RHC Sweet Adeline of the Year Award
In 2010, Ringing Hills Chorus began a tradition of honoring a chorus member who works consistently to benefit the chorus, who presents a positive attitude at rehearsals, retreats, competition and in business meetings, who demonstrates an on-going willingness to learn and improve her singing skills, who attends rehearsals and performances consistently, and who readily volunteers for and performs duties, activities, and tasks.
The ladies on this page are the proud recipients of this yearly honor.
RINGING HILLS CHORUS SWEET ADELINE OF THE YEAR
2018 - 2022
Anja
Honora
Faye Donovan | 2022
Ringing Hills Sweet Adeline Of The Year 2022
“If you master the fundamentals, you can do what you want to do and reach your goals,” says Faye Donovan.
Faye is a leader and a trailblazer. She graduated from Upper Perkiomen High School and Ursinus College, where she loved athletics, and has been honored in the Hall of Fame of both institutions. Teaching, coaching, and playing sports were her interests. While teaching and coaching, also at the University of Pennsylvania, she stressed mastering fundamentals and her teams were successful. During her personal best year, Faye was chosen for the U.S. national field hockey team, played international basketball, was National Champion in the women’s open eight crew, and was on the state archery winning team. Then she was rear-ended, and her life came to a jarring change.
Faye and her family spent nine years in Kansas. “Parenting two boys was fun and exciting,” she says. When the family returned to Pennsylvania, she became the first paid director of the Chester Springs library. She later pursued a career in nursing. In 1995, she became the oldest nursing student to graduate from Neumann University.
Knowing she also loved to sing, Faye came to Ringing Hills Chorus in 1999, applying along her commitment to the fundamentals to her craft of singing. She has found quartetting to be an invaluable learning experience, singing with U-four-ia and Ear Candy. “Instead of gross motor movement, the fine fundamental skills, with micro movements, were needed to sing better,” she says. “It has been a wonderful journey to learn and improve my singing and be a small part of these kind, caring women with whom I am singing.”
Faye is no small part of Ringing Hills. She served for many years as the bass section leader, is chairperson for this year’s show, and spearheaded our recent transition to a new rehearsal space. As the longtime chair of our membership committee, Faye’s tireless advocacy has led to the recruitment of innumerable members over the years. For her leadership and work ethic, fierce friendship, and unparalleled commitment to learning, Ringing Hills owes a debt of gratitude to our Sweet Adeline of the Year.
Christine Murphy | 2021
Ringing Hills Sweet Adeline Of The Year 2021
Jan Dunning | 2020
Ringing Hills Sweet Adeline Of The Year 2020
Anja
Anja DiCio | 2019
Ringing Hills Sweet Adeline Of The Year 2019
Each year Ringing Hills Chorus of Sweet Adelines International selects a special member to honor as “Sweet Adeline of the Year.” This year we are proud to recognize Anja DiCio as that person.
Anja has met and surpassed the following criteria: working constantly to benefit the chorus; presenting a positive attitude at rehearsals, retreats, competition and business meetings; continuing to learn and improve singing skills; regularly attending rehearsals and performances and readily volunteering her services when asked. She is always ready with a smile and a “helping hand’ when called upon, especially as the chairperson of our “Sunshine/Hospitality” Committee.
Anja has been a member of Ringing Hills Chorus for 16 years. During some of that time she has served on the Board of Directors as well as chorus committees. Besides singing she has many other interests which include being in a sewing group as well a garden club. She is known for her love of flowers and proudly received First Prize for her recent entry in a Dancing Among Flowers” theme at Longwood Gardens. Her presentation was in the “Jazz” category.
Anja hails from Finland and lives in Lionville, PA. She is married and has one daughter. She was formerly employed as a chamber maid, a maid and a cleaning lady. This talented lady has been fortunate to travel to Italy, the homeland of her husband, or to Finland. She has also traveled to Mexico and Alaska.
