Toast of Tampa Show Chorus


Toast of Tampa Show Chorus is an a cappella, female-only chorus, composed of 100 women singers of all ages. The non-profit group, a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, competes and performs around the world, and is considered to be among the best barbershop music choruses in the world.

History

Toast of Tampa was founded in 1987 as a vehicle for women to sing in four part harmony and express their love of music. The mission of the chorus is commitment to "musical excellence while promoting barbershop harmony, friendship, education, self-esteem and a sense of belonging among women of all ages, races, creeds or ethnicities."

Chorus Overview

The chorus is composed of women from a variety of personal and professional backgrounds, from working women, stay-at-home mothers, students, and retirees. Some are professional musicians, though most are passionate amateurs. Musical training is not a pre-requisite, auditions are required to join.
The chorus sings and dances together, and some members also perform in quartets, including . On Valentine's Day, many quartets deliver singing telegrams.
Tony De Rosa, is the chorus's Master 700 Director. He is a four-time Barbershop Harmony Society International Gold Medalist who sang with 1992 champion Keepsake, 2000 champion Platinum, 2007 champion Max Q, and 2017 champion Main Street He also directs the Barbershop Harmony Society's . In 2013 was named a level Master 700 Director in the Director Certification Program of Sweet Adelines.
Rehearsals are held in Tampa, and chorus members come from all over the state of Florida.
In October, 2014, several chorus members joined fellow singers from the Big Orange Chorus, and Tampa Bay Heralds of Harmony, on a trip to Great Britain where they performed at Bath Abbey, King's College Cambridge University, and numerous other churches.

Awards