Grand Rpaids Area Male Chorus
Join the Grand Rapids Area Male Chorus
All area men who enjoy singing, good camaraderie, and serving others through music are cordially invited to join the GRAMC. Organized
over 60 years ago, the non-audition chorus performs for community events, retirement homes, churches, and fundraisers.
The fall season begins in September and goes through the first week of December. Our Christmas Concert date has yet to be determined.
Rehearsals are Mondays beginning September 9 and go through December 4. Rehearsals are 6:30-8:30 pm in the Grand Rapids High School Choir
Room
Fee: Free to new members
For more information please go to www.gramalechorus.org or call Harry Smith (218-256-1046) or Pat Whitney (218-244-4922)
Practice: Mondays, 6:30 PM. Grand Rapids High School music room.
Summer season: no practice. Special performances.
Questions?? call 218-245-1046 or 218-328-5572
Performances
We perform in concert regularly. There are two major concerts per season; an annual Christmas concert and an annual spring concert. The choir also performs several times a year in a variety of community settings. The next dates are just around the corner.
A Brief GRAMC Biography
The Grand Rapids Area Male Chorus was organized in 1956 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota under the name, Betty’s Boys. The first director was Betty Kauppi. The group name was soon changed to The Arion Male Chorus, named after the Greek god of poetry and music. In 1966, with the sponsorship of the Blandin Paper Company, the group became known as the Blandin Arion Male Chorus, which was later shortened to The Blandin Male Chorus. This financial support continued for nearly forty years. Due to changes in UPM/Blandin’s donation policies, however, their support for our organization was discontinued and in 2009 the chorus changed its name to the Grand Rapids Area Male Chorus (GRAMC).
GRAMC is non-audition and welcomes men of every age and singing ability. The chorus sings a wide variety of music throughout the year including show tunes, folk songs, classical, spirituals, sacred and humorous selections. Our membership averages 34 and ranges in age from 15 to 83, with some of our members having been in the chorus for over 50 years. The chorus is committed to performing men’s choral music for the enjoyment and benefit of our members and our audience and to encourage a lifetime of singing among men of all ages and backgrounds.
GRAMC has served as an integral component of the local cultural community since its inception. Members practice weekly, September through April, under the direction of Eileen Grosland with accompanist Bonnie Kangas. There are 3 scheduled events every year: a Christmas Concert, our Spring Concert and the Big Sing. We are also a service organization and share our love of music in performances throughout northern Minnesota at numerous fundraisers, scholarship drives, church services, community events and senior living homes.
In 1994 the chorus was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, and in 2016, was a recipient of the Blandin Legacy and Leadership Award. GRAMC is a 501[c] organization.
New members are always welcome and encouraged to experience singing in a male chorus. Practices are Mondays from 6:30pm to 8:30 pm in the Grand Rapids High School Choir Room. For more information, go to gramalechorus.org.
Accompanist, Bonnie Kangas. Bonnie began accompanying choirs while in junior high school, starting with her own junior high school choir and a special cantata directed by GRAMC’s organizer, Betty Kauppi. She is a much sought after accompanist and over the years has played for up to five different school districts and many area churches. Bonnie currently accompanies the Greenway School District choirs and bands.
Musical Director,
The Grand Rapids Area Male Chorus is proud to introduce our new director, Linda Benge
Linda has been involved in education nearly her entire adult life. She is a graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she did graduate work in theater at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Linda taught theater and choir at the middle and high school levels in Truman and Apple Valley, Minnesota. Linda also taught in Grantsburg, Wisconsin where she taught middle/high school students. In addition to teaching, Linda also directed a community choir and was her church’s choir director and organist in Grantsburg. After 21 years of teaching in Grantsburg Linda retired.
Linda moved to Grand Rapids in 2020. She quickly became an active, contributing community member, especially choir. She was first introduced to the Grand Rapids Area Male Choir in September of 2023.
Welcome, Linda. We look forward to working, playing, and performing with you for the Grand Rapids area community.
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