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Betty Soderberg is on the left and Julianne Holmes, band director, is on the right.
Betty Soderberg is on the left and Julianne Holmes, band director, is on the right.
By Vicki Browne
Dressed in black slacks, crisp white blouses and sparkly red scarves, the ladies of the Crystal Falls Musicale chorus raised the holiday spirits of spectators who packed the pews of Christ United Methodist Church on Saturday, Dec. 9.
This was the 67th Christmas Scholarship Tea hosted by the Musicale, which has been in existence since 1930 and is one of the oldest service organizations in Crystal Falls, according to Sharon Nichols, president of the Musicale.
“Our mission is to promote enjoyment and appreciation of good music in the community,” said Marsha Wainio, who directs the choir and organizes the scholarship tea event.
The Musicale delivered on their mission with pitch-perfect, holiday choral pieces to open and close the program. Students in the Forest Park Bands filled the middle with festive Christmas standards.
Brent Martin and Kevin Martin lead off with “Up on the Housetop” on trumpet and trombone. Saima Santi followed with “We Three Kings” on trombone. Tianna Stebbins performed two favorites on flute, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and “Silent Night.” Kei Harper, Kaleigh King and Saima Santi performed “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” on flutes and trombone. Izzy Martin got everyone’s toes tapping with “Jingle Bell Rock” on clarinet. Ella Gasperich wowed the crowd with her own arrangement of “Hallelujah” on piano. Kei Harper returned to play an old favorite, “Frosty the Snowman.” And Hannah Ruppert finished the student performances with an incredible “Angels Medley” on saxophone.
Rupert commented that the concert went really well. “I’m very glad that I could play for everyone and make them happy for the holidays,” she said.
Another star of the show was Betty Soderberg, who accompanies all the student musicians on piano as they prepare and perform. Soderberg, who directed the choir at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Iron Mountain for 63 years and worked with countless solo and ensemble groups during her teaching career, continues to nurture young musicians at Forest Park.
Soderberg also accompanied the Musicale chorus because the group’s usual accompanist was ill. With only two opportunities to practice with the group, she supported the choir.
“I love it! It’s been my life,” Soderberg said. “It’s what I do.”
The event concluded with refreshments in the church’s fellowship area. Dozens of plates of assorted holiday cookies had been purchased at the bake sale that preceded the concert, but more were available with coffee and tea afterward. Trays of tasty treats just kept appearing as if a bit of holiday magic were happening somewhere just out of sight. Members of the Musicale bake as skillfully as they sing.
The Christmas Scholarship Tea is the group’s only fundraiser. Proceeds from the bake sale and tickets are used to send talented Forest Park students to Iron County Band Camp and provide a scholarship for a graduating senior who is pursuing a major or minor in music. In past years, extra funds have been used to purchase small instruments for the elementary music program and provide a partial scholarship for a student to attend Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.