Karen is a total godsend for Forth Valley Chorus. She takes multitasking to a new level. Karen is tireless, helpful, and incredibly sensible. She is relied on a lot for numerous admin tasks and trust her to bounce ideas off. She also shows initiative and never makes a fuss.
Her dedication to the chorus is supreme. Whether the tasks are fun, boring, difficult, time-consuming, rewarding or thankless, all are handled with the same efficiency and good humour. In her dealings with members (and in a large chorus, she knows who everybody is) she has that rare gift of combining kindness with firmness, and thoughtfulness with practicality.
Karen is the rock on which that well-oiled machine, Forth Valley Chorus, sits. Her planning is exemplary and her ability to see through, round and over every problem thrown their way is awesome! Each management and music team has benefitted from her skills and tact and each member is kept informed and involved. She maintains learning tracks, sorts out regional and international competition paperwork, files all chorus minutes and important documents, sends out all chorus emails, ensure her husband videos all choreo and coaching sessions and spends hours editing these videos herself for sharing with the rest of the chorus. It is hard to remember a time when she was NOT doing something for Forth Valley.
She is also a superb section leader – she is always “on”. Karen keeps the baritone section right with music, sending out musical pointers, and fixing notes and words from the risers as only a bari can. She is hugely supportive of new members of the chorus – looks after them at convention, shares a room with them and generally takes them under her wing.
Karen is so continually helpful, both on and off the risers. She is a true and shining example of everything a Sweet Adeline should be!