ABOUT JCU

Janesville Choral Union is proud to be one of the oldest performing community choruses in

Wisconsin. Since its inception 143 years ago, thousands of people have helped shape its story and mold it into the group that it is today. Over the years, Choral Union has premiered numerous works both in the state of Wisconsin and in the Midwest. Some of those works include Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Howard Boatwright’s Canticle of the Sun, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Hodie, and Gerald Finzi’s Intimations of Immortality.

 

Choral Union began in 1881 under the name Milton Choral Union and gave its first performance under Professor N.W. Williams of the Milton College School of Music. The concert consisted of standard choral repertoire and was performed on the Milton College campus. One of the performances during the early years featured the Franz Joseph Haydn Creation conducted by Dr. J. M. Stillman of the Milton College School of Music in 1903.

 

In 1911, Professor A.E. Whitford formed a group of singers that contained both Milton College students and community members. They performed a Christmas cantata by Dudley Buck, The Coming of the King. The performance was heralded by the Janesville Gazette as, “the most striking musical production ever given here by local talent.” 

 

In 1917, Professor Whitford was named the President of Milton College, and he passed the baton to Professor Leman H. Stringer, the Director of Choral Studies at Milton College. For a number of years the chorale performed a cycle of works consisting of Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Haydn’s Creation, and one other major concert piece. This was done so that the Milton College students would have the experience of singing these great choral masterpieces during their college years. Over the next thirty years, Professor Stringer’s Choral Union experienced growth in its size, confidence, musical ability, and reputation.

 

In 1936, a young student named Bernhardt Westlund began playing with the orchestra. One year later, Mr. Westlund was the orchestra leader, and in 1946 he became the next director of the Choral Union. Under his leadership, Choral Union grew in stature, and in 1953 the organization gave the first Midwest performance of JS Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. Dr. Westlund, who became a Choral Professor and the Chairman of the Music Department of Milton College, directed Choral Union for 30 years until he announced his retirement in 1976. His final concert was a performance of Handel’s Messiah, which featured four of his former students who had become professional singers: Christine Flasch,  Gene Hill,  Herman Reichold, and James Schuppener. At that time Dr. Westlund commented, “For the singers, the enjoyment is in rehearsing and learning the meaning of the music beyond the notes on the page. The performance is their joyful gift to the audience.”

    

In 1977, Mr. Thomas Sanborn, Professor of Piano at Milton College, and a graduate of the Music Department of Milton College, became the new director of Choral Union. Mr. Sanborn had a long history with the organization, having been a pianist for twenty years and a student of Dr. Westlund’s prior to being on staff at the college. He conducted challenging works such as JS Bach’s B Minor Mass, Honegger’s King David, Verdi’s Requiem, and the world premiere of Crawford Gates' Symphony Number 5 Perelandra in a joint venture with the Beloit Masterworks Chorus.  During his tenure, Milton College closed, and in 1982 the name of the choir was changed to Janesville Choral Union.

    

In 1993, Mr. Richard Severing, also a Milton College Music Department graduate, took the reins as music director following Sanborn’s untimely death. Mr. Severing brought a wealth of knowledge and extensive experience in orchestral and choral conducting having founded The Northern Wisconsin Baroque Music Festival (later The Northern Wisconsin Summer Music Festival) with Thomas Sanborn, The Lake Mills Civic Chorus, and The Southern Lakes Masterpiece Chorale, as well as conducting The Beaver Dam Oratorio Society.  Mr. Severing brought a fresh, young perspective to the group, as well as adding new repertoire such as Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, John Rutter’s Mass of the Children, and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria.  His fresh perspective aligned well with the philosophy of Westlund. When asked about his philosophy, Mr. Severing stated, “I believe in music as a force that brings people together.  I also think it’s important that communities are brought together. I believe both things must happen to have the same goal.” 

 

In 2014, Mrs. Marie Severing, Richard’s wife, started to assist with the choir rehearsals teaching vocal technique and language diction. Like many of her predecessors, Mrs. Severing was a graduate of the Milton College School of Music where she studied under Miss Susan Blumer. As a master of oratorio concert repertoire, Mrs.Severing brought a wealth of knowledge and technique to the organization.

 

In the fall of 2016, Mrs. Severing officially joined the staff of Choral Union as Associate Conductor, and Mr. Severing’s title was changed to that of Artistic Director and Conductor.  Since then, both conductors have worked collaboratively to select music literature, hire personnel, and plan and conduct the rehearsals and performances. Together, Richard and Marie Severing continue the tradition of creating a strong bond of mutual respect and collaboration between themselves and the members of Choral Union. This bond encourages the members of the chorus to return year after year to study the greatest choral music ever written and to then share that music with the community. Under their leadership, Janesville Choral Union looks forward to the future!