ST. MARYS — The Singing Dutchmen Men’s Chorus will begin its 2023-24 year with a rehearsal scheduled Sept. 17 at Shiloh Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
The group also invites men of high school age and older to attend and participate in rehearsal, held 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday afternoons.
The group’s history goes back more than 50 years to when the organization was founded by Gloria Anderson.
Dutchmen members have been from St. Marys, Emporium, Ridgway, Johnsonburg, Kane, DuBois and Bradford areas. For the past 38 years, they have been under the direction of Edwin Schwer, a local musician and retired music teacher from St. Marys, and accompanied by well-known Elk County pianist Rita Ordiway.
The chorus sings unison to four-part harmony on all varieties of music, both secular and sacred. They sing songs from Christmas selections to contemporary Christian music; and folk, Broadway and pop music spanning decades.
The Men’s Chorus has performed throughout the area, participating in Christmas and patriotic programs and singing for civic organizations, county fairs and nursing homes as well as church services in St. Marys and Emporium.
The group also contributes two scholarships through the Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF), in memory of founding director Anderson and longtime accompanist Gladys Schultz. Both scholarships are presented annually to high school seniors; details are available through school guidance departments or the ECCF.
Anyone interested in participating or learning more about the Singing Dutchmen Men’s Chorus, or organizations seeking entertainment, can contact Schwer at (814) 834-7733.
