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Hamline University

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1970-Present
Choral

Hamline University's rich musical tradition can be traced back to 1854 with the founding of the institution in Red Wing, MN. Through the decades, that tradition would be strengthened and music at Hamline would evolve from its recreational role to that of collegiate instruction in musical arts. But tradition can be a complex entity that carries both positive and negative connotations. Too often, progress or innovation is suppressed because of it. Those opposed to change often ground their argument in t radition. Tradition can bread comfort in excess causing lapses in reflection or revision necessary as time advances. Quality can be sacrificed and that tradition can become tarnished.

Vocal music at Hamline University has built a rich tradition. Famed composer Ernst Krenek called Hamline home from 1942 until 1947. Hamline choirs under the direction of Robert Holliday brought music to the campus, the state and abroad. Russell Harris dedicated 30 years to Hamline students and continued the tradition of Krenek through his own compositions while affiliated with Hamline. But with the strong tradition have come the lapses in time that inhibit the tradition from strengthening. In 1971, Robert Holliday retired from Hamline. While the music department was i nfused with new instructors at that time, including Rees Allison and Carol Kelly, Holliday's retirement left an important vacancy. In the late 1970s, controversy arouse around the forced resignation of tenured instructor, Phillip Steen. In 1979, Russell Harris retired from Hamline. These events, coupled with inadequate recognition from the administration and a definite need for a permanent place to practice and perform, threatened the vocal music department as the new decade of the 80s approached. While not sacrificed, the tradition was being jeopardized of its full potential.

The following paper will explore the history of the Hamline vocal music department from 1979 to the present. Faced with challenges left by the 70's, many unique aspects emerged to confront the apparent inadequacies. It is time period in which old tradi tions are reaffirmed, new programs emerge, a brilliant institution is established, and the commitment to musical excellence in vocal pedagogy is continued with vibrant leadership long the hallmark of the Hamline Music Department. And from these events come the personal stories of those that have participated in Hamline Music and the contribution it has made to the quality of their lives. The narratives are a testament to a tradition that has been built upon and strengthened over the past twenty years.

A Commitment to Excellence in Vocal Pedagogy: Dr. George Chu and Prof. Carol Kelly

In the opening passage to his 1994 piece "Moonlight, Twilight, and the Next Morning" published in the Hamline Review, Dr. George Chu writes: "For me, song will always be the language of the soul. It captures my imagination and expresses my inner being" (49). Though involved in school choirs in his formative years growing up just outside of New York, it was not until Chu's upperclassmen years at Yale University that his love for song fermented to the point where he made a decision to pursue a career in music (Hunt, 1). After graduating magna cum laude from the prestigious New Haven institution in 1969 , he continued tutelage at Indiana University, receiving his Doctorate in Music Arts. Chu has since performed solos with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, sang in the Robert Shaw Festival in France, and has soloed at Carnegie Hall.

Chu brought his love for song and his rich experience to Hamline in the academic year of 1979-1980. Hired to fill the vacancy caused by the forced resignation of Phillip Steen, Chu's arrival was at first, a slightly precarious situation. Steen's departure from the department was hardly smooth with some students taking to protest to lobby for their instructor. When asked about the Steen issue in the October 5, 1979 edition of the Oracle, Chu noted that "We're trying to put all of that behind us" (Raich, 2). However, in an issue of the Oracle just six weeks later, writer Mike Swanson again addressed the issue of the changing of the guards writing of a "hesitancy" by students to commit to projects initiated by Chu (7).

Reflecting back upon his arrival at Hamline, Chu now looks at the difficult situation he entered and the students reaction towards him as a learning experience:

I was too young to know better. The person before me had tenure but was let go. The desire was to move the department forward is a serious fashion, to really make higher level music here. The first year there were some students that were very loyal him (Steen), that felt he had been wronged and therefore just me coming on to the scene, I was the bad guy (Chu interview).

But through hard work and articulating a vision of where he wanted the choral music program to go, Hamline soon became a comfortable home for him. "The message for me," Chu said of the experience, "is if you do your job well and set the right goals, people will come along with you" (Chu interview).

The vision that Chu articulated was one that combined both commitment to Hamline's long vocal tradition, as well as innovation and the creation of new musical programs and institutions. In his first semester at the university, Chu began the Oratorio Society of Hamline University. Originally slated as interim program in January of 1980, the Oratorio Society under his direction, was comprised of about 70 members from the Hamline community including faculty, administration, students, alumni, and ot hers. While the organization has now changed its title to the Oratorio Society of Minnesota, its ties to Hamline have not been severed. Dr. Chu still leads an outfit comprised of many individuals with Hamline ties and many of the concerts are still perfo rmed at Hamline's Sundin Hall.

For Chu, the Oratorio Society was not as much his creation, but his addition to Hamline's fine tradition in musical performance. A tradition that he feels strongly deserves recognition. As he noted:

There was a great singing tradition at Hamline and I built upon that. Initially, a lot of alumni for the 50's and 60's were real thrilled that we were doing something great in choral music. Bob Holliday was delighted that something he had done earlier was now being resurrected. It's an awful shame that there was a decade lost in between and not a great tradition built. One reason why places like St. Olaf are so strong is because when they see a good tradition, they build upon it. They endow it and they build that alumni suppo rt. There's a lot of catching up to do and we lost a lot of time and money by not building before (Chu interview).

After two decades, the Oratorio Society is well established and the quality of music produced is said to rival any of the other choral groups in the Twin Cities area.

In the academic year 1980-81, Hamline broke with tradition and appointed Dr. Chu as the departmental chair, the first non-tenured chair in the music department. He replaced Dr. Rees Allison, who had held the position for the previous five years, through the tumultuous period that corresponded with the Steen resignation. Dean of the college at that time, Dean Janzen said in an Oracle interview that it was both Chu's qualifications as an administrator and his enthusiasm for the pos ition that proved him the most qualified candidate (Knieff, 5). As Chair, Chu quickly got to work to improve the department. One of his first projects was overseeing the restructuring of the music departments major. This overhaul included the separation of history and theory courses, the addition of a piano proficiency exam, the elimination of several courses, and the division of the major into concentration including performance, history-theory, and music education (Miller, 6). According to Chu, the new major was "part of a larger attempt to be more responsive to the needs of students and to give more solid background to students in music"(Miller, 6).

