About us

Northern Beaches Chorus

We were formed in 1997 as one of 33 Choruses currently chartered in the Southern Cross Region (Australia) of Sweet Adelines International.

Under the direction of Linda Wareham we’ve consistently placed as a top five medalist in the annual Sweet Adelines competition held in a major Australian centre each May – and by exception through video in 2022. We’ve also been a finalist in the Australian Chorual Championships of the annual Sydney Eisteddfod.

We love sharing our music with audiences and are enthusiastic about preparing our sets. We regularly perform in the city at Christmas time, and also do local performances and our own shows. 

Music team 

Music Director

Kylie Shanley has a musical backhground which included singing with the Australian Girls Choir and the Sydney University City of Sydney Singers. She has a BSc Mteach (Hons) and a passion for barbershop singing. Kylie sings tenor in Treble Makers quartet who represented Australia at the 2022 Sweet Adelines International Quartet Contest in Phoenix, Arizona USA. 

Associate Director/Mentor

Linda Wareham’s passion for continuing education has ensured the success of Northern Beaches Chorus. 

Linda was Music Director of NBC from 2004  to 2022 starting with 28 singers and under her direction, NBC increased in size, quality and reputation and a consistent Top 5 medallist in the annual Sweet Adelines regional chorus contest. 

Linda has been a member of the Sweet Adelines Australia regional team in various positions including Education Coordinator and she’s currently responsible for managing the Regional Education Faculty which provides education workshops around Australia.

She is also a Music Director for Discovered, a vocal competition open to 7-24 year-olds on the Central Coast aimed at providing opportunities for young people to engage with the music industry.

Section leaders

Each voice part is led by a Section leader and Assistant Section leader.

Lead – Fiona Guilfoyle, Assistants: Chris Lowe and Jo Graffitti, Trainee: Simone Caruana

Bass – Barbara Venables

Baritone – Ruth Smallwood, Assistant: Gill Lawrence, Janet Black

Tenor – Mary-Jo Rennick

Visual Communication 

To complement our vocal skills, Northern Beaches Chorus also focuses on the quality and artistry of the visual product to enhance our connection with our audiences and to make sure we entertain!

Visual Communication Leaders: Julie Young, Anay Rodrigues, Stefanie Scholz

Equity and Inclusion

Northern Beaches Chorus is committed to ensuring that every member is provided with the equity to be able to fully participate in every aspect of chorus life and benefit from all the joys of singing in harmony. We are committed to provide inclusion for all who identify as female from all cultures around the world.

We will achieve this through:

  • Embracing and rejoicing all aspects of being human
  • Being approachable
  • Communicating individual needs with sensitivity
  • Providing one point of contact within the chorus to ensure privacy and clarity of communication