Northborough's Women of Note in harmony at international singing competition in Michigan

Nearly 30 women with the Northborough-based singing group Women of Note are having a noteworthy presence at Harmony, Inc.'s International Convention and Contests taking place Nov. 8 to 12 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Formed just over 30 years ago, Women of Note is a group of women who sing a cappella barbershop-style harmony.  It will have have quartets and its full chorus competing in Grand Rapids.

But winning won't be everything for the contestants as harmony is what matters on several levels.

Marsha Cramer of Shrewsbury, a member of Women of Note for 15 years, said, "It's friendly competition. We're thrilled for everybody just because they can cross the stage. It's a win for everybody."

As a chapter member of Harmony, Inc. — an international nonprofit devoted to engaging women in fellowship, education and barbershop harmony — Women of Note qualified for its International Contest after placing well in regional competition in April.

The group currently rehearses every Monday evening at the Baptist Convention of New England at 87 Lincoln St., Northborough. The group was previously in Hudson for a number of years but moved its base to Northborough following the pandemic after they didn't sing in person together for some time.

Nanda Landers and Maria Gabriella stepped up from the group to become co-directors and are doing a "a wonderful job," Cramer said.

In addition to performing at competitions, Women of Note puts on concerts and does chartable gigs.

"This is my favorite year out of all the last 15 years I've been in it," Cramer said before the group headed off to Grand Rapids.

Women of Note has about 30 members who are "from everywhere — Eastern Massachusetts, Central Massachusetts, one from New Hampshire," Cramer said.

However, "We would love to have more people," she added.

With that in mind, Women of Note will have a guest night at 7 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Baptist Convention of New England. "Come and meet us," Cramer said.

The Women of Note chorus will sing two arrangements in Grand Rapids when the choruses compete on Nov. 10. "Comes Love" is a 1939 jazz standard made famous by Artie Shaw. "Love Me and the World is Mine" is an older number dating back to 1906, Cramer said.

The chorus placed second at the regional competition which was held in Westborough in April and included chapters from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and Montreal. "That's the best we ever did," Cramer said. The chorus also won the award for most improved in the performance category.

Among the quartets competing this week are Intonations, whose members are Gabriella and Landers from Women of Note and Katrina Dickau and Deanna Dean of New England Voices in Harmony, a Harmony, Inc. chapter from Nashua N.H. Intonations won first place at the regional competition in April. Also competing in Grand Rapids is the Women of Note's quartet Life’s A Pitch with Jane Thie, Ashley Lang, Sherri Avery and Amy Harker.

As with men's barbershop harmony, women's barbershop harmony also has four parts. "It's the same," Cramer said.

Barbershop is a longstanding American tradition but not without some discordant notes. Harmony, Inc. was originally formed in 1959 as a break away from the established women's international organization Sweet Adelines.

"Sweet Adelines is older and bigger. Harmony, Inc. is smaller and newer," Cramer said.

Besides the contests in Grand Rapids, the Harmony, Inc. event includes workshops, classes and a "Mass Sing."

Back in Northborough, Women of Note is trying to "get ourselves known in the Northborough area," Cramer said since it moved its base there.

Also among its many activities, around Valentine's Day Women of Note quartets put together special singing packages that people can order. The quartets will travel to places such as where someone works and sing to them. "It's a fun fundraiser for us. We just love it," Cramer said.

Upcoming performances during the holiday season will include a performance at the The Yuletide Market & Light the Common in Shrewsbury Dec. 2, and at Morse Library in Natick Dec. 10.

"It's an organization that's very fun. It's tons of work but it's tons of fun," Cramer said.

Cramer is Women of Note's "Sunshine Chair" who celebrates events in the lives of members of the group.

"People have all kinds of jobs. It's an organization that's well run and people are really well involved," Cramer said. The ages of members range from early 20s to "one lady who's is 84 ... All walks of life."

For guest night Nov. 20, "You don't have to have musical experience. There are all kinds of tools to help you. Everybody is willing to help everybody," Cramer said.

"If they (guests) decide they want to sing along we can voice place them (one of the four part harmonies) and we hope they come back."

For more information about Women of Note, visit womenofnote.org.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Northborough's Women of Note at international competition in Michigan