Chu's commitment to building on Hamline's long musical tradition also meant the strengthening of the A Cappella Choir. As conductor of the choir, Chu continued the tradition of bringing fine choral music to not only the confines of the Hamline campus, but into the larger community. "Initially, we had about a $200 tour budget," recalled Chu. "So, we went to Iowa my first year here" (Chu interview). Since that time, fundraising by the students and the drive to mobilize Hamline's music has corresponded in to three international tours and countless performances throughout the country. It was on one of the se tours that Chu attributes one of his greatest memories as a conductor. In a unheated church in the Czech Republic, temperatures were so cold that performers could see their breath as they exhaled. When the choir finished, the audience broke out into enthusiastic applause. Recalling the event, he noted: "In the Czech Republic, they don't have a lot of material things, they respond in such an enthusiastic way. It's wonderful" (Hunt, 1).

It was not only audiences that took to Chu and his conducting, music critics in the Twin Cities have acknowledged the quality of work that his choir\rquote s have produced. In November of 1982, St. Paul Pioneer Press critic, Roy M. Close, reviewed the Oratorio Society's performance of Mozart's Mass in C Minor and wrote: "Not having seen Chu conduct previously, I was impressed by his handling of tempos and dynamics, by his attentive approach to phrasing, and by the general vitality of his interpretation" (C4). Also in 1982, Chu was named as the temporary music director of the Minnesota Chorale and conducted the Chorale at an Orchestra Hall performance entitled "The Music America Grew Up With" (Anderson, 8).

Famed composer and orchestra conductor, Leonard Bernstein once wrote:

The conductor must not only make his orchestra play; he must make them want to play. He must exalt them, lift them, start their adrenaline pouring, either through cajoling or demanding or raging. But however he does it, he must make the orchestra love the music as he loves it. It is not so much as impos ing his will on them like a dictator; it is more like projecting his feelings around him so that they reach the last man in the second violin section\rdblquote (150).

In conversations with people who have sung with Chu or currently perform with him, it becomes evident that he as a choral conductor can articulate that vision.

Phyllis Sherman, whose performed with the Oratorio Society since 1982, said of Chu and his dedication: "He's very intense about it, very dedicated to it and he obviously prepares carefully. He knows the music and he knows the music very well. He points all of the little things as well as the bigger things." She continued."People don't put that kind of effort and attention and care into a thing unless they care a lot about it--He has said numerous times that the Oratorio rehearsals are the high point of his week" (Sherman interview). Scott Moser, '86, echoed similar sentiments about the conductor: "Dr. Chu has a powerful personality--He's a fabulous statesmen and diplomat" (Moser interview).

But Chu is quick to credit others with the success of his choirs. As he noted: "We try to help develop the individual voices of the students in the process and we've had very good voice teachers here at Hamline" (Chu interview). And with success comes the satisfaction of doing what he loves, making music. "I love when people can make good music together," Chu says of his choirs. "To me it is a really great, exciting thing when people can put aside their differences and work together as a team" (Hunt, 1).

If song is the language of George Chu's soul, he has found the ability to express that to his students. The Hamline choral department is again receiving the due recognition it has not received since Robert Holliday left in 1971. The ability to do this may lie in his philosophy towards conducting. "Successful conductors," notes Chu," are real people who found this medium that they like to draw music out of other people. It is really not about waving your arms. It's like teaching and finding the way people react to it well" (Chu interview).

Vocal music professor Carol Kelly left her own unique mark on Hamline music through both new programs and courses and her connections with her students. She came to Hamline in 1973 via University of Wisconsin, Superior where she taught vocal music for eight years. Previous to that, Kelly was a vocal music instructor in the New Jersey public school system, the state in which she was born and raised. Professor Kelly received her Bachelor's in voice from the Eastman School of Music and her Masters in Music from Indiana University (Roemer, 2).

For 22 years, Kelly conducted the University Women's Chorale of which she formed in 1974. However, this was not the first all women's choir at Hamline. During WWII, when the men were off at war, such a singing ensemble existed. Though when the war ended and the men returned to campus, the outfit was disbanded. Revived by Kelly and offered for curriculum credit, the University Women's Chorale grew out of the fact that many female voices were left over from auditions of the A Cappella Choir. Membership at first was open to whomever wanted to sing. Though Kelly eventually began more selective auditioning for the group, she still hesitated completely shutting the door to the Wo men's Chorale for someone who may not have been up to the vocal standards necessary. As she said, "I didn't want to turn them away--They wanted to sing so we'd put those ones into voice class to improve" (Kelly interview).

In the initial years, the Chorale performed their own Christmas and Spring concerts in the United Methodist Church. But because of a lack of crowds, they eventually began opening for the A Cappella Choir at their annual Hamline performances. Kelly noted that it was difficult exerting so much time and energy into practices to then play in front of such few people. As she said, "It's deflating not to get an audience". However, the new combination did not last long because of time constraints placed upon the Chorale for the more popular Choir. Eventually the Women's Chorale joined together with the Hamline Orchestra and the Wind Ensemble to present their twice a year performances, a partnership that still exists today.

As a Hamline instructor, Kelly was much involved in performances on campus. She could be seen often in Bridgeman Hall giving recitals. In the spring of 1980, Kelly recorded her first album using the University as her recording studio and some colleagues as her musicians. The album, entitled "Vocal Chamber Music" ranged from Baroque to modern melodies and featured Prof. Rees Allison on piano and harpsichord and Kathleen Winkler on violin (Swanson, 6). She was also very influential in getting new and unique classes off the ground. One of the projects that she was instrumen ta l in was an ACTC opera course offered during the interim in which students from across the college system would come together to practice and perform a full-length work. Kelly also created the Movement in Song course at Hamline which offered vocal studen ts that chance to perform light opera and musical theater works. The course was an opportunity to "give the singers experience in something other than the concert recital" (Kelly interview). Also, Kelly began teaching vocal pedagogy for students hoping to someday teach music to others.

In 1988, Kelly made history with her appointment to the chair of the department, the first female to hold the position. She remained in the seat until 1992. Four years later in 1996, Kelly retired from the faculty. However, she did it in a way that is r eflective of her commitment to her students. Knowing that she had students that were progressing towards senior recitals, Kelly continued to return to Hamline to provide instruction for advisees. For the first two years, th is translated into two days a week back at the institution. Now, in 1999, that's down to one day a week and she will watch her last students graduate this May. To Kelly, her commitment to come back seemed relatively natural. "I had students who were giving senior recitals and it's comparable to someone who's writing a thesis and their advisor dies or leaves," she said. "You're just lost" (Kelly interview).

With her retirement and after 22 years of conducting the Chorale, in 1996 Kelly passed the reigns of the group over to her former student and then colleague, Prof. Kathy McLane. The new conductor notes that she still seeks out her mentor for advice. "I always check repertoire for Women's Chorale with her," said McLane."Not that I need her approval but because she's such a good resource". The University Women's Chorale still varies in size, though usually it contains about 25 singers. McLane conducts still in much of the same spirit of Kelly. As she notes, "Many members don't read music very well or precisely--but we work hard and we also have fun. There's a nice camaraderie there" (McLane interview).

