Baton Rouge Chorus Leadership

Baton Rouge Chorus thrives because of the energy and style of the people who lead. Here are a few of the people that make our ensemble tick:

Cate McRitchie - Director

Our Director, Cate McRitchie, has been a Sweet Adeline practically from birth,  because her mother's also a Sweet Adeline!  She officially joined the organization in 1990. Cate sings lead in Lyrical Quartet and has been directing the Baton Rouge Chorus since 2005.  Cate graduated from Loyola University College of Music with a degree in Music Therapy as a voice major.  Cate has  been a member of various Sweet Adeline choruses around the country including Metro Nashville in Tennessee and Inland Empire in California. She and her husband Doran moved to Baton Rouge in 1997.  She has been involved with Sweet Adelines in may capacities both musically and administratively.  Cate and Doran live in Zachary with their various canine kiddies.

Bette Theis - Team Leader

Bette has been a member of Sweet Adelines International since 1975, and has served in almost all positions in the local chorus (except financial) and at the Regional level.  She has served as Regent of Region 10 two different times when we were under a Board of Directors form of governance.  Also she served as the Leader of the Ambassador Tour Chorus, which was made up of members from across Region 10.  We have not toured since 9/11.  One of her favorite jobs was to be the mentor to the Sweet Adeline Chorus in Suva, Fiji, until an Island "uprising" caused the members to disburse, many back to their own countries.  She loves to sing bass.  For many years she has volunteered at International Competition.  Her favorite "job" is taking care of the judges.  The pit is the best place to hear amplified sound of the best chorus' and quartets that sing barbershop in the world.  She retired from a job with the State of Louisiana that she loved, Director of Highway Safety.

Emily Wascome - Membership Coordinator

Emily has been singing with Baton Rouge Chorus since 2004.  She has served as chairperson of the Publicity/Marketing, Financial, and Membership teams.  She is currently in charge of membership and wants to share this "best kept secret" with as many good singers as she can.  With no formal background in voice, she enjoyed singing in church choirs through the years and was delighted to discover this wonderful group of Sweet Adeline divas!  Emily loves singing the Baritone part in both the chorus and her quartet Oh, Yes!  Emily retired from the State of Louisiana's Division of Administration in 2008.  She and her husband, Joe, have raised three sons and are now loving every minute with their four grandchildren.

 Jan Daly - Marketing Coordinator

 Jan joined Sweet Adelines in 1970 shortly after moving to Baton Rouge.  Besides singing, she has always been involved in the administration of the organization at the local chorus level and the regional level.  In chorus she has been in every office except treasurer.  At the regional level she was chief administrative officer ()Regent) for sic years and then served as the Membership/Marketing coordinator for more than ten years.  Jan sang in Sassafrass, a registered quartet, for several years and competed twice at regional contest.  She has sung bari for 37 years and for the past year has been singing bass also.  Sweet Adelines is so much a part of her life that she says she would have to move somewhere with no chorus for hundreds of miles for her to stop!  Jan's current challenge is to sing on International Stage in October as a member of Houston Horizon Chorus under the dual member rule.  The first words out of her mouth when she meets a lively looking woman anywhere --  store, gym, church, meeting, etc.-- are "Do you like to sing?"  If the answer is "Yes", watch out!

 
Annette Douthat - Finance Coordinator

Annette joined in 1990 and found sweet Adelines a wonderful outlet for her creativity as well as a chance to meet and fellowship with ladies from a wide variety of backgrounds.  She remembers telling her brother when she first started that she was learning to stand up straight, take deep breaths and smile!  Annette had been a clarinet player and part time church choir singer, but she says this was what she needed to really learn how to sing.  She even got her two daughters into singing and they both majored in voice at LSU.  Now she also sings with her church choir and BR Symphony Chorus.

 
Annie Michelli- Communications Coordinator

Annie is a wonderful bass.  She joined the Baton Rouge Chorus this past summer as part of the first LSU Leisure Class that was held. 

Music Team