Special Post: Nancy Bergman - Sweet Adelines Musical Legend

 Nancy Bergman – Sweet Adelines Musical Legend

Photo of Nancy Bergman, screen shot from the website of Sweet Adelines International. Used with permission.

The Vintage Purse Museum is honored to have in its collection three items from the estate of the late Nancy Bergman, a legend among members of the international singing organization Sweet Adelines. These pieces, donated by one of Ms. Bergman’s daughters, are mementos of a life well lived.

One of three pieces that belonged to Nancy Bergman, donated to The Vintage Purse Museum by her daughter. This is a 1950s-1960s unlabeled eyeglass case with brocade fabric.

Nancy Bergman was born October 2, 1927 in Washington, D.C. to Baily Kimbrell and Helen Bilderback. Her father played the saxophone and her mother enjoyed singing in a trio with her sisters, which certainly contributed to Nancy’s natural gift of musical genius.

1950 was the year she organized a Sweet Adelines barbershop chorus in Ft. Madison, Iowa. According to her family, she could often be found “writing and arranging 4-part harmony music, singing in a championship quartet, and inspiring other women to sing.”

Black velvet and gold metal evening bag, donated to The Vintage Purse Museum by Nancy Bergman's daughter. She told us that her mother had an admirer who gifted her with a handbag every time they met at one of the annual Sweet Adelines conventions.

Six years later, the Bergman family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Nancy began working as Executive Secretary and Managing Director of the office headquarters of Sweet Adelines International. In addition to her job, she “directed the local Sweet Adelines chorus, sang in some great quartets, became a master arranger, a Queen of Harmony, served on the (Sweet Adelines) Board of Directors, was an international faculty member, and music judge. In 2002, she was honored with the (Sweet Adelines) coveted Lifetime Achievement Award.”

In 1977, she and her husband Louie moved to Tucson, Arizona where Nancy directed the Tucson Sweet Adelines Chorus and continued singing, composing and arranging music. She briefly retired when her beloved Louie became ill and passed away in 2000. In 2003, she became director of the Saddlebrooke Barbershop Chorus, with whom she worked until 2018. 

Facile frame pouch, a souvenir of Alaska, donated to The Vintage Purse Museum by Nancy Bergman's daughter. She said it was likely purchased on a trip her mother made to Alaska in the 1960s-1970s.

Her family shared that “Nancy’s original composition titled ‘Harmonize the World’ was adopted as the Sweet Adelines International theme song and can be regularly heard ringing out across the world. As this well-known song says, Nancy has truly ‘spread music and harmony throughout the land’.” Nancy passed away in 2023 at age 95.

Three years prior to her passing, Sweet Adelines International created the Nancy Bergman Legacy Society in her honor. The Vintage Purse Museum was thrilled to learn about this remarkable woman and is very pleased to share her story.

The Vintage Purse Museum is grateful to Ricki Mensching, Nancy’s daughter, for her generous donation, and for allowing us to write about her mother. Biographical information and quotes are from her celebration of life. Special thanks to Sweet Adelines International, which kindly gave permission to use her photo and link to her Legacy Society page.