It quickly becomes evident when talking to Kelly's former pupils of the esteem they hold her in and the devotion to which she gave to the department. Prof. McLane, once a student of Kelly's though now a colleague and Women's Chorale conductor, noted: "She was always a model for me, an adult woman, a professional musician, a teacher doing what I aspired."McLane further noted that when Professor Kelly retired that "The music department lost a real advocate for vocal music--she had a comprehensive view of the vocal education music program" (McLane interview).

The A Cappella Choir: The Strengthening of a Tradition

The A Cappella Choir of Hamline University is the embodiment of Hamline's long musical tradition. Founded by John Kuypers in the 1930's, the choir would build momentum that would culminate into success under Kuypers' protege, Robert Holliday. According to The Music Tradition of Hamline University, "Holiday's chorus earned its reputation in part because of his willingness to perform contemporary, even Avant Garde, work" (6). Under Holliday, the 1967 A Cappella Choir was chosen by the U.S. State Department to represent both the university and the nation through a tour of Latin American countries. Thus began the tradition of bringing Hamline music across the boarders and the choir evolution into a new role, ambassadors of Hamline University.

The A Cappella Choir, in the last two decades, represents the continuity and the strengthening of this rich musical tradition. Under Dr. George Chu's direction since the academic year of 1979-1980, the A Cappella Choir has continued bringing the music of Hamline not only to the Twin Cities and the Midwest, but throughout the country and abroad. The voices of Hamline students have been heard in Cathedrals throughout England and continental Europe on three separate tours in the past twenty years. Through workshops conducted with the Oratorio Society, the choir has also given back to the community, assisting in the development of voice in local high school choir students. With strong leadership of Dr. Chu, as well as a council made up of the choir members that undertake much of the logistical planning, th e choir has reasserted itself at the forefront of the musical department.

When Dr. Chu came to Hamline in 1979, he inherited a choir that was lacking in resources to allow it travel extensively. Backing from the administration was weak and the conductor e ven had to work to get permission for the choir to sing outside of the state (Hargrave, Choir Takes Third, 8). His first year at the school, the choir had but a $200 tour budget. In fact, to jazz things up and give the choir further recognition, Dr. Chu proposed changing the name from A Cappella to something more tangible. However, just after that, singing groups like the Nylons rose to popularity touting the fact that they were an "A Cappella" outfit and as Chu notes, "the name got to be kind of a trendy thing" (Chu interview).

The lack of monetary assistance from the institution did not stop Chu from taking Hamline music on the road. The $200 budget with additional fundraising coalesced into a concert tour of Southern Minnesota and Iowa in the Spring of 1980. The choir perfor med in seven towns and concerts including a piece by retired music professor, Russell Harris (Oracle, 4/11/80). Fundraising for further tours was then accelerated and Chu gives most of the credit for the success of these drives to his students. As he noted: "The students have done a phenomenal job building up ways to raise money. We pretty much have had to raise every dollar of it, with a little help from the institution" . Fundraising by the choir has taken many forms, including working as voluntary concessionaires at Twin Cities events to selling care-packages around finals time to parents of Hamline pupils.

In January of 1985, the A Cappella Choir undertook its first International tour in eight years returning to England whe re they had last been in 1977 under the leadership of Steen (Johnson, 219). The tour was the end the result of over a year and a half of extensive preparation and fundraising (Hargrave, Choir Takes Third, 8). Though the group was able to raise a substantial amount, each individual member still had to pay for half of the trips and money from performances while in England was also a necessity. In fact, the need for monetary donations was so important, that it demanded Chu and the choir to undertake a very rigorous concert schedule. As Chu recalled of the trip: "We sang sometimes two concerts a day just to make money on offerings--just to make it through the trip and have meals for the students" (Chu interview). Scott Moser, Hamline graduate of 1986, was on the tour of 1985 and echoed similar sentiments. "The rigorous part," he said, "was the performance schedule and constantly moving from city to city. It was wet and damp and you had to keep your voice healthy and your feet dry" (Moser interview). On the tour, the choir sang in cathedrals in Guilford, St. Albans, Exeter, Wells and Gloucester, as well as in London and Bristol (Johnson, 219).

Though a demanding performance schedule, the choir did not falter and received rave reviews from both the audiences and critics. Malcolm Hazell of The Bucks Herald in Torquay wrote that the choir "seems to have no weaknesses and responds to the conductor's clear indications with a readiness that makes singing seem more spontaneous and instinctive (1). The reviewer continued, noting: "George Chu must take much credit for this finely-trained body of young singers" (1). But though Chu may take credit for training of his group, he again deflects much of the praise for his group and the audience reaction to them back to his choirs. "Our students are alive," he notes. "They're real people. When it's all working together, it's like a good team that's producing something much larger than the individual. They represent the school well and they mix with the people well" (Chu interview).

The A Cappella Choir did not wait long to have its passport stamped again. In January of 1989, a 27 member choir again returned to England. Performances on this tour included two major concerts in Torquay and Bellingdon Road, as well as many church services and daily evening prayer sessions. The contacts made from the 1985 tour proved helpful for planning the 1989 trip. The Central Church in Torquay was again a site of performance for the choir. But it was also the response of the people that made England the choice for another A Cappella Choir journey abroad. "The English have a very real respect for good music, even at the village level. They have a valuing of cultural and artistic events that is stronger than here in the United States," Chu told the Oracle upon the choir's return (Engelbert, 6).

Like the tour in 1985, the choir again performed to enthusiastic audiences. Brent Budke, Hamline senior at the time, told the Oracle "The performances were very exciting, the audiences were very receptive. We gave our best two concerts ever" (Engelbert, 6). Malcolm Hazell, who had reviewed the previous choir, noted: "They were last here in 1984, but of course their membership has changed. Not so the quality of their performance" (14). He continued in his praise, writing: " All the virtues of a good choral group are there: rich and firm chording, loudness without a trace of forcing, pianissimos that die away without losing musical interest, and above all a sustained balance" (14). Basil Ashmore, reviewing their Bellingdon Road concert for the Buck Examiner wrote that the choir was "enthusiastic as they were young" (1).

The A Cappella Choir's International tour in January, 1997 brought Hamline music to the European continent. While traveling and performing throughout the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Germany, included in their repertoire was Dr. Chu 's own piece "Tune thy Music to thy Heart", as well as Ernst Krenek's, "Three Madrigals". Regarding performing the work of one of the legends of the Hamline music department while in area of such rich musical tradition, choir member Amber Jensen, Hamline graduate of 1998, noted: "Dr. Chu made it a point to say that that (Krenek's) was a very important piece--It was important to give a piece of Hamline to them" (Jensen interview).