This dear lady acts as a hostess for our “in-house” events, such as our Open Houses and holiday gatherings and always uses her ability to create special floral centerpieces for us. Her positive attitude is contagious as well as her friendly smile. We are so fortunate that Anja is our “sister in harmony” of RHC.
Honora
Honora Leighton | 2018
Ringing Hills Sweet Adeline Of The Year 2018
Honora Leighton was chosen as our Sweet Adeline of the Year for 2018. Honora is a vital part of the chorus who brings energy and enthusiasm to each rehearsal and performance. During 25 years as a member of Ringing Hills Chorus, Honora has sung both lead and bass parts. As a board member, Honora worked as the recording secretary making sure that all important information as well as board minutes were disseminated to all the members. She was also the Membership Chair and acted as the Program Chair for the three of our shows.
Recently, Honora retired as the chair of the costume committee, a position she had held for many years. This is not only an important job, but a difficult one. Honora made sure that each member of the chorus looked her very best at each performance and event.
At home, Honora shares life with her husband, George. They are happy in their home in Spring City, Pennsylvania. They fill their days with family, friends and projects.
In her former life, Honora worked as a classroom aide at Upper Perkiomen and in the business world at Penco in Oaks as an office clerk. Since she retired, Honora loves spending with her family and enjoys her five children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. One of the best things is some of her children live in exciting places like Hawaii, Hilton Head, and Lancaster, so she and George have wonderful places to visit.
Even with her busy life, Honora still finds time for more activities. Honora is a member of Sound Logic Quartet and has been singing bass with them for many years. She also is an avid gardener and artist, favoring watercolor for her art work. Honora sews, crochets and does all types of interesting arts and crafts. She is truly a talented lady!
Our Sweet Adeline of the Year is someone who not only does that basics to be a good member of the chorus but goes above and beyond for her sisters. Honora is the epitome of a someone who deserves that honor. We are thrilled that she is a member of Ringing Hills and has chosen to share her joy, her music and her enthusiasm with us! Congratulations, Honora!
RINGING HILLS CHORUS SWEET ADELINE OF THE YEAR
2010 - 2017
Aimee
Rose
Rosemary
Julie
Gailey
Kay
Barbara
Mary
Aimee
Aimee Hillegas | 2017
Ringing Hills Chorus chooses to honor a member who exemplifies the ideal Sweet Adeline who sings from her heart, uplifts her sisters with her positive attitude, and demonstrates her loyalty through her service to the chorus. We are happy this year to recognize Aimee Hillegas as our Sweet Adeline of the Year 2017.
Aimee joined the chorus during the summer of 2012; with her lovely high, clear and sweet voice she was a most welcome addition to the Tenor section.
Music has been important to Aimee throughout her life. She has played the flute for 25 years, starting in elementary school and continuing through college; she accompanies the Adult and Children’s Choirs at St. John’s Lutheran in Phoenixville where she has worshipped for the past 11 yrs. She is also a member of St. John’s Adult Handbell Choir, and has participated in a mission trip to Africa with her church.
Although being quite busy in her personal life, she soon demonstrated a willingness to donate her time and talent to the chorus. She was chair of the History Committee for 3 yrs, Chair of Make-up Committee this year, Show Co-chair for 2016 & 2017. With 5 sister chorus members, she added her voice support to Red Rose City chorus on a barbershop tour of the UK in 2016.
Aimee is our chorus’s scientist – she is an immunotoxicologist at GlaxoSmithKline, and is currently working on a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of the Sciences in Phila. Besides singing with Ringing Hills, other interest include paper-crafting (she donates beautiful handmade cards for chorus fundraiser events), reading, movies (loves old musicals), TV, animals (has 2 cats), photography (she is our unofficial chorus photographer) and she loves to travel. She has been to France, Monaco, UK, Africa, and often travels with her parents and older brother to favorite family spots, especially Colonial Williamsburg and Disney World.
