Press Releases 2007

SOUNDS OF THE SEASON

Photos by BRENDA G. ANDERSON

Correspondent Baldwin Register - December 14, 2007

Melinda Price, winner of the 2007 Eastern Shore Choral Society's Edna Traccarella Scholarship Competition, received a standing ovation for her performance of "Gesu Bambino" at the Choral Society's 16th annual Christmas concert held at St Francis Traditional Episcopal Church in Point Clear. Price is a senior at Spanish Fort High School.

Terry Maddox puts his heart and soul into directing the Choral Society. Maddox is minister of music and fine arts for Government Street Presbyterian Church in Mobile, music director of Touro Synagogue of New Orleans and an adjunct professor at Spring Hill College in Mobile.

A portion of the Eastern Shore Choral Society's tenor section performs during the holiday concert. The tenor section, made up of Stephanie Crowe, Cindy Webster, Chris Benoir, Ron Howell, Glen Jenkins, Ron Stevens, Carl Thomas and Chris Winston, sang before a full house at St. Francis.

Music's been a life long 'natural fit' for Massachusetts native

By BRENDA G. ANDERSON
Correspondent Baldwin Register - October , 2007

Get to Know Paul Anderson
Birthplace: Chelsea, Mass.
Hometown: Elberta
Family: Wife, Ellie; children, Christopher and Robin
Occupation: Organist/choir master
Activities: Accompanist, teaching music

Paul Anderson's mother decided more than 60 years ago that her 7-year-old son should take piano lessons. Little did she know that music would become her son's life and career. "It was a natural fit. Playing the piano was easy for me," he said.

One of Anderson's first jobs in church music was at the tender age of 16. "When I was 15, I played a church organ and was hooked. When a small church of 150 members needed a church organist and director, I took the position. I learned a lot right on the spot," he said.

Anderson said his strong point is his love of working with people. "I like people, so it's not hard to lead," he added.

After singing and conducting a church choir and singing in the Summerville High School chorus in Massachusetts, choosing a college major was easy.

"I started out in a church music major at Boston University, which was only four miles from my house," he said.

At Boston University, a young lady by the name of Ellie had transferred from a girls' school in New Hampshire. Her major was church music and she met Paul Anderson. "We were friends from the start. Once, I hitchhiked 60 miles just to see her for only two hours, then I had to hitchhike back in the night. It was all on country roads. Upon my return, I told one of my friends that this relationship must be serious," he said, laughing. "We've been married 46 years.

During the last part of his college career, Anderson decided he wanted to teach music. "I graduated in 1963 with a bachelor of arts in music. My first teaching job was in Montpelier, Vt., teaching music in fifth through eighth grades. I also taught high school choral music," he said.

Anderson spent 20 years teaching in public, private and parochial schools while also working in church music.

Different jobs took Anderson to Massachusetts, New York, Iowa and Indiana. "Ten years ago, I saw the light and moved to Alabama. My son, Chris, had moved to the Gulf Coast area to pursue his music career. He loved the area and stayed. However, he's now back in Boston," said Anderson. "Robin is a cashier at the Elberta Grocery."

In 2002, Anderson was asked to help at a program at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Daphne. "I had just cut two of my fingers in an accident and showed up to play the piano with two fingers tightly bandaged," he said.

Anderson eventually became the church's organist and choir master. "I love working with people who love to sing. At St. Paul's, I direct the adult parish choir, work with a children's choir at vacation Bible school each summer and lead the hand bell choir," he said.

One of Anderson's church choir members was a member of the Eastern Shore Choral Society and Anderson soon was recruited to accompany the group. "This is the second year to work with the choral society. Right now, we're getting ready for the Christmas program," he said.

Additionally, Anderson is teaching a music program for Eastern Shore Institute for Lifelong Learning. "There are seven students, and we're having a great time," he said.

MUSIC LOVER FINDS HARMONY IN FAIRHOPE

By BRENDA G. ANDERSON

Correspondent Baldwin Register - October 24, 2007

Get to Know Stephanie Crowe
Birthplace: Baltimore
Hometown: Fairhope
Family: Husband, Dale; Children, Blake, Todd, Ali
Occupation: Retired social worker
Activities: Travel, entertaining, singing, piano

As Stephanie Crowe sat at a table outside a local bookstore on a crisp October day, she reflected over her life as a social worker and her life now as president of the Eastern Shore Choral Society.