Enthusiastic crowds met the choir throughout the trip, including an audience of five hundred at St. Michael's Church in Vrbno. Similar to other tours undertaken in during Hamline's interim, weather again proved a challenge to the choir. As Jensen noted:

"The singing schedule was very rigorous, not to mention it was very cold. We would practice each day for at least an hour and there was a lot of walking. The biggest part about it was being cold, especially during the performances. You could see your br eath in some of the cathedrals and that's very challenging. It effects your concentration, a little but more so for me, it effected my breathing. It effects your composure. You start to shake and get nervous" (Jensen interview).

But with the struggle came the rewards of playing to receptive audiences that responded in kind to the choir's performances. Jensen recalled that at one of the churches, a feast was prepared and the choir sat down with congregational members to share in a meal afterwards.

Though the tours are a way to bring Hamline music to destinations both near and far, the choir is also given much autonomy to explore these areas on their own. Though Dr. Chu plans daily a list of activities or sigh t seeing ventures for the students, Jensen noted that there was always the choice of whether to go with the organized tour or sight-see on their own. Moser also praised Dr. Chu's and trip-leading ability: "We always had free time" (Moser interview). Another aspect that immerses the students in the foreign cultures is home-stays while abroad. Choir members are paired with congregational members of various churches and get the chance to witness the daily life of another culture hands-on.

But while the int ernational tours may best represent the ambassadorial campaigns of Hamline University and the A Cappella Choirs, the many students that would come and go throughout the years were by no way dormant in years while not abroad. Indeed, during the 1980's, the choir performed twice with Barry Manilow and visited Lake Wobegon and Garrison Keillor in a live radio production of "The Prairie Home Companion". The choir rehearsed with Keillor prior to the performance and the live broadcast included a piece that Keillor had written specifically for the choir and the campus. A football fight song sung to the tune of the Michigan fight song, Keillor and the choir boasted, "Our space is Hamline U. and you're from somewhere else. Ha! Ha! Ha!" ("Hamline Univ. goes to"). The A Cappella Choir also performed with the Oratorio Society in the Minnesota Orchestra's 1998 presentation of Beethoven's Ninth.

Though the choir has met with much success over the past two decades, there still remains the challenge of forming a ne w choir at the beginning of every year and every year poses new challenges. As the students of Hamline create more clubs and societies, more demands on time and more options are also created for students. The choir at times struggles for adequate voices . In 1998-99, one of major obstacles Dr. Chu and the choir has had to face is enrollment figures. As the conductor noted: "It's really been a problem right now with 70% of the Freshmen class being female. And with tenors and bases being culturally endangered species anyway, we have to fight against that" (Chu interview). The skewed enrollment figures forced the choir to have on one tour only four bases, which Chu says is "about as small as you can get".

Though faced with challenges, the tradition continues. In the spring of 1999, the choir again returned to New Orleans, their second tour of the south and that city this decade. But it is not just the experiences on these tours that leaves an impression on those that perform in the A Cappella Choir. The impact of involvement seems to run much deeper. Reflecting back on his time in involved, Moser noted that " It lightened me up. I transferred in (to Hamline) and I didn't know anybody. It was a structured stress reliever" (Moser interview). Involvement for Moser also meant something more substantial for it was in the choir that he met his wife, Ann, and they got married soon after college. Jensen's reflections mirrored that of Moser. "It definitely added another dimension, something less academic in a very academic time in my life," she continued."There was certain richness to it that I don't know if I would have gotten anywhere else at Hamline--It's the feeling you get when you sing a piece really well with about 30 other people and you know the others are feeling that too. It's a wonderful experience" (Jensen interview).

The Oratorio Society of Minnesota: A New Tradition Emerges

In January of 1980, Dr. Chu and members of the Hamline Alumni choir came together to form the Oratorio Society of Hamline University. Initially proposed as an interim project, support by its enthusiastic participants as well as public recognition of the quality of music produced, the Oratorio Society was soon an established entity. From its conception, the Oratorio Society was unique. It drew its membership from Hamline students, faculty, administration, and alumni. The original group consisted of 80 singers with alumni dating back to 1942, with some members driving 50 miles each way for the Monday evening practices (Miller, Oratorio Society Combines, 4).

With orchestral support from members of the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Society's twice a year performances were soon meeting rave reviews. Roy Close's review of the Society's performance of Mozart's Mass in C-Minor noted that: "though the piece may be solemn, there is nothing subdues about it. Indeed it is quite operatic in spots, and this quality was clearly conveyed in Sunday's performance" (C4). David Hawley of the St. Paul Pioneer Pr ess, writing about their 1984 performance of Bruckner's "Mass in E-Minor" noted that: "Director George Chu has created a superbly balanced ensemble, with no harshness between vocal sections--there was no mush between the inner voices" (C5). \par With the success of the Society over the years came increased autonomy from the University. The name of the Society was changed to the Oratorio Society of Minnesota and fewer students today sing with the auditioned group. But ties to Hamline have in no way been severed . Alumni and faculty continue in large numbers and many performances still take place at Sundin Music Hall. Regarding the founding of the Society and the growth its experienced over the years, charter member and Hamline Physics professor, Richard Pontinen note: "We had a pretty good group, but I think it is safe to say that the group has improved considerably over the years--We do a better job--we do more difficult music" (Pontinen interview). Pontinen, a Hamline graduate who sung under Holliday in the A Cappella Choir, will soon mark 50 years of singing at the University.

Complementing the Societies seasonal performances have been opportunities to perform in larger venues. In 1990, the Oratorio Society joined with the St. Paul Chamber Symphony for a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony conducted by Robert Fulghum, author of "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten". Though the roll of the Oratorio Society was praised by both reviewers of the two Twin Cities' papers, Michael Anthony of the Minneapolis Star Tribune was not as kind to Fulgham and the Minneapolis Chamber Symphony in his review. He called the performance a "mess" and playing on the title of Fulgham's popular work, wrote: "Though Fulgham had been coached extensively, it was clear that that there is one thing you don't learn in kindergarten: conducting" (2E). Many of the musicians of the Chamber Symphony agreed with Anthony, with 21 of the 24 filing protest with the management over the project. The only kind note that Anthony had to offer about the performance was directed towards Chu and the Oratorio Society, writing that it was "obvious that they had been adequately prepared" (2E). Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was again performed by the Society in 1997 and 98 as the group provided the vocal accompaniment to Eiji Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra.

A commitment to the community has also been a hallmark of the Oratorio Society. Through the Choral Apprenticeship program, members of the Society have taken their music out of the large performance halls and into the classroom through workshop conducted with high school choir students throughout the state. So successful has this program been that the Society received an "Innovation for the Arts" award by 3M.

