Forum Page

This area provides an opportunity to make connections with others and share your thoughts or memories on the discussion forum below. Please help preserve the history of the Chorus with your comments. The following are links to related content on the Web.

YouTube "The Story of Bethlehem" Part 1 and Part 2
Chorus America "Impact" Study (excellent)
Houston Children's Chorus ~ Founded by Stephen Roddy (former member)
Free Adobe Reader to download and view the PDF documents on the website.
Google Custom Search of InlandChorus.com

If you have problems with posting, you can send a comment directly to alred@inlandchorus.com or call 262-512-3639.

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Forum Comments and Discussion:

Only the ten most recent comments are shown below. Click to view all comments.

• Kathleen Wirick Cormier - I was in the Inland Chorus from around 1958 - 1962 or 3. I remember taking an RTA bus downtown on Saturdays, by myself, (when it was safe for a kid to travel public transportation alone) and walking from Main St. to the Loretto for practice.

  I had the unique blessing to grow up in St. Mary's Catholic church/school, where Joe Geiger was the organist. I sang in the children's choir there. When Joe Geiger asked me to join the Inland Children's chorus, I had no idea what a tremendous opportunity this would be. I was an alto. Singing in 4 part harmony was truly a gift. It was fun, educational and - well, I just felt very lucky to have had this experience.

  When we had the concerts at the Art Museum downtown, I can remember walking through the basement - it felt and looked like something you would see in a haunted house - but it was such fun singing there! It was fun singing anywhere!

  One year, Joe Geiger directed several high school chorus' and together with one high school band, we made a record. I went to St. Joseph Commercial High School. Julienne HS and Chaminade HS's chorus and the band at Chaminade all practiced together for weeks and then made that record. That was a lot of people together.

  I continued to sing in St. Mary's choir until I got married there, and Joe Geiger played for my wedding. In fact, he played for many of my siblings weddings there.

  Several of my siblings and cousins were also in the Inland Children's Chorus. It was a family thing to attend!!

  Music is a great way of expressing oneself. I loved wearing the Alice Blue gowns - holding the blank black folders. The last Spring concert I was in was based on the life of two people who were born, went through school, got married and grew old together. Half of the chorus were dressed up as different characters. In my last Spring concert, I was chosen to wear Joe Geiger's daughter's wedding gown for the song - I Love You Truly.

  I can remember Joe asking about 20 or so children to go to different places to sing - one place I remember going was the Downtown hotels singing for some people (have no idea who they were, but I remember it being fun).

  Today, I still love that kind of music. And, I still consider music a gift. Joe Geiger was a very gifted and talented musician. Few, if any, were that great. Anyone who knew him or sang under his direction knew this. That the Inland Chorus lasted for so many years is a tribute to the directors they had. A real tribute.
  
  

• Jerry Alred - I'd like to share Jock Hussong's excellent piece -- "One Member's Reflections" (PDF) -- distributed at the 2013 luncheon. Jock provides rich details and insightful observations on his Chorus experiences.
  
  
• Jerry Alred - I sent a couple friends a quote from a graduating Chorus member (Mary Pfander) in an interview for a 1966 article on the site: "From my participation, I learned a love of good music, I acquired self-discipline, and I learned to sacrifice my wishes to do the best for the Chorus." One friend wrote "the self-discipline is an important trait that many of our kids are missing" and another said "that quote is indeed the theme of your website." I agree.
  
  
• Mary Anne (Huber) Federspiel - Last week, my sister, Jackie, and I visited the Archives at Wright State University. We spent two delightful hours going through three boxes of pictures and programs and remembering our years in the Chorus. The time certainly passed quickly and it was so easy to access the Archives at the library.
  
  
• Norma Tunney Austin - I was in the Chorus from 1944-52/53...so many wonderful memories...does anyone out there remember the year Mr. Westbrock had laryngitis at dress rehearsal...couldn't utter a word...someone warned us that we had better behave (can't remember who was in charge), but true to form...we were all on our best behavior. Not sure the kids of today would be quite so respectful...I remember we were lined up on the steps in the basement (was that Art Institute or Memorial Hall??)...perhaps it was before we got into our costumes?? Anyone out there able to fill in the blanks????
  
  
• Mike Eifert (1956-1962) - Incident told to Mike Eifert by Joe Geiger (c1960): As part of the regular yearly cycle following concert performances, the Alice Blue Gowns and the Eaton Suits were sent to professional cleaners. Following the Christmas concert the costumes were sent to the cleaners as usual. There was a fire at the cleaners and many if not all the items were either burnt or smoke damaged. The next concert was the one sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce at the Dayton Art Institute, usually in early February. The prep. time between the Christmas concert and the DAI concert was very short. A large portion of the costumes had to be totally replaced. Dressmakers and tailors were working overtime to get the jobs completed. Joe Geiger was a nervous wreck. Perhaps someone else remembers the incident with better details.
  
  
• Jerry Alred - My years in the Chorus (1951-1959) were split between Richard Westbrock and Joseph Geiger. Bob Drerup's comment below reminds me of something I remember when Joe Geiger became director. Perhaps I was especially impressed with his comment because my own father died exactly one month prior to Richard Westbrock's death on January 27, 1955. At his first meeting with the full Chorus, Mr. Geiger told those of us assembled in the practice room, "It has always been my dream to direct the Inland Children's Chorus." In addition to what he said, something about the way he said it suggested to me that he was not simply taking on the Chorus as a job. And watching the care and energy he put into our practices and the concerts confirmed that he understood the purpose of the Chorus and its contribution to young people and the community.
  
