Beloit Daily News Article: Choral Union welcomes all singers

By Hillary Gavan hgavan@beloitdailynews.com

Read this article on the Beloit Daily News at http://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/choral-union-welcomes-all-singers/article_5c6d320e-7bd0-11e4-9d04-f303778a243f.html

Those in Choral Union have a joyous experience every year they reunite for their holiday performance.

“The first time I sang with Choral Union it brought tears to my eyes,” said soprano Rochell Cheplak.

“The performance is exhilarating,” said soprano Ruth Clark.

Choral Union will celebrate its 133rd anniversary with two performances of “Elijah,” an oratorio by Felix Mendelssohn on Saturday and Sunday at Cargill United Methodist Church, 2000 Wesley Avenue, Janesville.

“The Choral Union’s youngest singer this year is 13 years old, and her grandmother is likewise a part of the chorus. Choral Union has become an intergenerational experience,” Cheplak said. “People who are very well trained in music stand next to people who love to sing without a substantial background in music.”

Eighty-five singers return to Choral Union each year. Choral Union has never had auditions, and anyone who loves music and loves to sing has always been welcome.

Tenor Linda Vannucci of Shopiere said she started with a choral group in Elkhorn when she became a single person, and eventually joined the Janesville group.

“I like the camaraderie. I like the conductor because he just is really good,” Vannucci said.

Vannucci who said she grew up on a farm said there never was time for singing or classical music, although she has come to enjoy it later in life.

Vannucci said she had always wanted to sing in a large group. With no tryouts, she figured she could just “go and sing.”

“It fit my situation perfectly,” she said.

Vannucci, who started as an alto said her voice deepened and she moved to the tenor section, noting three to four women tenors in the group. Although they mostly sang in Latin, she said a sweet alto woman coached her.

While it can be a challenge to make herself get out at night in the middle of winter, once she gets there she is glad she made the journey.

“Once you are out and there you are glad you did it,” Vannucci said.

Vannucci said it’s always great to reconnect with people when the group resumes rehearsals in the fall.

“It’s always fun to get back together and see how everybody’s doing,” Vannucci said.

Soprano Ruth Clark said her sister, Vannucci, got her into the group.

She, like her sister, likes being exposed to the classical music and making new friends.

“People are very friendly,” Clark said.

Clark said she had piano lessons and knew how to reach music, but is always interested in growing and improving.

“You sit next to somebody whose really good and you catch on and learn a lot. And our director is awesome,” Clark said.

Clark said she carpools with her sister and two others, which makes rehearsals her big outing of the week.

Conductor Richard Severing said people from 13-years-old up into their 90s sing together. Because there are no auditions anyone is welcome to participate. The Choral Union also gathers together an orchestra and professional soloists to accompany its performances.

“Everyone improves every year they are a part of this and 75 percent are returning members. Each year they experience new things and new pieces of music that are a challenge,” he said.

The group typically starts its rehearsals in September. Severing said August is a good time to contact the Choral Union about joining. They rehearse for 13 weeks, from the first part of September to early December when they have their annual holiday performance.

“It’s a wonderful group of people. The chorus is made up of amateurs, and they work very hard to where they can put on a very respectable performance,” Severing said.