Sweet Adelines International Sets Guinness World Record for Largest Singing Lesson

TULSA, Okla., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Sweet Adelines International set the Guinness World Record for Largest Singing Lesson on Oct. 24, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. The record-setting event coincided with the 63rd annual International Convention and Competition held at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn. Sweet Adelines members are women who excel in singing the unique musical art form of barbershop harmony.

Music professional and past Sweet Adelines International Quartet Champion Peggy Gram led the lesson by demonstrating inspiring techniques for integrating the voice into the art form. The venue was filled with immense sound as 6,651 singers practiced the demonstrated techniques and sang simultaneously for the duration of the 10-minute lesson.

Guinness World Records official adjudicator Danny Girton, Jr., presided over the certificate ceremony to validate the record and confirm that the achievement met the criteria set forth by the organization. "We welcome Sweet Adelines International into the Guinness World Records family for its inspirational and fun achievement," said Girton, Jr. while presenting the award.

Gram called the experience of teaching the Largest Singing lesson exhilarating.

"It was inspiring to demonstrate our unique style of music to thousands of singers from around the globe. While obtaining the world record is terrific, what's even more important is that it allowed us the opportunity to show how rewarding it is to sing barbershop harmony," said Gram after accepting the certificate for World's Largest Singing lesson.

Eager for the opportunity to make history, Sweet Adelines members lined up to participate.

"The enthusiasm of Sweet Adelines International members and fans was instrumental in achieving this record," said Kelly Kirchhoff, Director of Communications for Sweet Adelines International. "Instructing thousands of participants simultaneously is an extremely impressive accomplishment."

About Sweet Adelines International

Sweet Adelines International is a musical force in the United States and throughout the world. This nonprofit music education association is headquartered in Tulsa, Okla., where it was founded in 1945. It is one of the world's largest singing organizations for women, committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and performance. The membership encompasses nearly 25,000 singers, 1,200 registered quartets and 600 choruses in most of the fifty United States, Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, The Netherlands and Wales.

About Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records is the universally recognized authority on record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Records book is published in more than 100 countries and 25 languages and is one of the highest-selling books under copyright of all time with more than 3 million copies sold annually across the globe. Guinness World Records celebrated its 50th anniversary edition in 2004, a year after the sale of its 100 millionth copy. Guinness World Records also annually publishes the Gamer's Edition; a records book devoted solely to the world of computer gaming and high score record achievements. The Guinness World Records website (http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com) receives more than 11 million visitors a year. Guinness World Records is part of the Jim Pattison Group, one of Canada's largest privately owned companies which are a conglomerate of interests, including advertising, broadcasting, grocery stores and automotive retailing.

Please click on the following links to view photos from the event:
http://www.sweetadelineintl.org/GuinnessPhoto.jpg
http://www.sweetadelineintl.org/GuinnessPhoto1.jpg
http://www.sweetadelineintl.org/GuinnessPhoto2.jpg

Photos taken by Lilley Photography.

    Contact:

    Kelly S. Kirchhoff, Director of Communications or
    Ann-Marie Dowling, Membership Coordinator
    1-800-992-7464; kelly@sweetadelineintl.org

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