We ended our 44th season on Saturday, April 22, at Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, with Some Enchanted Evening. We celebrated the end of season 44, and the end of an amazing three years with our former Conductor, Andrea VanDeusen.  

The performance started with "It's A Grand Night For Singing" followed by Rodgers and Hammerstein's, "It Might As Well Be Spring", performed by Brietta Allen.

The men of the chorale performed "There is Nothin' Like A Dame" (you can watch the performance on our Facebook page!), followed by Rodgers and Hammerstein's, "I'm gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair", performed by Anne Schmitt. "Some Enchanted Evening", "Oklahoma!", and "Getting To Know You" followed. Several chorale members pictured below performed solos, duets, and quartets from well known musicals. 

The evening wrapped up with "The Sound of Music" and "You'll Never Walk Alone". As the performance came to a close, the chorale honored Andrea VanDeusen's time, leadership, and dedication to the chorale. 

Andrea is “home grown” - - - born in Hillsdale County. She sang for the Arts Chorale founder, Howard Rizner, in the Youth Chorale and also former Conductor, David Boswell, at Hillsdale High School. She's obtained two degrees from two universities, traveled the world, and is now a Doctor! It has truly been a blessing to have Andrea here with us the last three years, and she will be missed.

She recently accepted a position at East Carolina University as Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education. Located in Greenville, North Carolina, the East Carolina University boasts an enrollment of over 29,000 students and more than 5,800 faculty (over 5,801 now)! Their mission is “to be a national model for student success, public service and regional transformation” which includes “improving quality of life through cultural enrichment, academics, the arts, and athletics. The Chorale would like to wish Dr. Andrea VanDeusen all the best as she works with her colleagues to achieve this mission.

Season 45 is upon us! New things are coming our (and your) way! Enjoy this beautiful season, and we will see you in the fall!

"The Best of Rooms" by Randall Thompson was performed followed by "Lay Me Low" by Kevin Siegfried. "Lay Me Low" comes from a set of shaker songs and reflects the American shaker music tradition. "Travelin' Home", an arrangement of two sacred heart tunes, by Andrea Ramsey, was performed with solos by Don Sanderson and Becky Mielke. Heather Scharer had a solo in "No Time", a traditional camp song, by Susan Brumfield, and a trio was sung by Chloe Tritchka-Stuchell, Ellie Tucker, and Laura Leutheuser in "Lord, Give Me Just a Little More Time" by Derrick Fox - an African American gospel spiritual tradition song. The concert closed with "Gaelic Blessing" by John Rutter, and "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" by Peter Lutkin. 

The last performance of season 44, Some Enchanted Evening, will be held on Saturday, April 22, at 7 PM at Saint Paul's Lutheran Church in Hillsdale. This will be a fun, entertaining evening of Broadway musical favorites from well-known Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals such as Oklahoma, Sound of Music, and South Pacific. Tickets will be available at the door for $10 per person. Under 18 free with an adult.

Our current Conductor, Andrea VanDeusen, is leaving us at the end of the 2016-17 season! Andrea is completing the third year of her doctorate at Michigan State University, and is looking into teaching opportunities at various universities across the country!

With that said, we are now accepting applications for Conductor! For a more detailed job description, please contact us at [email protected].

On Saturday, December 17, we welcomed the community to our December concert, Christmas Night. Even with the snow and ice, St. Paul's Lutheran Church was full and we were able to sing Christmas favorites and create music with the Reading High School Choir.

The evening started with "The Hills Are Bare At Bethlehem" by Ralph Johnson, "Christmas Night" by John Rutter, featuring a duet sung by Laura Leutheuser and Ellie Tucker.  "Ave Maria" by Javier Busto and "The Friendly Beasts" by Stephen Paulus followed, featuring soloists Anne Schmitt and Tim Voss with Debbi Wyse on the harp.

​Willhousky's "Carol of the Bells", Rutter's "Angels' Carol", and Meader's "The First Noel" were also performed, featuring soloists Michael Blanchard and Chloe Tritchka-Stuchell.

As part of our commitment to creating connections with the broader choral community, Conductor Andrea VanDuesen approached Mr. Josh Sholler, Reading High School Choir Director.

​VanDuesen's goal of the collaboration was to provide singers with an opportunity to sing and perform alongside members of choral ensembles with whom they wouldn't normally engage.

​They did just that while performing Elizabeth Campbell's "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen", Mac Huff's "What Christmas Means to Me", and Victor Johnson's "African Noel" with Joey Weidmayer on percussion.

The combined choirs then performed Rutter's "The Holly and the Ivy", and Paul Caldwell and Sean Ivory's "Hope for Resolution" featuring a small ensamble with Brietta Allen, Linda Potter, Lauren Routledge, and Raegan Routledge.

​Please plan to join us at our next concert, Wrapped in Song, on Sunday, March 5, 2017 at 3 PM at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Hillsdale. For tickets, please call 517.849.2410.

We held our season opener on Sunday, November 6, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Hillsdale. With nearly 200 in attendance, we let our audience enjoy songs that celebrated the beauty of nature, relationships, faith, life, and love.

​The concert began with a small ensemble performing Will Schmid's "Bright Mornin' Star", sung by Emily Amburgey, Cathy Crater, Laura Leutheuser, Ellie Tucker, and Mary Wolfram.  

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Following the opening, Ned Wyse read "Sing to Me" by Andrea Ramsey.

Other works included "Wonder" from Dances to Life, "Away from the Roll of the Sea" by Allister MacGillivray, "Loch Lomond" by Jason Shelton, "For the Beauty of the Earth" and "Down by the Riverside" by John Rutter, "A Red, Red Rose" by James Mulholland, "Ballade to the Moon" by Daniel Elder, and "Good Night, Dear Heart" by Dan Forrest.

​Also performed for the second time ever was "Three Poems by Allison Harrison" by Stuart Chapman Hill, a colleague of Hillsdale Arts Chorale Conductor, Andrea VanDeusen.