Gilman singers perform at Carnegie Hall

The building is over 130 years old, its brick exterior and arched windows wellknown to passersby. The intricate, handcarved trim is understated and wraps around to hug each wall, gracefully interrupted by stone columns and offering an effect of both resilience and elegance. Carnegie Hall has seen many greats stand on its stages, artists from Tchaikovsky and Vladimir Horowitz to Judy Garland and The Beatles.

And that distinguished list now includes the Gilman Choir. Together with members of the Ladysmith Community Singers and the Blue Hills Chorale, high soprano Pat Schultz, alto Elsie Hochstedler, second soprano Marilyn Newman, alto Pat Welter, and bass singer Ken Henneman of the Gilman Choir traveled to New York and performed live at historic Carnegie Hall with 235 other singers from around the United States on Saturday, July 12.

Their journey began last October when Hochstedler was attending fellowship after a concert hosted by Blue Hills Chorale. She overhead some of the singers discussing an upcoming weekend chorale clinic held by music composer and arranger Mark Hayes. Hayes, who was born in Ladysmith and now resides in Missouri, had planned to return to Ladysmith to conduct the clinic. Hochstedler asked if her ensemble could take part in the workshop and her fellow performers graciously invited the entirety of the Gilman Choir to attend, which also included members Pamm Spooner and Lily Wry.

The weekend seminar came to a close with a concert on Sunday, October 13. But before the concert began, Hayes asked the choral ensembles for a special favor. He asked them to travel to Carnegie Hall to join him and music composer and arranger Lloyd Larson to perform the world premier of Larson’s piece “Amazing Grace: From Blind to Free.” Larson also has ties to the midwest as resident of the Twin Cities, Minn.

Larson’s arrangement tells the story of John Newton, a young man who has turned his back on his faith and the values he was raised with in becoming involved with the transatlantic slave trade. While at sea Newton is enthralled in a violent storm and calls out to God. The experience changes the trajectory of Newton’s life, eventually leading him down a path of devotion and service.

In the composition’s forward, Larson pens, “But many of us (dare I say all of us?) have, like John Newton, witnessed the presence of a loving God who reached out to us extending forgiveness and peace amid life’s most challenging storms. And that, my friend, is the story of ‘Amazing Grace’!”

Hochstedler, Welter, Schultz, Henneman and Newman jumped on the opportunity. “We were in the right place at the right time,” said Henneman. “It’s unbelievable that somebody from Gilman would go,” said Welter.

But that doesn’t mean that there weren’t some doubts. “I wasn't going to do it at first because I’m a piano player, I’m not much of a singer,” said Hochstedler. Schultz wouldn’t hear of it, stating, “We wouldn’t have a Gilman Community choir without Elsie.”

Thirty members from both the Ladysmith Community Singers and the Blue Hills Chorale would be in attendance in addition to the five choristers from Gilman. But this wouldn’t be a simple vacation for the singers; the commitment required each of them to practice the arrangement until they knew it nearly by heart. The five singers studied relentlessly, gathering to rehearse with their group as well as traveling to Bruce to prepare with the members of the other two choral collections who would also be journeying to Carnegie Hall. “I practiced at home at least two to three times a week,” Welter stated.

The time finally came for Newman, Hochstedler, Henneman, Welter and Schultz to pack their belongings and board a plane bound for New York. Their dedication paid off when, during practice, Hayes and Lloyd remarked how well the entire choir, all 235 attendees, knew their music. “They were pleased,” Henneman said. The Gilman Choir is no stranger to Hayes’ music, having performed his arrangements many times before.

The five singers remarked how easy it was to work with Hayes, with Welter saying, “Mark was so personable... just a normal guy.” Though Hayes was hospitable, there’s no denying that the pressure was high while practicing in that particular venue in front of that particular composerarranger. “That was intimidating, playing in front of him,” said Hochstedler.

The five vocalists were spread out on the stage arranged by height, nearly ensuring that they’d all be scattered but for Welter and Hochstedler who managed to secure spots next to one another. The trip was a labor of love for Schultz in particular as she was recovering from a recent surgery, though it provided her with a unique opportunity she’d not otherwise