Generosity Yields Beauty: Sundin Hall

The opening of the Sundin Music Hall in October 1989 was a watershed event for the Hamline Music Department. Though Bridgeman Hall and the United Methodist Church had served their utility well in terms of practices and concerts, the need for a permanent place to perform with acoustics technically in-tune to a choir or bands needs was always present. Star Tribune critic Michael Anthony noted this in review of an Oratorio Society performance in the church, writing: "The church\rquote s murky, overreverberant acoustics do not serve the chorus well" (4E). By the late-1970's, it appeared as though the music department would receive that sanctuary with a concert hall to be part of a proposed Performing Arts Center. However, in the summer of 1981, a decision was made to go ahead with a $2.5 million theater complex without the proposed concert hall (Reichard, 1). Though it had been identified as a priority item by the Long Range Planning Report, it became a casualty as the administration scaled down the proj ect in their decision to build without a donor.

The decision to build the Fine Arts center without a performance hall did not sit well with members of the music department or with the music majors. The Oracle received many letters to the editor from students railing at the administration for axing the much needed facility. Dr. Chu, who in 1979 on his first visit to Hamline to interview for his position was shown pictures of the arts center that was to be built, was particularly frustrated. In an intervi ew with the Oracle, Chu indicated his disapproval of the way the administration handled its decision making process. "The end result will be serving one department, not three, as the development campaign intended to do," he continued. "We were not consulted at all, after the trustees made their decision to build nothing. We found out about the building after the fact" (Reichard, 1).

Enter Lloyd ('23) and Mildred ('24) Sundin.

The Sundins had, for some time, been looking to give back to their alma matter. They envisioned a place where all of Hamline could come together, as the campus did during convocation hour while they were at Hamline. Knowing of the desire to build by the Sundins and assessing the needs of his own department, Dr. Chu proposed that th e $300,000 dollars they had donated for a wing in the Performing Arts Center be put towards the construction of a rehearsal room (Chu interview). When the conductor flew to California to visit the alumni, the Sundins became more excited about the project , though returned to the idea of something more substantial, a concert hall.

The Sundins donated over $1 million to the project. Construction of the building, designed by the architectural firm Bentz, Thompson, and Reitow, began during the winter of 1988-8 9. The architects, experienced in the construction of concert halls, were attentive to the needs of the department and the wants of the Sundins. The classical music hall design and the color scheme were both input by the Sundins accommodated by the arch itects. In fact, during the construction period, weekly meetings were held which involved the contractors, the music department, the architects, and the administration (Jones, 1). So well run was the construction of the hall that it not only was built on time, it also came in at its projected budget. Tom Ruddy, the development coordinator of the project, told the Oracle while construction was still occurring that "We're looking at a less than one-half of one percent overrun. That's almost unheard of in performing arts spaces" (Giles, 1).

Unfortunately, Lloyd Sundin did not see his gift realized. He passed away just months after visiting Hamline for the groundbreaking ceremony. The dedication of the building on October 7, 1989, was an emotional event. Wi th Mildred Sundin in attendance, a sold out crowd was entertained by performances representing many of the unique musical ensembles comprised of Hamline students. John Kuypers directed an alumni choir comprised of graduates as far back as 1932, including twenty of his original pupils. Jean Jeagar Pfiefer, '63, participated in the alumni choir and spoke of the new hall: "It's really nice to have a building that really honors the choir. It's been so long" (Fischer, 2). An oil on linen portrait of the Sundin's was unveiled in the entry way. A month later, the Oratorio Society performed their inaugural event at Sundin. And Mildred Sundin returned to Hamline in September of 1995 for the dedication of the rose garden that greets all entering Sundin Music Hall.

Without the Sundin's support, Hamline may still today, have been without a concert hall. Hamline Physic's professor and Oratorio Society member, Richard Pontinen, echoed this at the opening of the Sundin when he said: "music missed out the first time when we added the theater" (Fischer, 2). The Sundin's generosity gave rise to a project that lacked administrative support and was teetering on the edge of losing much of its momentum. Asked if what not for the Sundin's, Dr. Chu responded:

I think we would have lost a lot of momentum that the music hall was building throughout the years. There was not great administration support, in general, for fine arts. There had been some great traditions here in the past, in the 40\rquote s and 50 \rquote s. But, there had also been some tremendous lapses since then and I think things would have really gone down hill here. It was a tremendous shot in the arm and I think the students feel that every time they go in to perform. (Chu Interview).

Indeed, the building of Sundin Hall allowed for the flourishing of Hamline's choral music. Today, it is the site of many of the Oratorio Society performances, A Cappella Choir concerts, as well as a forum for speakers and workshops. Its beauty is a testament to the generosity of alumni who in their passion for their alma matter, recognized need and opportunity and responded to the situation.

Conclusion: Music's Contribution to Hamline's Culture

In the epilogue to his 1975 book, Mystery Train, dealing with rock music and its impact on American culture, Greil Marcus points to Walt Whitman and his writings about art and culture. As Marcus wrote:

"Walt Whitman once wrote that he didn't want an art that could decide presidential elections; he wanted an art to make them irrelevant. He was interested in an artist's ability to determine the feel of American experience; to become a part of the instinctive response of the people to events; to affect the quality and costs of daily life--He though that his work might affect whether or not his country would grow, and die, and start over again; whether his country would, at the margins of change, maintain a soul and vitality that could be recognized, loved, and feared far more easily than it could be defined (210)."

Though Whitman speaks of poetry and Mar cus rock and roll, it is the affects of art on culture and the quality of life that both are addressing. In much the same way, music at Hamline has had that same powerful impact. It lies in the individuals stories.

It is the story of a wearied Hamline physics professor at the end of day, rejuvenated because that for two hours every Monday evening, he's exhilarated by the opportunity to sing with a group of peers. It is the story of a young woman making the transition to from high school to college life, letting go of what was familiar. Music for her was the one thing she could hold onto. It is the story of man who fell in love and married a woman whom he sang with in the choir. It is the story of a mother who notes that music is just as important n ow in her life then it ever was. It is the story of a professional singer who received her early training at the institution. It is the story of local school children, whose sojourn to the college campus is coupled with both fun and increased appreciati on for the joy of music. It is the story of two professors, making significant impact upon the lives of people through continued commitment to quality instruction. It is the story of the Hamline vocal music department and those that have been involved wi th it. Though they exist as just a few of the stories to be told over last twenty years, they exist as significant examples of the impact of current intuitions on the quality of people's day to day lives.

