It was the fall of 1944, the United States and the world were deeply involved in fighting the forces of fascism in World War II, hardly an auspicious time to launch a new musical organization, but that is exactly what the Williamsport Civic Chorus did. They will launch their 75th anniversary season on November 18 at 3 p.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Williamsport, with a program titled: “Journeys Within and Beyond.”

This venerable musical organization has weathered a lot during that time and at the same time have provided for the music lovers of the area high-quality musical offerings.

The mission statement of the Williamsport Civic Chorus states: “The Williamsport Civic Chorus is an open community of singers dedicated to making fine music accessible to all through education, participation, and inspiration.”

“Music for the people – by the people” has been the motto of the Williamsport Civic Chorus/Choir since 1944; the objectives are still the same: to study and perform choral works that will promote our individual and collective growth as well as that of our audience.

“The Williamsport Civic Chorus is so much more than just a bunch of people gathering together to sing. We are collaborators — singing with many other groups throughout the years, most recently the Essence of Joy Alumni Singers, Gesang Verein Harmonia, the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra, and choirs from Lycoming College and Central Mountain Middle School,” Tina Swisher, a member of the Chorus told Webb Weekly. “We are good citizens — contributing our time and talents to such groups as the American Cancer Society and Family Promise, local veterans’ groups, and singing the National Anthem at the Little League World Series. We are creative — adding new styles, rhythms, and genres to our already expansive repertoire, from rousing gospel hymns to the driving chants of Karl Jenkins’ Requiem, from staging The Pirates of Penzance to lending backup vocals to a rock concert featuring the talented students of the Uptown Music Collective. More than that, we are fearless — we have tackled Bach, Mahler, Haydn, Brahms, Rutter, Mendelssohn, Gilbert and Sullivan, and Lennon and McCartney, just to name a few”.

Swisher continued, “We love to sing. That’s it. Our singers come back, year after year, for many reasons. We do it to carve out a little time for ourselves. We do it to hone our hard-won skills. We do it to see our friends. We do it to challenge ourselves — to learn that difficult rhythm, to hit that difficult note. Most of all, we do it for the thrill of presenting our craft to our appreciative audiences — there’s nothing like the rush that accompanies a really wonderful performance, hearing that last note echo in the concert hall, feeling the applause as it breaks the silence. Singing, for us, is joy”.

She said, this year, their season begins with a meditation on the different roads we tread. “Journeys: Within and Beyond” features music about explorations into the physical, but also spiritual and emotional worlds. Selections include works by Eric Whitacre, Lennon and McCartney, and our own director, Michael Connor. The concert takes place on Sunday, November 18th at 3:00 p.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Williamsport.

The second concert will be a collaboration with Maestro Gerardo Edelstein and the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra for a performance of Anton Bruckner’s Te Deum, a glorious and profound work of praise. In addition to the Chorus’ role in the performance, our music director Michael Connor will be lending his beautiful voice as the tenor soloist on Tuesday, February 12th, at the Community Arts Center.

In their final performance of the season, the Chorus will continue our Diamond Jubilee year with a celebration of classic choral favorites, a combination of new works with those plumbed from their long, proud history, on May 5th at Faith Wesleyan Church in Williamsport. Many of these works will come on the road with us when they visit Ireland in June, where they will perform with local choirs throughout the country, as well as sing the Evensong service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin.
A little about the long, proud history of the Williamsport Civic Chorus:

Its history began in 1933. At that time Fred Christian was a student at Princeton Theological Seminary, and Walter McIver was a student at Westminster Choir School. The two met and became good friends.

When Dr. Christian came to Williamsport as pastor to Covenant Central Presbyterian Church, he introduced a graded choir program. There was much interest in this program among area residents. In 1940 he invited Walter McIver, then living in Harrisburg, to come and conduct a Community Summer Choir School. Mrs. Mary Landon Russell was their accompanist. The school was a great success. The following year, McIver became the Minister of Music at this church. After four years of summer choir school, some members wanted training, year-round, so they could form an organization and become a part of the musical life of Williamsport. A general invitation for members was issued to the public. Auditions were held for membership, and with 57 enthusiastic singers, their first rehearsal was held on September 10, 1944. Thus the Williamsport Civic Choir was formed.

The Choir’s first season 1944-45 consisted of two programs; Handel’s Messiah and the Brahms’ Requiem. Mary Landon Russell continued as accompanist. In 1947 the choir began holding rehearsals at Dickinson College (now Lycoming College) where Walter McIver had been appointed Instructor of Music. For the next few years, they combined with the Lycoming College Choir for many of their concerts.

The first concert performed with an orchestra was Handel’s Messiah with the Williamsport Civic Orchestra at the Capital Theatre, to a standing room only audience. Except for two years, the performance of the Messiah or portions of it was presented annually until 1970.

One of the group’s biggest highlights came on December 22 and 23, 1953 the Civic Choir presented a very special program of Menottis’ Amahl and the Night Visitors. Mrs. McIver was cast as the mother and the McIver’s son, Bill portrayed Amahl, as he had recently done on the NBC Television production.

In 1968, the name of the group was changed to the Williamsport Civic Chorus to reflect a modernized repertoire that included both sacred and secular music. In this same year, the Chorus incorporated as a non-profit organization.

In 2015-16, the Chorus welcomed Michael Connor as he stepped up to the conductor’s podium as their newly-selected music director. Mike is no stranger to the Chorus, having been a frequent guest soloist with us as well as occasional conductor. Connor continues to lead the Chorus today.

According to Swisher the future promises more collaboration, more challenge, and certainly more joy, for singer and audience alike.