What do you get when you combine a high school librarian, a senior financial benefit specialist and a hospital admitting clerk? Well, if you know how to work it right, you get “Pretty Girls Sing Soprano,” an extraordinarily talented trio with an ever-growing fan base along the Midcoast.

But first, the name, what’s up with that name? The name arose, truth be known, from a minor complaint. When Ingrid Ayer- Richardson joined Women in Harmony in 2009 the director put her in the soprano section because of her wide vocal range, although she’d mainly sung alto before. Susan Bean-Mathews, another soprano, heard Ingrid express her frustration and said, “But pretty girls sing soprano.”

In August 2010, Ingrid suggested to Susan that they form a singing group. They met at a coffee shop and compiled a list of songs; practiced for three months; and made their debut as Pretty Girls Sing Soprano at a coffee house in Saco in November that year.

Shelly Kirkpatrick, who also sings for Women in Harmony, became a fan of the duo. At a Women in Harmony retreat, she joined Ingrid and Susan by singing the third party harmony in the song “Home. She thought to herself, “This is cool” and later came up with her own harmonies to blend with the sound of Pretty Girls Sing Soprano. “We tried her out and she fit right in,” says Ingrid, delighted with the new addition.

Today Pretty Girls Sing Soprano performs 60-75 gigs a year in various Midcoast venues, such as Andy’s Old Port Pub, Local Sprouts Cafe and winter and summer farmer’s markets in Cumberland and Brunswick.

The songs in their repertoire span many genres, from rock and pop to bluegrass and gospel. Favorites include “Ring of Fire,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “Ain’t No Grave,” “I Can See Clearly Now,” and “Bring Me Little Water, Sylvie.”

I’ve had the good fortune to hear the group performing several times at farmer’s markets and craft fairs in Brunswick. People walking by invariably stop and say to one another, “Hey, they’re good!” And I’ve heard nearby vendors note, “We love it when the Sopranos perform.”

The appeal of Pretty Girls Sing Soprano stems from the evocative harmonics: easy on the ears, soothing on the soul. When you hear one song, you want to hear another. And another. Just as important, you can sense that these three talented musicians just love singing together and making people happy in the process.

“We have a great time together,” says Susan, who says that personal harmony is just as important as musical harmony. “Road trips are hysterical!”

One of their most memorable road trips involved a drive to Rhode Island to audition for the X Factor, a reality television music competition. They survived several rounds of auditions, much to their happy surprise, but they didn’t make the final cut. Their takeaway on the experience: “It was a blast!” says Shelly.

Some people have urged the women to quit their day jobs and become full-time professional musicians, but they’ve resisted. They’d rather sing for the pure enjoyment. “Singing makes me feel good,” says Shelly. “Singing is in my blood,” says Ingrid. “This is our fun,” sums up Susan.

The schedule for Pretty Girls Sing Soprano is beginning to fill up for 2015. They’re especially looking forward to competing in the Maine’s Got Talent competition at the Franco-American Heritage Center on March 20 in Lewiston. (Don’t bet against them.)

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