There are indeed challenges that lie ahead for the Hamline music department. Adequate funding will continue to be a contentious issue and the need for more voices will continually reappear. Kelly\'s retirement has left a vacancy in vocal interaction that will need to be addressed. But vocal music at Ha mline enters the new century strong. New programs, such as the Oratorio Society, have become traditions themselves. The A Cappella Choir is as active now as any Holliday choir. The tradition moves forward and the challenge of building upon it will be passed onto to a new generation of students and eventually, new leadership. If those who inherit it are as visionary and progressive as those that have shaped it in the past twenty years, then there exists much promise for the music tradition in the future.

Methodology

Most of the information in the previous is the culmination of primary source research and interview transcription. All interviews were conducted by the author and amounted to a series of open-ended questions crafted specifically for each in terview. All interviews were tape recorded to assure accuracy and authenticity. Primary sources originated from a wide array of outlets. Much of the material was found in the Hamline Oracle from 1979 to present day. Other primary sources were the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Minneapolis Star and Tribune/ Star Tribune. The writing of Dr. George Chu was found in the Hamline Review, a periodical produced by the faculty of the university. Reviews from foreign newspapers were courtesy of Dr. George Chu and translations were performed by Eva Vackova.

Bibliography

Anderson, Cami. "Chu directs Minnesota Chorale". Oracle. 17 Sept. 1982: 8.
Anthony, Michael. "Author who learned 'all' in kindergarten didn't learn how to conduct". Minneapolis Star Tribune. 10 Feb. 1990: 2E.
Anthony, Michael. "Beethoven makes his point in Oue's solid reading of 9th". Minneapolis Star Tribune. 13 Dec. 1999: B5.
Anthony, Michael. "Oratorio blends rich sound, skill". Minneapolis Star Tribune. 30 April 1991:1E.
Ashmore, Basil. "Youthful freshness matched by talent". Bucks Examiner. 20 Jan. 1989.
Bernstein, Leonard. The Joy of Music. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1959.
"Choir Tours". Oracle. 11 April 1980.
Chu, George. Personal interview. 24 Feb. 1990.
Chu, George. "Moonlight, Twilight, and the Next Morning". The Hamline Review. 18 (Spring,1994): 49-52.
Close, Roy. "Oratorio Society does well by Mozart". St. Paul Pioneer Press. 23 Nov. 1982: C4.
Englebert, Kris. "A Cappella Choir returns after extensive travels of England". Oracle. 3 March 1989: 6.
Fischer, Nancy. "Concert opens Sundin; alumni choir sings". Oracle. 13 Oct. 1989: 2.
Giles, Greg. "Sundin Stays on schedule; described as 'well-run'". Oracle. 10 March 1989: 1.
"Hamline University Goes to Lake Wobegon". Office of Admissions publication. 1995-96.
Hargrave, Michelle. "Choir take third Anglican tour, singing at Cathedral and Wesley College".Oracle. 15 March 1985: 8.
Hawley, David. "Hamline group flexes classic music strengths". St. Paul Pioneer Press. 21 Nov. 1984: C5.
Hazell, Malcolm. "Students' dedication pays off". Herald Express. 17 Jan. 1989: 14.
Hunt, Jaime Cegia. "Living in the 'Vienna of the Midwest'". Shoreview/Arden Hills Bulletin. 18Nov. 1998: 1.
J.I.P. Translated by Eva Vackova. The Patriot. 14 Jan. 1997.
Jensen, Amber. Personal interview. 3 March 1999.
Johnson, David. Hamline University: A History 1854-1994. St. Paul: Hamline Press, 1994.
Jones, Eric. "Almost completed Sundin gives feeling of intimacy". Oracle. 8 Sept. 1989: 1.
Kelly, Carol. Personal interview. 22 April 1999.
Knieff, Rachel. "Chu replaces Allison as music chair. Oracle. 19 Sept. 1980: 5.
Linton, Michael. "Author lets Beethoven's spirit move him in conducting debut". St. Paul Pioneer Press. 10 Feb. 1990: 7B.
Marcus, Greil. Mystery Train. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin and Company, 1975.
Martinson, Nancy. "Young Oratorio Society performs on Nov. 22". Oracle. 13 Nov. 1981.
McLane, Kathy. Personal interview. 3 March 1999.
Merrill, Michaela. "Choir gives music workshops". Oracle. 6 Oct. 1998: 3.
Miller, Cathy. "Music major changes tune. Oracle. 21 March 1980: 6.
Miller, Dave. "Oratorio Society sings with maturity". Oracle. 21 Nov. 1980: 6.
Moser, Scott. Personal interview. 3 March 1990.
The Music Tradition of Hamline University 1854-1999. Editors Cheryl Skafte and Jessica Lee Parent. 1999.
Pontinen, Richard. Personal interview. 2 March 1999.
Raich, Jennifer. "New faculty feel right at home". 5 Oct. 1970: 2.
Reichard, Kevin "Theater complex to replace the Quonset Hut". Oracle. 28 Aug. 1981: 1.
Roemer, Janet. "New music department face adds bright note". Oracle. 30 Nov. 1973: 1.
Sherman, Phyllis. Personal interview. 23 March 1999.
Swanson, Mike. "Kelly preserved in plastic". Oracle. 2 May 1980: 6.
Swanson, Mike. "Selected Scenes". Oracle. 7 Dec. 1979: 7.

In 1969, Robert Holiday went on sabbatical and guest conductor Henry Veld became director of the a cappella choir. This year also saw in increase in voices, from 45 to 65 singers. Veld was determined to create a choir with a bigger sound and fuller tone (Oracle, 5). Veld also instigated changes such as a wider variety of music, especially in the Christmas concert, and the singing of the processional by the entire congregation of the United Methodist Church. These were significant changes to the choir. Students involved were not used to the more "lax" way of running the choir. Holiday ran a very strict program. Under new direction, some students felt they were no longer "working for perfection" (Oracle, 5). Most of the frustration came from having such an increase in size. Students found it difficult to re-create the choir they were familiar with in Holiday. The spring break tour of that year was mostly in Wisconsin and Illinois, including an incredible performance sung in the rotunda of the Wisconsin state capital in Madison, a special invitation by Governor of the time Warren Knowles (Oracle, 6). The tour, however, presented Hamline as a choir esteemed with their director, as was noted by the audiences they preformed for (Oracle, 7).

