Meet our Director
Chris Ferguson
Meet our Director
Chris Ferguson
Chris Ferguson learned to harmonize in fourth grade
and promptly returned home to teach her two younger sisters to sing "Winter
Wonderland" in three-part harmony. She has been sharing her love of singing harmo
ny ever since.
In 1974, Chris discovered Sweet Adelines and joined the North River Chorus in Hanover, Massachusetts. Two years later, the chorus was in need of a director and she volunteered to give it a try. With only twenty voices on stage, the chorus placed eighth in their first contest with Chris directing.
After five years of directing, Chris left North River to attend Simmons College Graduate School of Management where she earned her M.B.A. During that time she continued to sing lead in several championship quartets, winning first place medals three times with Mass Magic and once withA Sterling Affair. She also joined the front row of the award-winning Liberty Belle Chorus. Her international competition experience includes contests in Honolulu, Phoenix, Detroit, Las Vegas and San Antonio. Moving to Maine in 1995, Chris became Associate Director of the Royal River Chorus. In June, 1996, she stepped in as director.
In 1999 Chris earned the title of Master Director by completing the Director's Certification Program and by leading the chorus to a score of over 600 points at contest!
Meet our Assistant Director
Wendi McPike
Wendi started
barbershopping at a very young age. As a teen she joined a Sweet Adelines chorus
with her sister and mom, helped coach her mom's quartet, and received her first private
vocal lesson from none other than Royal River assoicate member Dianne Dickson!
Wendi went on to get her degree in music education at the University of Maine at Orono,
then taught voice at a private school and directed a community chorus in Bangor.
She came back to Sweet Adelines when a friend asked her to do some vocal coaching.
In 1998 she became co-director of the Heart of Maine Chapter in Bangor and a Royal River
groupie! With a career change for her husband and a move to Southern Maine, Wendi
jumped at the chance to join Royal River. We are delighted to have her!