Our Assistant Director Valerie Taylor has reached a very important milestone in her bid to become a Sweet Adelines judge – the first in Britain. On the  weekend of 2-3 May 2008 she was on trial at her first Regional Competition – in Sweden.

Certified Judges Betty Clipman, Lea Beverley, Diane Porsch, Jan Meyer - with Valerie trial scoring

It meant Valerie sat alongside the four appointed judges and mark the competitors as they do – only her scores didn't count. Instead they were assessed by Sweet Adelines to make sure that she is marking correctly.

Valerie is training to be a judge in the Sound category. She’s already taken written papers – one on Sound and another on general knowledge of Sweet Adelines and its competition procedures. If Valerie’s trial scoring is judged to be in order then she will become what’s known as an Approved Candidate Judge. That means more hard work over the next two years before she would be let loose on a real competition!

But judging by her commitment to Surrey Harmony and Sweet Adelines in the U.K. we think it’s only a matter of time before quartets and choruses are looking down from the stage and seeing Valerie in the pit – the judging pit that is!

Trial scoring in Sweden
 

Region 32 Judges Dinner

Valerie with Lea Beverley

Valerie has continued her trial scoring in Cleveland Ohio in the USA at the Sweet Adelines Region 17 competition held on 16-17 May. She is pictured below with Certified Judges for the competition and the Panel Secretary.

Back Row (L-R) Karen Sweeters (Expression), Valerie (Trial Scoring),
Sue Beck (Showmanship) and Janie Macchiaroli (Sound)
Front Row (L-R) Sylvia Alsbury (Music and Panel Chair) and Judy Windey (Panel Secretary).