In 1970, Robert Holiday returned from London, England, and with it came another change to the a cappella choir. The larger choir that Veld had established was cut. Holiday chose only one-third of the students that tried out, creating a highly selective choir. A new recording of the choir, the first in almost three years, was put out during the interim. The choir preformed in numerous concerts in the twin cities surrounding areas, including more contemporary pieces and less popular works that Veld had done. The a cappella choir and the church gave a large joint concert at the end of the week.
They put out a recording of the works performed on tour, which was widely popular. In November of 1973, Hamline also welcomed a new vocal teacher Carol Kelly to the department. Kelly taught four years of vocal music in the public school system of New Jersey and eight years of teaching at the University of Wisconsin, Superior. She chose Hamline because of the small school in a large metropolitan area (Oracle, 8). She felt the Twin Cities supported a wonderful culture for the arts. Born and raised in Bloomfield, New Jersey received her BA in voice from Eastman School of Music and her MA at Indiana University. She also worked on her doctorate at Indiana.

This event caused even greater separatism within the department, but meanwhile the choir under Steen's direction excelled. In this time the choir toured to England twice, as well as making statewide trips yearly and Christmas performances annually at Methodist Churches in places such as Duluth, St. Cloud, and Rochester. The Methodist connection continued overseas in 1973, when the a cappella choir traveled to England for an extensive tour, one of the first in many years. The purpose of the trip was not only to perform their works, but to study choral music by contemporary American and English composers. They not only performed American composer's works, but had the opportunity to listen to English choirs and visit with English composers. The choir also had the opportunity to spend a week in residency with the Hinde Street Methodist Church, where the students had a great time sharing music with host families and in the pubs with other choirs.

In 1974 the A Cappella Choir, under the direction of Steen, was invited to perform at one of the largest professional conventions in the nation, the Music Educators' National Conference (MENC) in Omaha, Nebraska (Oracle, 10). The choir was selected from a taped audition, and was asked to perform during a prime time session. Choirs selected are usually invited to perform as "models of excellence." Hamline was the only choir that performed from Minnesota. Then again in 1975, Hamline was once again invited to perform for MENC.

In 1975 the choir made a recording with the Musical Heritage Society. Other trends started to rise under Steen's direction as well, such as the pre-college music program that lasted two years. The 55-60 member group, which had been described as having a very natural tone unlike the dark and more 'mature' sound of the Lutheran tradition, also enjoyed a performance of the St. Mathew Passion with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra during these years.

Music education was also a focus of Steen during his years as chair. He promoted a music education licensure through collaboration between Macalaster College and Hamline. This was done by Jane Frazee, who led this intercampus program, by founding a center for interpreting music before moving this center o the University of St. Thomas in the mid 80's. Frazee was invited to perform at the convention to demonstrate on the Orff method of music. Following the convention, the choir was invited to perform in front of the national conference of United Methodist Bishops in Northrop Auditorium (Oracle, 11).

Although there was a lack of faculty cohesion during this period, which led to Steen's forced resignation in 1979, student support and performance in the choir excelled. Such names as Maria Jette, who attended Hamline from 1976 to 1980 and has been active in the local opera community as well as appearing as a guest on Prairie Home Companion, speaks of these choral years as having a warm and well-blended sound. Her continuing connections with Rees Allison have led to her regular appearance with his Musical Offering and the Hill House Chamber Players. Her last year at Hamline from 1979-1980 saw a great deal of change within the department. The controversial forced resignation of Steen in 1979 caused a backlash of student protest in which students demonstrated in the office of the president. (31) During her final year Jette was choir president and involved in a student advisory panel, which selected George Chu as the next director of the choir. Chu continues to direct the choir today.

After leaving Hamline in 1979, Steen went on to be involved in church music at St. Paul's on the Hill as well as Fridley Methodist where he served as director until 1995. Steen also became an administrator at Breck and is now an assistant choral director at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. (31)

In 1979 Dr. George S.T. Chu became the director of the Hamline University A Cappella Choir. Dr. Chu studied voice with Blake Stern at Yale College, and received his Doctorate of Music Arts at Indiana University, graduating with highest distinction (Bulletin, 1). Highlights of his career include touring France with Robert Shaw in the Robert Shaw Festival Singers, and performing with them at Carnegie Hall in New York City. In 1980, the music department was suffering from lack of leadership and lack of support from the administration. The department broke tradition and made Chu the first chair of the department that was not tenured. Dr. Chu says it was because he was one of very few people wanting to take over the department at the time (Interview, 2). After becoming chair, Dr. Chu set up new classes, including Bach Singers (Bulletin, 3), and started programs as well, his most prestigious one being the Oratorio Society. The Oratorio Society formed on 1981, was made up of Hamline faculty, staff, current choir students and former choir members (Oracle, 4). Yet despite the new programming and the growing success of the Oratorio Society, Chu was still able to form a strong A Cappella Choir, once again giving Hamline recognition it had not received since the departure of Holiday. Throughout the 1980's the choir remained relatively stable and performed the usual annual concerts at Christmas and springtime, as well as their spring break tour of Wisconsin and Illinois. The 1987-1988 a cappella choir was one of the best choirs in the eighties that Dr. Chu had seen. They performed at the Ordway Music Hall and Orchestra hall during those years. This choir of thirty members was a student organization, and the students did all of the fundraisers for various projects. The spring break trips began to go father than the mid-west, into Mississippi, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The choir was also invited to perform to a sold-out audience on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion." They were also featured on the Easter program on WCCO-TV and were on Minnesota Public Radio. The choir even performed with Barry Manilow on two separate occasions.

In January of 1988, the planning of Sundin Music Hall began. A gift from two Hamline alumni, Lloyd and Mildred Sundin, the music hall was a much-needed entity for the music program at Hamline. As was stated before, the department was in a state of a small slump, with neutral to no support from the administration and only little money. Dr. Chu knew that if a music hall was built, the department would flourish. Not only could the music students have a place to perform, but the University would have a lecture hall, and the community as well. With just over one million dollars, the new facility was constructed. Kept simple for reasons of money, the building design was kept simple, a lobby, a coat room, and a ticket office, and an auditorium that seats 332 people. If funds had allowed, the Sundin's would have liked the performance hall to be better than the Ordway.

The Oratorio Society of Minnesota

The Oratorio Society was started in the winter of 1980 under the name "the Oratorio Society of Hamline University" by Dr. George Chu, as a J-term project for students, alumni, and faculty of Hamline. Originally, the sixty or so members were to sing one concert in the spring, which would include several Bach pieces and Hayden's Lord Nelson Mass (1), and that would be the end of the Society, but the members liked the new chorale, and it was decided that the Society would continue.

Now, some eighteen years later, and still under the direction of Chu, the Oratorio Society is a well-known and respected amateur choir for adults, which leads choral workshops for students, performs three concerts a year, and sings with such groups as the Minnesota Orchestra.