  
• Bob Drerup - I was in the Inland Chorus from 1957 to 1959. I was introduced to the chorus by Mr. Geiger when he was brought in as the new director in 1956. I came with several other friends (Ron Bauer and Jack Wysong) who were also in the St. Mary Choir with me where Mr. Geiger was the choir master. We were put in the tenor and bass section which meant we rehearsed on Friday after school and again on Saturday afternoon with the whole chorus. I remember the learning the music "by heart"� such that we had no excuse to not look at the director during rehearsal or a performance. I still remember some of the songs today after many years. The experience was memorable for the excitement of performing at Memorial Hall and the Dayton Art Institute. Like Rita Mastbaum Hughes' parents, my mom and dad were good friends of the Geiger's; dad also sang in the St. Mary choir. They spent many an evening visiting at our house or mom and dad at theirs. In 1958, when General Motors was celebrating 50 years as a company, I remember coming home one weekend afternoon to find Mr. Geiger, my dad, and a few others sitting at our kitchen table working on the lyrics for the several "car"� songs to be used in the medley commemorating the 5 GM cars. The Buick, Chevrolet, and Oldsmobile cars already had songs but the Pontiac and Cadillac needed one each. I can remember the Cadillac one but the Pontiac one had slipped my mind. I later found all of the songs on the 1958 Inland Chorus record in my memorabilia collection.
  
  
• Mary Blake - I was in the Chorus from 1960-66 under Joe Geiger. It was a fabulous experience. We practiced at the Loretto downtown one day after school and on Saturdays. I remember we used to give concerts at he Dayton Art Institute. As we marched off the stage, we sang the lullaby from Hansel and Gretel. I got an essential, very important musical education with the Chorus that gave me a great sense of harmony. I sang soprano as a child, and as an adult sang tenor with a local Sweet Adeline group here in LA. My dad was the traffic manager for Inland, worked there 35 years, retired in 1968. I have 7 of the Chorus' LP's from 1960-1966 that I would like to donate to Wright State.
  
  
• Rita A. Mastbaum Hughes - My Memories of Inland Chorus: I have been trying to remember back to when I was in the chorus. It must have been around 1952 or 1953 when I was 9 or 10 years old. I do remember being at the Loretto in the rehearsal room in the basement. I also remember rehearsing at Memorial Hall on folding chairs. There were no theater seats in the downstairs at that time, but I think the balcony was there, as was the stage. Also there were large windows at the sides, which seemed eerie to me at the time. I don't think it was renovated until 1956.

  Richard Westbrock was the director. He was a friend of my father's (Richard Mastbaum). He found sponsors at Inland for me and later my sister (Mary Mastbaum Pfeiffer) and brother, Thomas Mastbaum. I went in first since I was the eldest. Dad was a great singer and both he and mother (Lucille Abel Mastbaum) loved music. They wanted us to have a musical experience. Dad sang in Dayton at various churches, mostly St. Mary's with his friend Eugene Eifert, who was a tenor. Dad was a bass. They did duets and sang for lots of weddings. Both had wonderful voices.

  Mr. Westbrock was a strict taskmaster. We had our music in binders and if anyone dared click the rings, they were dismissed immediately! I saw this happen at a Memorial Hall rehearsal and it made me very wary. The rehearsals at Memorial Hall must have been for the concerts. I never did make it on stage, but was an understudy. At least I got to wear a blue dress and was in the wings during the concert. Seeing that "GM Folks"� cover on the website brought back memories. There were many familiar faces in that photo, but I do not remember a single name.

  I would ride downtown after school on the bus (we lived off of Wyoming St.) to the Loretto for the weekday rehearsals, Then after rehearsals, walk down to meet Dad at work (Elder and Johnson at 2nd and Main) to ride home on the bus with him. This was the 1950's, but I cannot imagine allowing a 10year old child go on a city bus downtown now or even allowing my son in the 1980's.

  It was a real shock when Mr. Westbrock died in 1955. I had not experienced many deaths at that age. It was a difficult time for the chorus. However, our family, especially Dad was pleased with the choice of Joe Geiger as new director. He was a talented musician and organist at St. Mary's Church. Their family had been special friends of my family for many years. Joe had been the best man at Mom and Dad's wedding in 1936. We had we had many dinners with Joe, Mary Louise and their daughter, Mary Agnes. They were very lovely people.

  I did stay in the chorus for a short time after Joe Geiger was the director. I was getting involved with school activities and switched from being a soprano to an alto since the rehearsals conflicted with something I was doing on soprano rehearsal day. I think that was why I got the understudy since altos were in more demand than sopranos. The one song I remember the best was "Evening Prayer"�. I can't remember too many of the words, but can recall that "fourteen angels watch and keep"�. My sister was in the chorus longer and even has some records. I believe she will also be contacting you.

  I enjoyed seeing all the pictures on the website. Bob Drerup and Gene Schamel were old friends of Dad's too. The Drerup kids went to grade school with me at St. Mary's. Dad also sang with the St. Mary's choir too. As you can see, your website stirred up many memories for me and I thank you for the memories. I hope to be able to go to the luncheon in April 28, 2012. I am recovering from back surgery and am now in rehab, so I am hoping to be recovered enough by that time to attend.