The avid lover of music started playing the piano at age 6 and continued until high school.

"My German mother made me practice every day, even though she couldn't play the piano. My teacher lived across a bayou in Fort Walton Beach where I grew up. I often rowed our little boat across the bayou to take lessons," she said.

Asked if she learned any German from her mother, Crowe replied that none was spoken in her home.

"My mother was a first generation German-American. My maternal grandfather came to Baltimore as a baker after serving as a cook for the Kaiser in World War I. He didn't want any German Spoken in his house for fear of reprisal," she said.

"But, my paternal grandfather served in the War Between the States. I still have his discharge papers. He was only 15 when he joined the Indiana Volunteers. He married my grandmother when he was in his 50s and died when my father was 17 years old. He started the march with Sherman throughout the South but was sent home because of his youth," she said.

With an interest in history, biology and music, Crowe graduated from Choctawhatchee High School in 1961 with the goal of becoming a doctor.

"I wanted to become a missionary doctor but that didn't come about," she said. "I majored in biology at Howard College in Birmingham - it's now Samford University - and applied for medical school," she said.

"As I look back over those years, I probably should have majored in music," she said. "I graduated in 1965 with a degree in biology and English, went to seminary for a semester then taught high school biology in a rural area near Lexington, Ky. That was interesting," she said, smiling.

After a move to Decatur, Ala., Crowe began working as a social worker for Morgan County Department of Human Resources.

"I worked as a social worker for five years, finished my master's degree at the University of Alabama, then became a supervisor. When I first started out, I had a case load of 100 families which involved financial aid, linking up families with other services and foster care adoptions. Later, the department became a strictly protective service which means keeping children safe against abuse and neglect," she said.

After 25 years, Crowe retired from social work and moved to Fairhope in 2004.

"I saw the flowers in Fairhope and was hooked," she said.

Crowe loves Fairhope but also loves to travel, especially to see her military sons. Blake is an F-16 pilot stationed in Korea and Todd is a military liaison with the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.

"We haven't made it to Alaska yet, where our daughter lives," she said.

Since moving to Fairhope, Crowe has returned to piano lessons, joined the choir and handbell players at Government Street Presbyterian Church and has gotten involved in the Eastern Shore Choral Society.

I love the challenging music we sing - most of it is sung in Italian and Latin with some secular music thrown in. It's really fabulous," she said. "Singing is good for you; it makes you feel good."

Stephanie Crowe, president of the Eastern Shore Choral Society, and member Jim Strawn look over sheet music for the upcoming 16th season for the organization.

CHORAL SOCIETY TURNS 16 THIS YEAR

Kick off social and registration session set for Monday

By BRENDA G. ANDERSON

Correspondent Baldwin Register - August 26, 2007

The Eastern Shore Choral Society turns 16 this year, and everyone is invited to the party.

Members recently received their marching orders from Mary A. Loury, patron committee chairwoman and vice-president, and the goal is a "16th season of beautiful music."

This group of individuals, who have a passion for singing, will start their season off with a potluck social at First Baptist Church of Fairhope at 6:30 p.m. Monday, according to Stephanie Crowe, president for the 2007-2008 season.

"People who are interested in joining the choral society are invited to this potluck social; we're always looking for additional singers," Crowe said.

After the potluck dinner, registration and singing will be the order of the evening. Each Monday at 7:30 p.m., rehearsals are held at First Baptist Church with a $35 registration fee per semester. The first full rehearsal is Sept. 10.

Crowe, a former social worker, joined the choral society four years ago when she moved to Fairhope from Elizabethtown, Ky.

"A friend of mine, Cindy Webster, invited me to join. Cindy and I are the only two women in the tenor section," Crowe said.

This year, concerts are scheduled for Dec. 4 and 6 at St. Francis Traditional Episcopal Church in Point Clear. On Dec. 17, the community-wide "Messiah Sing-Along" will be held at Fairhope United Methodist Church.

