The Melodeers are an all-female, a cappella

A cappella

A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...

 chorus based in the metropolitan Chicago area.

History

Founded in 1960 in Deerfield, Illinois

Deerfield, Illinois

Deerfield is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States and is located approximately 25 miles north of Chicago, Illinois. A portion of the village is in Cook County, Illinois, United States...

, the Melodeers Chorus is an a cappella chorus of female singers who sing in the barbershop style. Based in Northbrook, Illinois

Northbrook, Illinois

Northbrook is a village located at the northern edge of Cook County, Illinois, which is also a North Shore suburb of Chicago. The population was 33,170 at the 2010 census....

, they are the six-time International Champion Chorus of Sweet Adelines International

Sweet Adelines International

Sweet Adelines International is a worldwide organization of women singers committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and performances. This independent, nonprofit music education association is one of the world's largest singing organizations for women...

, the world’s largest singing organization for women, with over 25,000 members worldwide. More than 600 choruses compete each year in regional contests to qualify for the international contest to determine the International Champion Chorus.

The Melodeers have won the championship title for the years 2011, 2009, 2004, 2001, 1998, and 1995. Choruses placing first in the international contest are required to sit out regional qualifying contests for two years after winning. The Melodeers earned their current title at a contest held in Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...

, where they scored a record 3,023 points.

The Melodeers are directed by Jim Arns, who was honored in 2009 by Sweet Adelines International with the designation "Master Director 700", given only to the directors of choruses scoring 700 points or better in regional contests. Jim earned his Bachelor of Music degree at Benedictine University

Benedictine University

Benedictine University is a private Catholic university located in Lisle, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The institution has retained close relations with the Benedictine Order. Originally named St. Procopius College and located in the Pilsen community of Chicago, the school was founded in 1887 by...

 in Illinois and his Master of Music from Northwestern University

Northwestern University

Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....

, also in Illinois. He has directed the Melodeers since 1988.

The chorus is made up of approximately 130 singers, ranging in age from 16 to 80. Members hail not only from the Chicago metropolitan area, but from downstate Illinois

Downstate Illinois

Downstate Illinois refers to all of Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area. This term is flexible, but because it is generally meant to refer to everything outside the Chicago-area, some cities in Northern Illinois, such as Rockford and DeKalb, , are considered to be "downstate".The term...

, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Members—homemakers, business owners, attorneys, medical and health professionals, to name a few of their backgrounds—are united by their love of singing and a desire to learn more about vocal production, women’s barbershop singing, and showmanship.

Members of the chorus have given their talents to assist others in their musical education. Some members serve currently on the Sweet Adelines International Board of Directors, the International Faculty, the International Judging Program, and on the Management Team of the SAI Lake Michigan Region 3 board. Some members of the chorus also sing in quartets, four of which—Jubilation, the Melo-Edge, Chicago Fire, and the Four Bettys—were named Sweet Adelines International Champion Quartets.

The Melodeers typically produce two shows each year: one in late spring, and one celebrating the December holiday season. The Melodeers have performed at Ravinia Festival

Ravinia Park

Ravinia Festival is the oldest outdoor music festival in the United States, with a series of outdoor concerts and performances held every summer from June to September. It has been the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1936...

 and have sung the National Anthem

The Star-Spangled Banner

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...

 several times at games of the Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...

. The chorus also sponsors a Young Women in Harmony Festival for high-school singers each spring.

The Melodeers have been the recipients of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts

National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...

, the Illinois Arts Council

Illinois Arts Council

The Illinois Arts Council is a government agency of the state of Illinois formed to encourage development of the arts throughout Illinois. Founded in 1965 by the Illinois General Assembly, the Illinois Arts Council provides financial and technical assistance to artists, arts organizations, and...

and the Young Singers Foundation, official charity of Sweet Adelines International.