With her ready smile, great personality, her willingness to pitch in wherever needed, it’s easy to see why Aimee was chosen by her chorus sisters as our Sweet Adeline of the Year. Congratulations Aimee!
Rose
Rose Secord | 2016
Each year Ringing Hills Chorus chooses to honor a member for her outstanding ability to harmonize and uplift all of us by her loyalty to and good will for Ringing Hills Chorus. This year’s honoree as Sweet Adeline of the Year is Rose Secord.
Rose joined the chorus in 1996. She was invited to visit a rehearsal by two members of her church who were also members of the chorus, one of whom was at the time the chorus Director. Luckily for us all, Rose accepted the invitation, and started on her journey with Sweet Adelines.
Music has always played an integral role in Rose’s life. Her mother graduated college with a music degree. She taught music, was an organist for her church choir, and inspired her children to play various instruments as well as to sing. Rose and her three sisters sang with the church choir, also as a trio, and at times as soloists. The sisters drew inspiration from the McGuire Sisters and the Lennon Sisters.
While in high school Rose played clarinet with the marching band, and bassoon in the concert band. She also participated in plays, worked on the school newspaper and yearbook teams, and played field hockey.
Rose continues to maintain a whirlwind pace of life. She works as a realtor for Century 21, and works for the Humm Group of NY, through them she consults with and supports Redner’s Markets in-house bakeries. It is not unusual for her to arrive at rehearsal and describe a day where she has visited stores in various far-flung areas.
Despite her hectic schedule, she still manages to volunteer her time, looking after elderly friends, neighbors, family members. A sayings that inspires her is “Busy hands keep you out of trouble”! Rose is the proud mother of two sons, one daughter and two grandsons and one granddaughter. It’s apparent in her conversation that being involved with her family is a priority and a joy.
Rose has always been actively involved with the chorus. She has served on the Board of Directors several times, and currently serves as Vice President. She has chaired numerous committees over the years, and always plays a major role in the success of our annual show. She is the tenor Section Leader, providing support to her fellow tenors, and is always willing to meet outside of rehearsal time for individual help.
She has also sung Lead in the chorus, so we can call her a talented bi-sectional! Perhaps the biggest gift she brings to the chorus is her infectious exuberance that we all love. With her ever-present smile, boundless energy, she is the chorus cheerleader, spurring us on to do our best while making sure it is fun! Here’s to Rose, our Sweet Adeline of 2016.
Rosemary
Rosemary Spiro | 2015
Ringing Hills Chorus chooses to honor a member each year for her outstanding ability to harmonize and uplift all of us by her loyalty to and good will for Ringing Hills Chorus. This year we have chosen Rosemary Spiro as our Sweet Adeline of the Year.
Rosemary joined the chorus nineteen years ago, started singing Baritone, and she has been singing it ever since. As an active member of her church choir, Rosemary was given a flyer by a former member for a guest night at Ringing Hills Chorus. Loving what she heard and feeling welcomed by the ladies of the chorus, Rosemary returned and eventually became a member.
Her singing career prior to Ringing Hills included Glee Club in high school as well as her church choir. Singing Bari is no easy feat, but Rosemary took the challenge and has never looked back. Rosemary said she “likes to sing” and anyone who has watched her or stood next to her, can see the joy she experiences while singing. As a member of the Ear Candy Quartet, Rosemary also brings her wonderful Bari voice to that singing group.
In addition to her singing, Rosemary serves the chorus as a member of the Board of Directors, acts as the chorus treasurer and is the co-chair of the annual show for the second time. Outside of her Sweet Adeline life, Rosemary is a “semi-retired” nurse who still teaches a nurse’s aide program several times a year. Now that she has some spare time, Rosemary enjoys being a member of the local Y and taking “silver classes” there to stay in fit. Recently, she just took her first kayak trip with members of the Y and has found a new way to enjoy the outdoors. Loving her “semi-retirement”, Rosemary says she feels like a princess in her new life.
