Claire Kelly, the Bass, brings
nearly 30 years of barbershop experience to the quartet (of course, she was
VERY young when she started). Before she “saw the light” and started singing
bass, Claire was a tenor. As a tenor, her New England quartets, Mass Magic
and Sterling Affair, were Region One champions in 1981,1983,1987,1991,
competing at the Sweet Adelines International level in Phoenix, Hawaii,
Detroit, Las Vegas and Texas. While living in New England, she directed
three Sweet Adelines choruses. Claire is a retired registered nurse and she
and her husband, Bob, are “snowbirds”, spending nine months of the year in
Punta Gorda, FL, and three months in MA with their four children and seven
grandchildren.
PollyAnn Nanfito, who sings
Lead, has just celebrated 25 years in Sweet Adelines. She claims that
singing barbershop helped her keep her sanity while teaching art in
Connecticut for 25 years. PollyAnn sang in three Region #1 championship
choruses in CT. She is a Certified Director and directed a Sweet Adelines
chorus in Rhode Island for two of those years. She also directed a men’s
barbershop chorus just before moving to Florida. Somehow she found time to
sing in several quartets: Odyssey (with Donna, now the baritone in Lucky
Four Us), Silkwood, and Rave Review (with Joannie, now the bass of
Jackpot!). Her goal upon retirement was to direct a small chorus and she
found Venetian Harmony in Florida. Under her leadership, Venetian Harmony
has won several awards in their last two contests. She is on the Region #9
Music Education Faculty and Regional Management Team as Director’s
Coordinator, plus she sings on the risers of Spirit of the Gulf, Region #9’s
current champion. This very busy lady is married for 24 years to Joe, who
sings barbershop with Chorus of the Keys in Sarasota. They have five
children and three grandchildren. If you ask her, she will say “Family and
barbershop are my life.”
Donna Robson, the Baritone, has
been singing barbershop for more than thirty years. Venetian Harmony is her
seventh Sweet Adelines chapter. “Lucky Four Us” is her ninth quartet and
her second quartet singing with PollyAnn. Donna and her husband George each
have one International chorus gold medal: George, with Southern Gateway
(1992) in New Orleans, and Donna, with Gem City (1991) in San Antonio. They
now divide their time between Venice, FL and Cincinnati, Ohio, making it
possible to enjoy three married children and five granddaughters . Donna is
the second retired RN in the quartet and feels very “lucky” at this stage in
her life to be singing with “Lucky Four Us.”
Alison Snowden, who sings Tenor,
is the “newbie” of the group. Looking for a group to sing with upon
retirement, she discovered Sweet Adelines and joined the Venetian Harmony
Chorus in 1998. Starting out as a Lead, she soon realized that Tenor was
“ever-so-much –better.” She joined her first quartet as a tenor in 2001,
and currently serves as the Choreographer for the Chorus. In addition to
singing, Alison loves the beach, and is involved with the local Sea Turtle
Patrol. A former elementary school teacher, she and her husband Dewey came
to Englewood, FL from the Chicago area. They have two daughters and three
grandchildren – future barbershoppers, perhaps?
These four ladies truly feel “Lucky” to
have found each other, and look forward to entertaining you with their
music. Contact Claire at (941) 623-0142 or email:
cak2338@aol.com.
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