In the early eighties, the Oratorio Society was already a high-quality group. It was composed mostly of students, alumni, and faculty, practiced in Bridgeman Hall on Monday nights, where and when it still practices today, and performed at Hamline Methodist church. At that time, most of the members were associated with Hamline in one way or another. It was still mostly a low-profile group, however, although it had several reviews in one or another of the Twin Cities newspapers, and in 1986 performed with the Minneapolis Chamber Symphony. The acoustics at Hamline Methodist, which were, according to one reviewer, "murky [and] overreverberant"(2), limited the Society's repertoire and freedom to experiment, but the pipe organ was often used.

Then, in 1989, Sundin Music Hall was built, and the Oratorio Society began performing in it. They had been good before, but in Sundin, with it's "good, dry acoustics"(3), wide stage, and large seating, Chu became free to experiment more. He had, according to one long-time member of the society, always had "a specific sound" in mind for the choir, and he picked his members out of those who auditioned partially based on how they sounded. Chu could work with more intricate vocal arrangements and risky pieces. The society by this time also attracted as many members from outside the community, who had little or no connection to Hamline, as it did Hamline affiliates, and concerts were regularly broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio. Their name had also changed, for fundraising reasons, to the "Oratorio Society of Minnesota."

In 1990, because they had worked with the Minneapolis Chamber Symphony before, the Oratorio Society was asked to perform Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Chamber Symphony and a guest conductor. The guest conductor was author Robert Fulghum, who had never picked up a conductor's baton before in his life, and didn't even read music. He had, however, written in his collection of essays, "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten," that he had always been enraptured by Beethoven's Ninth, and it was a fantasy of his to be able to conduct it. Sensing a publicity stunt just waiting to be made, the Minneapolis Chamber Symphony invited him to guest conduct. Reactions to that concert were mixed. Many people praised the exuberance and obvious joy with which it was done but it was, as would be expected, far from a perfect performance on the part of the Symphony. The reviews for the Oratorio Society's singing of the Ode to Joy chorus, however, were better. According to one reviewer, they sang with "evenly balanced vigor" (4), and according to another, the Society, unlike, the author of the article insinuated, the Symphony, had obviously been "adequately prepared by its music director, George Chu" (5). While this latter may not seem like a ringing compliment, it was practically the nicest thing that particular reviewer said about the concert.

While the concert in itself might not have been a huge success, when Fulghum's publisher decided, the next year, to commission three pieces by three different composers, based on Fulghum's three books, it was the Minneapolis Chamber Symphony for whom they were commissioned, and the Oratorio Society who was asked to perform with them. This concert fared much better. Each composer wrote a piece based on one of the books Fulghum had written. Composer Erik Stokes took a story from the first book, All I Ever Really Needed to Know... which described a children's game and was entitled "Mermaids Stand by the King of the Sea." During this piece, members of the Oratorio Society were directed to simulate chaos, and they did so by blowing soap bubbles, throwing paper airplanes, and tossing balloons while they sang (3). Ricardo Lorenz wrote "Sit Still," based on a piece by It Was On Fire When I Lay Down On It, and Bonia Shur composed "Four Stories," taken from Fulghum's newest book, Uh-Oh, Some Observations From Both Sides of the Refrigerator Door. The three composers had very dissimilar, but contemporary, styles of composition. Fulghum narrated the concert, which included a refrigerator, to which the orchestra tuned. This concert toured the state.

Both before and after this, the Oratorio Society experimented with newer and more controversial music, as well as traditional music and settings. In 1994 and 1996, for instance, they performed Los Liberatadores, a selection of poems from Chilean poet Pablo Neruda's Canto General, set to music by the exiled Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis. Because Neruda and Theodorakis were both opponents of the Chilean government set up and supported by the United States, the piece, although very popular in Europe, was seldom heard in America. They have also performed other works by Erik Stokes, the text of which were based on classical poems.

In 1993, the Oratorio Society began their Choral Apprenticeship Program for high school choirs, making use of the wonderful new space which Sundin Hall provided. The program has been given financial assistance by the Rathmann Foundation for its entire history. The early programs involved many metro area schools, but by 1996, had narrowed down to three or four, so that the participants could spend more time on their music, and full choirs could participate. The participants work with Oratorio Society members on their own works, listen to the Oratorio Society work and practice their own work, and perform a piece during the evening. In 1995, the Choral Apprenticeship Program began holding workshops in greater Minnesota as well, in Grand Rapids and in southern Minnesota. These workshops examined musical leadership- how each student could help lead in their choirs. The Choral Apprenticeship Program is unique among programs of this type in its approach, and has been very well received by high schools, and by Oratorio Society members themselves. They also use the program to help promote Hamline University to the high school students they meet. In 1998, 3M awarded the Oratorio Society the "Innovation in the Arts" award, and Target Stores began sponsoring them, as well (6).

In December of 1997, the Oratorio Society had yet another chance to sing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony- this one extraordinarily different from the last concert with Fulghum. One month before the concerts were to be performed, the Minnesota Orchestra asked Dr. Chu if the Oratorio Society would like to perform the Ninth Symphony with them in Orchestra Hall, under the direction of Eiji Oue. In Japan, apparently, the Ninth Symphony is a Christmas tradition, and Oue wanted to bring that tradition to Minnesota. Dr. Chu agreed, and the Oratorio Society and the choir from the University of Minnesota at Morris, along with select A Capella choir members, began practicing as quickly as they could. Some members of the Oratorio Society also sang in the first part of the concert, to Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Snowflakes from the Nutcracker. It was, according to a reviewer, a "solid and respectable, if not especially imaginative, reading" (7). The concert was extremely popular, and the Oratorio Society, eager to try again, petitioned the Minnesota Orchestra to let them sing again next year, if the Orchestra was planning on repeating the performance. They were, and they asked the Oratorio Society back, along with the A Capella Choir and the choir from Concordia College, St. Paul.

For over eighteen years, the Oratorio Society has been a strong addition to Hamline University, although their ties to the University itself have diminished as the Society has gained in reputation. They have a unique and well-respected vocal style, and have sung with many well-respected instrumental ensembles and musicians.

Works Cited

1) Oratorio Society Repertoire, 1980-1997
2) Anthony, Michael. "Oratorio blends rich sound, skill." Minneapolis Star Tribune 30 April, 1991: 1E.
3) Sherman, Phyllis. Personal interview. 2 December, 1998.
4) Linton, Michael. "Author lets Beethoven's spirit move him in conducting debut." St, Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch 10 February, 1990: 7B.
5) Anthony, Michael. "Author who learned 'all' in kindergarten didn't learn how to conduct." Minneapolis Star Tribune 10 February, 1998: 2E.
6) Maggie Wirth-Johnson, "Oratorio Society of Minnesota Choral Apprenticeship Program." Descriptive Bulletin.
7) Anthony, Michael. "Beethoven makes his point in Oue's solid reading of 9th." Minneapolis Star Tribune 13 December, 1997: B5.

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