The members of Ringing Hills have found a good baritone, a wonderful chorus member and a great friend in Rosemary. She is always there, with a helping hand, a friendly smile, and a song in her heart. There is no doubt that the chorus made a wise choice when they named Rosemary as Sweet Adeline of the Year.
Julie
Julie MacGregor | 2014
Ringing Hills Chorus chooses to honor a member each year for her outstanding ability to harmonize and uplift all of us by her loyalty to and good will for Ringing Hills Chorus. This year, we have chosen Julie MacGregor as our Sweet Adeline of the Year.
Julie’s musical family inspired her to “make music wherever she goes. While in high school, she participated in band, orchestra, and chorus. In college, Julie minored in fine arts with a concentration in music. She then went on to be the musical director for community theater productions and sang with the San Francisco Chorus and Swarthmore Chorale. Just give Julie a reason and she will gladly gather friends or relatives to sing together and enjoy impromptu musical gatherings.
Julie has served as a president of Ringing Hills Chorus and for several years has written the scripts for our annual shows. When she is not singing, Julie is an avid reader and loves to crochet. She has served as a Girl Scout Leader for fifteen years and has been involved in training other leaders in the organization.
Vacationing on Long Beach Island, NJ is one of Julie’s favorite places to be and she hopes in the future to visit our national parks while seeing more of the United States.
Julie shares her love of music, her insights, her sense of humor, and her gift of friendship with all of us. With her unique and special talents, is it any wonder that Julie was chosen to be our Sweet Adeline of the Year for 2014?
Gailey
Gailey Teller | 2013
It is with great pleasure that our chorus honors Gailey Teller as our 2013 Sweet Adeline of the Year!
In honoring a member with this award, we acknowledge that she works consistently to benefit the chorus, presents a positive attitude at chorus activities, demonstrates an on-going willingness to learn and improve her singing skills, consistently attends rehearsals and performances, and readily volunteers for and performs chorus tasks.
Seven years ago Gailey was invited to attend one of our rehearsals and soon after auditioned to become a member. The addition of Gailey to the lead section was just the beginning. She has taken a very active role in the life of our chorus. She has served on the Board of Directors as Vice President, Recording Secretary, Substitute Treasurer, and Member at Large. She is presently our Membership Chairperson. In 2010, and again this year, Gailey’s creativity and organizational skills have been evident as she served as the Chairperson of our annual show. She also posts up-to-date photos on our website, is the administrator of our Facebook page, and is our “official proofreader”. She willingly volunteers for jobs both big and small.
Music has been important in Gailey’s personal life and her careers. Even now, when she and her four siblings, as well as all the extended family, get together biennially in the summer for a week-long family reunion, they enjoy singing their favorite songs which they have compiled into a “family songbook”. Gailey, a retired elementary school teacher, at one time lived and taught in the small mountain town of Chimayo, New Mexico.
She is an ordained minister. In fact, Gailey is known to have awakened visitors and “wild animals” in Africa early in the morning with her hymn singing. Africa, you say? Yes, she has traveled to Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America as well as across the United States and even lived in Toronto, Canada.
She is an avid reader, a local library volunteer, a Re-Store volunteer, and has one of the loveliest gardens in town.
We’re proud to honor you, Gailey!
Kay
Kay St. Angelo | 2012
Being named “Sweet Adeline of the Year” by the members of Ringing Hills Chorus is a real honor – just ask our 2012 recipient, Kay St. Angelo!
The criteria for this honor states that she works consistently to benefit the chorus, presents a positive attitude at all chorus activities, and demonstrates an on-going willingness to learn and improve her singing skills, attends rehearsals and performances consistently, and takes an active part in chorus activities and tasks.
