Spreckels Amphitheater in Balboa Park. “She told me that she knew from the first note it was my kind of music,” says Pat with a smile. “She also remembered that they mentioned a show in Mission Valley the next day, but that was all of the information she had.”

Pat was determined to track the group down and learn more. Ever resourceful, she tore out phone book pages for all of the hotels and venues in Mission Valley and called them one by one. She felt as though she had ‘hit the jackpot’ when she learned that the Town & Country Hotel was hosting the Sweet Adelines Regional Contest and Convention. The event staff held tickets for Pat and a friend to attend the show that evening.

Pat Luebbers at her surprise 50th Anniversary Brunch

​Watch excerpts from Pat Luebbers' 50th Anniversary Celebration and Acknowledgement at the San Diego Chorus Recharge Event

​“The San Diego Chorus won that year, Marvin Yerkey was their director,” Pat says warmly. “At the end of the night he led the audience in singing "Harmonize the World." The whole ballroom was singing, and I just about levitated. I was in heaven!”

That evening, Marvin invited anyone who wanted to sing to visit the chorus. The next week Pat was sitting in her car outside of the rehearsal space, 20 minutes early, anxiously waiting for someone to open the doors.

“They welcomed me with open arms,” recalls Pat of her first visit. “It was as though we were a long-lost family. I knew right away it was for me. But soon after my first visit, my youngest child became very ill and was hospitalized. When I was finally able to return to chorus - and trust me, I was counting the days - I remember several of the members cried, they were so happy to see me return!”

Pat was honored in 1997 as the San Diego Chorus Sweet Adeline of the Year.

Prior to singing with Sweet Adelines, Pat sang throughout high school and junior college.

​Pat recalls being delighted to learn that she was among 16 students hand-selected by her vocal instructor, a featured vocalist in the well-known Robert Shaw Chorale, to be part of a traveling vocal troupe. The group performed frequently in San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

“Like a lot of young women at that time, I stepped away from music when I married and had a family. But I always missed it,” says Pat.

​“My husband Chuck knew how much I loved to sing and was always supportive of my involvement with the chorus.”​

Pat remembers that within a few months of joining the chorus, Chuck noticed a change. “‘You are a totally different person to live with,’ he told me. He said it changed how I saw the world and that joy made a difference that was palpable in all areas of life.”

Pat cites the 1975 competition in Seattle under Marvin Yerkey’s direction as a favorite memory.

“As the San Diego Chorus lined up, we had no concept of how we would rank,” says Luebbers, with a gleam in her eye. “As our singers walked the pattern we filed right past the trophy table backstage. Every singer rubbed the top of that trophy for good luck – and it worked! We won our first International Championship that evening.”

​Pat is jubilant at the memory, laughing as she tells the story.

Past Director Marvin Yerkey led the San Diego Chorus to their first International Championship in 1975.

Over her 50 years of membership, Pat has served in almost every leadership position for the San Diego Chorus, including Chorus President. She was serving in this capacity when the organization received the devastating news that their celebrated director, Marvin Yerkey, was diagnosed with cancer. Yerkey passed away just a few short months later. 

“Marv was determined that our chorus would not only continue, but would thrive and grow after he was gone,” said Pat. “He would call from the hospital and I would take endless pages of notes as we talked about the things he had learned during his tenure, his vision for the future and his thoughts on how to find our next director.”

Pat led the San Diego Chorus in the search for a new director, ultimately welcoming Kim Vaughn.

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Kim Vaughn served as director of the San Diego Chorus from 1985 to 2015, and has few memories of the chorus without Pat's presence.

“As a young Sweet Adeline, one of my most profound memories of Pat Luebbers is how she led our chorus through that incredibly difficult time. She was the right person to do that - not just because she was so brave, but also because she was so kind,” says Kim.

Pat sang baritone in the chorus when Vaughn led the organization to its second international championship in 2001.

”Remarkable is the word that comes to mind when I think of Pat," Vaughn says with a smile. "Throughout her 50 years with the San Diego Chorus, we’ve all learned so much from her. I know I have.”

Fifty years has in no way diminished Pat's influence on the San Diego Chorus, something that current director Kathleen Hansen affirms resoundingly.

"The entire chorus loves Pat, myself included! As a young singer, she was my riser mate, which was amazing because she's a not only a great singer, but she's also completely hilarious," says Kathleen.

​"Her impact goes much deeper than that, though. Pat is incredibly resilient," Hansen continues. "When she speaks, everyone listens because we know that she always has something meaningful to say."

Pat and Director Kathleen Hansen share a moment at the Region 21 Contest.

Pat with Lisa Barker, a member of the 2022 San Diego Chorus Rookie Class.

​“I still see myself in every new singer,” says Luebbers. “I love their enthusiasm and the way they jump in with both feet! It gives me hope and excitement about what Sweet Adelines could look like 50 years from now.”

​Her excitement is contagious, making her a standout even among the chorus's newest members. Lisa Barker sings lead with the San Diego Chorus and is a member of the 2022 Chorus Rookie Class.

​“What everyone notices about Pat is her pure enthusiasm about this chorus. Even after all this time she always speaks so highly of what we do,” says Lisa. 

“It made me realize that not only is this chorus something that I want to do right now, but I look at Pat and I think, this is a lifelong journey, a family. I just know that in 50 years, I want to be like her!” Barker beams at the realization.

​Pat has no intention of fading away. “Singing with the San Diego Chorus has been a such an important part of my life. I cannot imagine my world without singing! I know there may come a time - and I will fight it like hell - because I won’t be ready to leave this earth until I can’t come to chorus anymore.”

Pat Luebbers' 50 year milestone was celebrated at a surprise luncheon in early 2023. She received her 50 Year pin from Sweet Adelines International and was gifted an art glass treble clef from the San Diego Chorus in recognition of her many contributions. Pat was officially recognized by the San Diego Chorus at their Winter Recharge event, as well as at the Region 21 Golden West Contest and Competition in March of 2022 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

ABOUT THE SAN DIEGO CHORUS
Founded in 1951, the San Diego Chorus of Sweet Adelines International performs award-winning, four-part a cappella harmony in the barbershop style. Twice named International Chorus Champion of Women’s Barbershop Harmony, the nonprofit performing arts organization entertains in many musical genres along with its signature vibrant choreography. Led by Master Director and Sweet Adelines International Faculty, Kathleen Hansen, the San Diego Chorus is dedicated to local education, entertainment and competition. The Chorus welcomes women and non-binary treble singers who share a love of music and dedication to personal and musical growth regardless of age, race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender expression. Rehearsals are held weekly on Wednesday evenings in Room 207 of the Casa del Prado building in Balboa Park. Additional information can be found on their website at SanDiegoChorus.org.  
 
ABOUT SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL
Sweet Adelines International is a musical force in the United States and around the world. The organization is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma where it was founded in 1945. This nonprofit music education organization is one of the world's largest singing organizations for women, encompassing more than 25,000 members, 1,200 registered quartets, and 600 choruses in the United States, Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, The Netherlands, and Wales. More information is available online at SweetAdelines.com.