Edina Chorale Approaches 20 Years Of Musical Performance
By Lelan Bosch
Used by permission: About Town: Official magazine of the City of Edina, Spring 2005.
For almost two decades, the Edina Chorale has shared ideals and emotions with the metropolitan area through the unique language of music.
The Chorale began in 1985 as a community education program under the direction of Philip Spencer, who was then the Music Director at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd. Spencer wanted to direct musical styles that differed from church music and thought a city of Edina's size and prominence should have a community choir.
In the Chorale's first year, just four men signed up for the program, so Spencer decided to direct the Chorale as a women's choir. Forty women signed up the first year. The group worked hard to recruit male members and David Turk, President of the Edina Chorale, was one of 10 men who joined the Chorale in its second year.
"I learned about the Chorale from a female friend who was in the group and invited me to join," Turk said. Turk, Chief Financial Officer at Universal Savings Bank in St. Louis Park, sang throughout high school and college, but never pursued music as a profession. He, like many other members, uses the Edina Chorale to foster his love for music apart from his day job. "It's a nice break from work," Turk said. "But it is a time commitment that requires a love of music."
Since it was founded in 1985, the Chorale which now boasts 60-65 members, has been guided by three directors.
Jim Hawthorne, former Director at South View Middle School, took over for Spencer after five years. Five years later, Tom Paulson, Music Director at Wayzata Community Church, took the helm and has directed the group ever since.
Although the Edina Chorale performs mostly in the metropolitan area and Minnesota communities like Austin, Little Falls, Red Wing and Alexandria, the group has traveled as far as Mexico and Washington, D.C., over the years.
The Chorale went to Mexico in June 1992 and joined a group of Mexican singers to perform Carl Orff's opera, "Carmina Burana." The Chorale's member historian, Judy Sullivan, sang with the group at the Palacio de Bellas Aries in Mexico City and recalled the hospitality of the Mexican people. "We performed two nights," Sullivan said, "and they gave us a champagne reception and threw roses from the balcony."
Last June, Sullivan also went on the Washington, D.C., trip where the Edina Chorale was the first choir from the nation to sing at the World War 11 Memorial. Musical groups from each state were selected to be part of the year-long National Festival of the States that dedicated the memorial. The Chorale was selected for its reputation as one of Minnesota's foremost musical groups.
The Edina Chorale's normal performance season includes three concerts per year in December, March and May. The December and March concerts usually feature contemporary or classical music and this past year were held at Wayzata Community Church and Ridgewood Church in Minnetonka respectively. The Chorale performs in other communities in an effort to entertain the greater metropolitan area, instead of confining its music to Edina.
The May concert is normally a cabaret-style event with round tables, hors d'oeuvres, wine, coffee and dessert and features Broadway or pop music. This year, the concert, "I've Got Music!," will be held at the Eden Prairie City Center, 8080 Mitchell Road, May 13 and 14 and will feature the music of George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Jerome Kern. "The May concert is meant to be a fun spring party," said Paulson, who selects the music for the concerts and decided on snappy pieces such as "Strike up the Band," "Embraceable You," "I've Got Rhythm" and "Old Man River." Paulson said the Chorale sings a broad range of musical styles in order to challenge the group members and please audiences with a wide range of tastes. "We sing everything from Bach to Broadway," Paulson said.
Like all of its concerts, the May concert will feature the Edina Chorale's Chamber Chorale. The Edina Chamber Chorale comprises some of the more experienced members of the Edina Chorale who audition to be part of the 20- to 25-member group. Paulson created the Chamber Chorale in 1998 to give more experienced members a chance to sing more challenging musical pieces. At each Edina Chorale concert, the Chamber Chorale sings three to four musical pieces.
As President of the Edina Chorale, part of Turk's job is overseeing the finances of the group, which is a nonprofit organization. In order to pay for its music, director, rehearsal hall and performance venues, accompanying musicians and other expenses, members pay a $50 membership fee each semester. The group also raises money with raffles and by selling advertising space in its concert programs. Turk said money also comes from ticket sales, the Chorale's holiday caroling expeditions in the Edina area and grants from different community organizations.
Whether they sing in the Chamber Chorale or the larger group, members appreciate the chance to sing in the Edina Chorale. Ed Schwartzbauer, 70, a retired lawyer, started singing in high school. He enjoyed music so much he eventually sang with several church choirs, including one at Colonial Church of Edina where he was a member when he first heard the Edina Chorale perform. "I was impressed by a concert I saw and I decided to join," said Schwartzbauer, who joined the Chorale two years ago. "It gives me the opportunity to sing."
Members of the Edina Chorale range in age from late 20s to early 70s, and they are not all from Edina. Barbara Felker, membership chairwoman of the Edina Chorale, said the Chorale is constantly looking for new members. When the Chorale started, interested singers were not required to audition, but Felker said the increased popularity of the group has made auditions necessary. Members commit to practicing every Tuesday night except during the summer months and winter holidays. Feliker said her time with the Edina Chorale has been a fun way to learn about music. "There is a variety of styles of music and good camaraderie within the group," Feilker said. "We just have a lot of fun."