Kay has been a member of the chorus for nine years, but spent her lifetime performing with various school, college, church, and classical music groups. A little known fact about Kay is that as a teacher of fourth grade in Perkiomen Valley School District, her students were treated to Kay’s singing as she gave them their weekly spelling tests. Imagine hearing a line from a well-known musical, a popular song (old or new), a nursery rhyme, or a self-created sentence that she set to music which contained a spelling list word – now that’s creative!
Having been trained as a soloist in classical and religious repertoire, Kay found barbershop harmony to be exciting. Her versatility is evident as she has sung lead and tenor parts in the chorus as well as in two different quartets and has served the chorus in many capacities.
She has been Lead Section Leader, Board Member-at-Large, Board Corresponding Secretary, Membership Chairperson, Chairperson of our 20th Anniversary Committee, Chairperson and Co-Chair of both our Show and Show Program, and is a member of our Music Leadership Team.
When asked about her whole experience with our chorus, she said she is “happy to be taking part in the hobby I love best – singing,” that she enjoys coming to rehearsal every week, being with her best friends, attending educational weekends, and coaching with musicians she would never have the opportunity to work with if it weren’t for Ringing Hills Chorus.
With all this information about Kay, I’m sure you can see why she was voted our own Sweet Adeline for 2012. We’re very proud of you, Kay!
Barbara
Barbara Urner | 2011
In 2010 Ringing Hills Chorus, began a tradition of honoring a chorus member who works consistently to benefit the chorus, who presents a positive attitude at rehearsals, retreats, competition, in business meetings, who demonstrates an on-going willingness to learn and improve her singing skills, who attends rehearsals and performances consistently, and who readily volunteers for and performs duties, activities, and tasks. We all are thrilled to honor Barbara as our 2nd Sweet Adeline of the Year!
Barbara has been in Sweet Adelines since 1993 and initially sang Bari. She now sings Lead and is an Assistant Director. Barbara’s family includes her husband, David, their daughter, Julia & son-in-law Paul, and her step-grandson, Antonio.
Barbara taught in Spring Ford Area School District for 40 years. In September 2007, she retired and says with a grin, “Now every day is Saturday!” Barbara has taught Bible class for 25+ years and has helped restructure the Educational Ministry at her church. Retirement allows Barbara the freedom to read whenever she chooses – “A glorious luxury!” When not reading, she works with Dave in their many flower gardens—planting, weeding, pruning. She also has a great interest in sports and enjoys talking about the games she watches with other fans.
Among the many aspects of Sweet Adelines, Barbara most enjoys the challenge of singing 4-part harmony and all that entails. She values the opportunity to learn from our director, Tony, from RHC’s coaches, as well as learning through the many educational events of Region 19. She also appreciates PVI’s and passing on to others in the chorus what she perceives as the most important points. She feels fortunate to be able to interact with the wonderful women in SAI and to be part of many lasting friendships in RHC. Barbara says, “When I’m singing at RHC, I enter a musical dimension and the work is left behind. I love that!”
CONGRATULATIONS BARB!
Mary
Mary Panetta | 2010
Mary Panetta is the first recipient of Ringing Hills Chorus’ “Sweet Adeline of the Year” award!
Mary has been singing for years! She has belonged to several church choirs, was in a high school chorus, and a member of the Women’s Glee Club at West Chester University (which she smilingly points out was for non-music majors!). Mary’s time with Ringing Hills began when she saw an ad for classes with Ringing Hills in the Owen J. Roberts Continuing Education schedule. That first evening she auditioned with one of Sweet Adelines long-time members, Linda Beaver, and has been active in our chorus ever since!
Her first year, she was on the Standing rules Committee and then chaired that committee. She has also been a Board member at large, Membership Chair, Corresponding Secretary for the Board, Show Chairperson and Co-chairperson, and is now our President. In addition to singing bass and being so active in our local chorus, Mary has attended Sweet Adelines’ Region 19 educational events to improve her innate leadership and musical skills! We all are thrilled and honored to have Mary as our very own Sweet Adeline of the Year!