Nine things to know about MacDowell Male Chorus, celebrating its 90th anniversary

In the turbulent entertainment world filled with ever-changing tastes and fads, Appleton's MacDowell Male Chorus has been a model of consistency and durability.

The all-male chorus is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year; nine decades of singing and performing in front of audiences throughout the Fox Valley and beyond. It's a feat matched by only a few similar groups across the country, according to Rick Marion of Appleton, a first tenor and the group's director of promotion and advertising.

In honor of the group's longevity, current members of the MacDowell Male Chorus have chosen "Rock Solid: 90 Years of Song!" as a theme for its performances throughout the year.

Here are nine things to know about the MacDowell Male Chorus as it celebrates its enduring legacy:

1. MacDowell will present four concerts in the next two weeks

▶ 7 p.m. Saturday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 404 W. Lawrence St., Appleton. MacDowell will be joined on stage by the Staples Area Men's Chorus. Admission is free; donations will be accepted.

▶ 2 p.m. Sunday at Denmark High School Music Theatre, 450 N. Wall St., Denmark. Tickets purchased in advance cost $12 and can be purchased from members of the Denmark Knights of Columbus or ordered by calling or texting 920-304-9317. Tickets can also be bought at the door for $15.

▶ 7 p.m. May 4 at Lawrence University Memorial Chapel, 510 E. College Ave., Appleton. Tickets are $20 for general admission and can be purchased through the MacDowell website.

▶ 2 p.m. May 5 at Xavier High School Fine Arts Theatre, 1600 W. Prospect Ave., Appleton. Tickets are $20 for general admission and can be purchased through the MacDowell website.

2. Chorus members typically sing 30 to 35 memorized pieces

MacDowell's contemporary concerts last about two hours. The upcoming performances will include songs from Broadway shows such as "Hamilton" and from performers including The Beatles, Elvis, Neil Diamond, Backstreet Boys and Mumford & Sons. There will some religious music, patriotic tunes and old standards as well.

3. MacDowell's first rehearsal was held on Oct. 8, 1934

MacDowell's first rehearsal was held on Oct. 8, 1934. It was led by Albert Glockzin, an associate professor of the School of Music at the Lawrence Conservatory of Music. Glockzin was also the supervisor of vocal music at Appleton public schools, according to MacDowell's Facebook page, which includes posts, photos and news clips about the group's past. The chorus's first concert was performed at the Lawrence Chapel, and Helen Ornstein, a singer with Chicago Grand Opera and an Appleton native was the guest performer.

4. Prominent business leaders started MacDowell

Marion said the originators were community and business leaders who "felt Appleton needed something after the Depression to bring people together." Their efforts to create a cohesive group worked, Marion said, and the tradition they started continues today as MacDowell performers tend to stay with the chorus. "Loyalty to the chorus is phenomenal," Marion said. "We have many members who are in the double digits (in years performing).

5. About 50 men sing in the chorus today

Many of the performers have been with the group for more than 20 years, but a handful of new members have been joining in the past few years, Marion said. The group reached a peak of more than 100 singers after World War II.

"It was a very strong time for us," Marion said. "Men were coming back from the war and looking for ways to re-establish their lives and get back to some sort of norm."

Marion estimates that almost 1,000 men in total have sung with the group through the years. The chorus has performed in more than 500 locations throughout Wisconsin, the Midwest and beyond, he said.

6. The MacDowell Male Chorus got its name from an American composer

Originators of the singing group named it after Edward Alexander MacDowell, a well-known American composer of Scotch-Irish descent. In 1896, MacDowell joined the faculty of Columbia University, where he started an all-male chorus to help "raise artistic standards of college glee clubs and music societies." The composer established the prestigious New Hampshire MacDowell Colony in 1907. Now named MacDowell, the prestigious residency program continues to provide support for artists, composers and writers today.

7. Tryouts are held before each weekly rehearsals

Interested in joining? The chorus holds voice placement and try-out sessions at 6:30 p.m. on Monday evenings before the regular 7 p.m. rehearsals. It all takes place in the chorus room of St. Francis Xavier High School in Appleton. For more information, people can email the group's membership chairman Rick Stark at join@macdowellchorus.com or call 920-460-9884.

8. MacDowell Male Chorus has had only five conductors

Leaders of the group have had an average tenure of 18 years. Current conductor Herb Berendsen started in 2011. The four others to serve are Albert A. Glockzin (1934-'51); Gordon Kotkosky (1952-'55); Edwin Zordel (1956-'84) and Allan Leicht (1985-2010).

9. The chorus was formed with a mission statement

It was the first entry in the group's first history book: "The objects of the Appleton MacDowell Male Chorus shall be: To create a greater interest in music among the men of Appleton and vicinity, to encourage them to support all worthy musical projects and concerts, and to give men who are qualified to become members an opportunity to enjoy the 'Fellowship of song.'"

Keith Uhlig is a regional features reporter for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin based in Wausau. Contact him at 715-845-0651 or kuhlig@gannett.com. Follow him at @UhligK on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram or on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: MacDowell Male Chorus of Appleton celebrates 90 years of music