Diocesan chorale prepares an Irish blessing in honor of 10th anniversary
Cathryn Sprynczynatyk
Staff Writer
SUPERIOR — Irish eyes in the Superior Diocesan Chorale are smiling. The group is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a performance tour of Ireland. The members will sing at Masses in prominent Irish churches as well as a benefit concert for a local charity.
The chorale, composed of singers from across the diocese, was founded in 2000 to serve diocesan liturgies. Since then, the group has provided music for services including chrism Masses, ordinations and the recent investiture of two monsignors.
Fr. Gabriel Baltes, of Benedictine St. Procopius Abbey in Illinois, was director of the Superior Diocese Office of Worship at the time of the choir’s inception. He, along with former choir director, LaMoine MacLaughlin, co-founded the chorale.
“It gave the diocese a stable choir,” Fr. Baltes said. “It allowed people the opportunity to sing who might not have otherwise had that opportunity to sing in a choir.”
Prior to the diocesan chorale, the Cathedral of Christ the King choir provided music for diocesan liturgies. Fr. Baltes said this put a strain on the cathedral choir members who already had enough work preparing music for cathedral liturgies.
“The idea of there being a group of people who make it their business to sing at diocesan liturgies; it’s a great help to the people who make sure that the diocesan liturgies come off,” said Paul Birch, director of the Office of Worship.
Birch initially joined the choir after losing a bet with Fr. Baltes. He does not recall the nature of the bet, but the cost of losing was to attend a few choir rehearsals. After that, he was hooked.
“Besides the music, which is beautiful, it’s the people that keep you coming back,” Birch said.
According to Kathy Turba, choir director of the diocesan chorale, other dioceses have a choir dedicated to sing at diocesan liturgies, but they often draw from the only area surrounding the cathedral. The Superior chorale is unique in that its members are spread across the diocese.
The members range from Superior to Medford and Merrill. Turba said they chose to meet in Ladysmith for rehearsals once a month because it provided a central location in the diocese. The choir had been rehearsing at the Servants of Mary motherhouse until the Servite Sisters sold their facility. Turba said they are looking for another location central to the diocese.
Karl Mahner, a member of the choir, is one of several siblings from the Medford area who have been making the drive for rehearsals in Ladysmith and performances in Superior. He said the diocesan chorale is one of the few opportunities he has to perform in a choir.
“There isn’t really that much to choose from nearby,” Mahner said. “I’m not musically trained, so I can’t start a choir. I can’t read music.”
Fr. Baltes agreed that the lack of musical opportunity contributes to the geographically diverse membership. He said this was one of the reasons they founded the choir.
“A lot of the parishes in the diocese were very small and didn’t have opportunity to have a full choir,” Fr. Baltes said. “You had talent that didn’t have a place to go.”
The choir is always open to new members, and Mahner said he’d like to see more men put their vocal talent to use.
“It would be good to have different male voices,” Maher said. “They’re out there. They’re sitting in the pews, but they don’t bring it. It’s one of those gifts that gets buried in the sand.”
The choir is open to new talent joining for the Ireland tour. Ten spots are still open to the general public.
“We have a few seats left [open] that we’d like to fill with singers or non-singers,” Turba said. “If someone would like to sing with the chorale, we could make that happen.”
This isn’t the group’s first tour abroad. They traveled to Rome in 2006 to perform in famous basilicas such as St. Peter’s and St. Mary Major. According to Turba this trip will take a different tone.
“There certainly is a strong Catholic heritage [in Ireland], so that was a draw for us,” Turba said. “It’s different from the high-church experience of Rome. I think we will be involved in more of the grass roots level at the churches.”
For the Ireland tour, the choir is preparing four sets of music drawing from classical literature, Irish melodies, American spirituals and Marian hymns.
“Singing this music in the great cathedrals that have been there for hundreds of years is a very awe-inspiring experience,” Turba said.
For more information on joining the diocesan chorale or the trip to Ireland, call Turba at 715-523-0238 or visit www.diocesanchorale.choirtravelinfo.com .
Diocesan Chorale schedule 2010
“We’re trying to get out into the diocese because people really don’t know we exist,” said choir director Kathy Turba. “It would be a way to give something back to the diocese for supporting us during these past 10 years.”
Aug. 8
Diaconate Ordinations in Superior
Oct. 17
Concert at Sts. Peter and Paul in Gilman
Oct. 28 – Nov. 4
Ireland Tour: St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral in Dublin, St. Mary’s Cathedral in Killarney, Church in Blarney, benefit concert in Girley
Nov. 13
Mass at Holy Family in Woodruff
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