Magic of Manatee, the Bradenton chapter of Sweet Adelines, is extremely honored to announce that Stephen Ditchfield has been appointed the new Director, taking over for the beloved director of over 30 years, Lois Van Beek, when health issues no longer allowed her to continue directing the chorus. (She’s still singing on the risers with a big smile on her face!)
Stephen’s love of 4-part harmony is contagious, and his enthusiastic directing is adding an exciting new dimension to the Magic of Manatee. Singing with his wife, Bernice, and his daughter and three daughters-in-love married to My Three Sons in the renowned Ditchfield Family Singers, Stephen is uniquely qualified to help the Magic of Manatee continue to achieve their full potential, and making the process a lot of fun! They rehearse every Tuesday at 7:30 pm at Bradenton Christian School, 3304 43rd Street W, Bradenton, Florida. Guests and prospective new members are welcome to come and watch rehearsals.
Stephen and his family live the Sarasota area where they originally became involved, along with his three sons, in the Sarasota Chorus of the Keys. Winning the 1998 Sunshine Novice Quartet Championship with a 9 year-old tenor and a 10 year-old lead, My Three Sons went on to compete in the District Quartet Competition and became the 2003 Sunshine District Champions. During that same time, Stephen became the Director of the 100-man Sarasota Chorus of the Keys and, with his boys in the chorus, won the Sunshine District 2004 Chorus Championship, and qualified to compete in the International Chorus Competition in 2005 for the first time in the Chapter’s history, scoring in the top 30 choruses in the world.
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