MIDDLETOWN — A group of acapella singers is hoping to bring a gold medal back to the region.

The Diamond Jubilee Chorus, a 45-member women’s acapella group, is preparing to compete at the Sweet Adelines International Harmony Classic Competition Oct. 31 in Louisville, said Lynn Hartmuth, a chorus member.

She said the group rehearses its 12-15 minute show from 6:30-9 p.m. every Tuesday in an open retail space in the Towne Mall Galleria.

The group, chartered about 10 years ago, qualified for the international competition by receiving one of the highest five scores in the Division A choruses in last year’s regionals. The women will be judged in the categories of sound, music, expression, and visual communication, Hartmuth said.

The group has members from Butler and Warren counties and Dayton and Cincinnati. The members range in age from 14 to mid-80s, she said.

There are more than 300 women’s acapella groups in the country and the Diamond Jubilee Chorus belongs to Region 4 that consists of singers representing Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia and Alabama.

Diamond Jubilee is directed by West Chester Twp. resident Jean Barford, a well-known director who has won many titles directing the Gem City Chorus in Dayton, according to Hartmuth.

The chorus sings with a barbershop style made famous by men’s choirs, she said. The number of women’s acapella chorus group has been “blooming” lately, she said.

Since they sing without instruments, Hartmuth said the chorus practices extensively working on singing in harmony and with accuracy.

“It’s wonderful feeling to be part of a team with a wonderful sound,” she said.

How to go

WHAT: Friends and Family Concert, featuring Diamond Jubilee Chorus, an all women’s acapella group

WHEN: 2-4 p.m. Sept. 16

WHERE: Towne Mall, Middletown

HOW MUCH: Free and open to public

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