MUSIC TO THEIR EARS
When the Freeman Academy Chamber Choir sings for the S.D. American Choral Directors Association on Friday, they will be sharing a love and appreciation for music that is culturaly rich in the community.
Even before he married into the community through his courtship with Anne Waltner, Dr. Rolf Olson had a pretty good understanding of the rich music tradition that helps define Freeman and the surrounding area. That’s because his sister, Sonja Waltner, has lived here her entire adult life and has been involved with the fine arts through her church, Salem Mennonite, through a host of Schmeckfest musicals and, most recently, through her work as a choir director at Freeman Public.
But now, Olson has a front-row view since taking the choir director position at Freeman’s other school, Freeman Academy, at the start of the 2022-23 year. And this week Olson and the Chamber Choir are in their final rehearsals for a performance on a special stage — at the winter conference of the South Dakota chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (SDACDA) being held Friday and Saturday, Jan. 19 and 20.
The 11-voice choir will be one of four performers at a SDACDA feature concert Friday night at the First United Methodist Church; the others are the South Dakota State University Statesmen, Aberdeen Vocal Jazz and the Tea Area Concert Choir. All were selected based on an application and recording submitted last year.
Friday’s concert will begin at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Each group will provide 30 minutes of music, with the Chamber Choir taking the stage at approximately 8 p.m.
Olson says because of the strong fine arts tradition in the community generally and at Freeman Academy specifically, it’s not necessarily surprising that the Chamber Choir was selected. But it is an honor.
“We’re kind of in the bigtime here,” says Olson, who spent 25 years as a college professor of instrumental music at Northern State University and the University of South Dakota before being hired to replace Amy Hofer Vetch as Freeman Academy’s choir director beginning in the fall of 2022. “Last fall I thought it would be pretty cool for our Chamber Choir to sing in front of an audience larger than just Freeman, because for a small school, we sing very well.”
That’s what led him to apply for a spot in the SDACDA’s feature concert, and he was notified in October that the group was accepted.
This will be a unique opportunity for the Chamber Choir, not only because of the audience and the opportunity, but because the group will offer a full 30-minue set.
“We usually sing three songs every concert, so it’s been a little extra pressure for us to get ready for this,” said Olson. “But it’s an exciting thing and I think it will be really neat for a broader audience to hear us.”
The Chamber Choir will sing seven songs:
- “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” arranged by Paul Wohlgemuth;
- “El Grillo” by Josquin;
- “Esto Les Digo” by Kinley Lange;
- “A Mighty Fortress” by Kyle Pederson
- “Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella,” by Stephen Chatman;
- “The Times They are A-Changin’” by Bob Dylan, and;
- “I Got Shoes” by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw
Several are being repeated from last year, and several others were part of the Yuletide concert this past Christmas season, “so we don’t have to learn all new music,” said Olson, who appreciates the musical tradition of the school and community and said this reflects well on the legacy of the fine arts here.
“Traditionally it’s been the family unit being grounded in music,” he said of the long-standing nurture. “And it’s things like the local churches and Schmeckfest musicals; these kids grow up being exposed to all this and it’s kind of instilled in them at a young age. And to go with that, very good teachers of recent years and before them.”
In fact, he said, he was visiting with Corey Miller, pastor of the Salem-Zion Mennonite Church where Olson and his family attend, and Miller told him that the Freeman Academy choir was asked to sing at the same conference when he was a senior there in 1984.
“It was a big deal back then, too,” Olson said.
For the veteran director, having the Chamber Choir featured at Friday’s special SDACDA means a lot. Not only is it an outstanding opportunity for his singers, it also highlights the importance of music education, regardless of the age.
Moving from the collegiate level to secondary education was an adjustment, Olson admitted, as was his trade-off of instrumental for vocal instruction. But at the end of the day, he said, “teaching is teaching no matter where you’re at, and good music is good music no matter where you’re at.
“So I’ve taken my philosophy and what I did at the university level and present it slightly differently to younger students,” he continued, “but we can still strive for excellence in making great music.”
The 2023-24 Freeman Academy Chamber Choir includes:
Sopranos: Arianne Fink, Jessica Paschal, Estelle Waltner
Altos: Maddie Anderson, Abigail Bradley, Stefany Cortez
Tenors: Armando Miller, Liam Ortman
Bass/Baritones: Jayson Allison, Thomas Ding, Sam Waltner
