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2008 Officers
| President |
Wayne Carter |
| First Vice President |
Bill Conway |
| Second Vice President |
Paul Crandell |
| Secretary |
Dick Lindblom |
| Treasurer |
Bruce Kolbe |
| Scribe |
Mike Berger |
| Director |
Tim Watson |
| Accompanist |
Angela Iversen |
Chanters Events
History
The Abu Bekr Chanters is a
chorus of approximately 45 singers. In addition to the fellowship of any
shrine unit, the Chanters provide music for Abu Bekr Ceremonials and
parades, and appear in musical support of Masonic activities including the
participation in installations, degree work, and Masonic funeral
services.
The Chanter Unit was formed as a unit of Abu Bekr Temple
in 1920 and gave it's first performance at the 1920 Spring Ceremonial
under the direction of Noble Carl Norrbom. Noble Norrbom served as
director until 1951, except for a short period during the 1920s when Noble
Luverne Sigmond filled the position. Noble Paul Bower served as director
from 1951 to 1957.
In 1957, Don Kelsey, Past Potentate (1978) took
the baton of the Chanters and continued as director until the end of 2003.
Under Don's directions, the Chanters became a prominent male concert
chorus appearing many times in Sioux City, but also from concert halls
throughout the Siouxland area; Weisenstieg, Germany; London, England; and
to home plate at the Sioux City Explorer's baseball game.
Noble
Mike Berger became the fifth director in January, 2004.
Perhaps the
Chanters' most ambitious undertaking has been their participation in the
1986 1,000 Welsh Male Voice Concert of the massed Welsh choirs in London's
Royal Albert Hall. The Chanters were invited by Dr. Haydn James, the
director of the concert, and prepared 22 new numbers for the occasion -
including several in Welsh! The Chanters evidently passed the language
test as they were invited to return in 1988, 1994, and 2000.
At the
Imperial Session in Toronto in 1989, the Chanters entered Imperial
Competition with other Chanter Units from North America and emerged with
the first place trophy.
The theme song of the Chanters is
"You'll Never Walk Alone" and alludes to the mission of
the Shrine in caring for children. The Rodgers and Hammerstein number has
been specially adapted for the Chanters by the inclusion of a narration,
written in 1971 by Noble E. H. "Bus" Gulick, which so aptly states the
purpose of the Shrine:
Never does a Shriner stand so
tall,
as when he stoops to
break the fall
of a child who is
crippled, hurt or burned.
For these are our Hospitals' deep concern,
and we know that with our trust in the heavenly
throne,
neither child nor Shriner will ever walk alone.
This page was last
updated 03/02/08
For comments or questions contact Shrine office.
Copyright
© 2004 Abu Bekr Shrine A.A.O.N.M.S.
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