The choral society was started by the late Edna Traccarella when she and her husband retired to Fairhope from Washington, D.C. According to the group's brochure, Traccarella found many artistic outlets but no sufficient opportunities to sing. In 1992, she founded the Eastern Shore Choral Society.

The group prides itself on providing for public entertainment high-quality vocal music consisting of both classical and modern arrangements. Not only does the group perform sacred classical masterworks, it involves young people in this endeavor.

"Sacred Classical music is really a lost art, and unless we continue to perform this music and try to enlist young people to participate, it will be a lost art. We contact school choral programs to involve students," Crowe said.

Some of the music they have done in the past includes Joseph Hayden's "The Creation," Johann Pachelbel's "Magnificat in G," Benjamin Britton's "Ceremony of Carols," Gabriel Faure's "Requiem" and Handel's "Messiah," Crowe said.

"The choir also sings secular music. Each concert features a masterwork and secular selections," she said.

Jim Strawn, a choral member for 12 years, said the society offers a variety of music that appeals to everyone. Strawn enjoys singing so much that he drives weekly from Lillian, a 33-mile trip one way, for the rehearsals.

Additionally, the choral society offers an annual scholarship for a freshman, sophomore or junior from county high schools.

The winner participates in the choral society's fall season and performs during the Christmas concert. The 2006 scholarship winner was Melinda Price of Spanish Fort High School. Second place was awarded to Kristin Percy of Daphne High School and honorable mentions were Christopher Winston and Mallory Searcy.

Under the direction of Terry Maddox, with accompanist Paul Anderson, the choral society has performed on the Italian Concert Tour in 2005, gave a Carnegie Hall Performance in 2007 and plans a Central European Concert Tour in 2008

For more information on the Eastern Shore Choral Society, contact Stephanie Crowe at 929-2896
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Get to Know - Jim Strawn
Birthplace: Cincinnati
Hometown: Lillian
Family: Wife, Arlene; children, Michael, Bill, David and Camille
Occupation: Retired from AT&T
Activities: Politics, traveling, singing

By BRENDA G. ANDERSON
Correspondent Baldwin Register - August 23, 2007

Jim Strawn, 73, has spent the better part of his life singing just for the pleasure of it. For the past 12 years, Strawn has been a member of the Eastern Shore Choral Society and enjoyed every minute of it.

Strawn began organized singing at Chicago's Layden Community High School, however, from which he graduated in 1952. "For four years, I was a member of the cappella choir. That choir is what got me into classical music," he said.

After high school, Strawn began working for Western Electric (now AT&T) and also joined the Illinois Bell Telephone Chorus. "We did some nice things like sing on an NBC network special. We also had Spring concerts at the Orchestra Hall in Chicago, sang at the Chicago Flower Garden Show for several years and sang concerts at other locations. I sang with them for 15 years," he said.

To escape the hustle and bustle of Chicago, Strawn and his family moved to the western suburbs. Strawn got into politics and out of music. During this time, he served his country from 1956-1958. "I was drafted in the Army and spent most of my time in Germany. I tried out for the 3^rd Armored Division Soldiers Chorus and made it. That group sang all over Germany and also won first place in an Army world-wide contest," he said.

"I remember one of the concerts where the stage that was built for us collapsed during our concert. No one was hurt; we crawled out and kept on with the concert, but the rest of the time, we were standing on the ground," said Strawn.

During his military career, he married Arlene in 1957. "Arlene and I met in a church choir. She came to Fort Benning, Ga., where we got married. She was able to spend some time with me in Germany," he said.

Strawn has great memories of his full-time military career in the Army chorus. "This 40 all-male choir was given great receptions. At one opera hall, the place was packed. Afterward, the choir members were mobbed by teenaged girls wanting our autographs, he said. "I have a very thick scrapbook about those years in Germany."

After the military, Strawn returned to Illinois, AT&T, his family and to the Illinois Bell Telephone Chorus. He didn't use his baritone voice for 22 years because of his involvement with politics.

"We lived in Hanover Park, a community of 28,000 people. I was elected to three terms - 12 years - as trustee, which is like an alderman. I also served as deputy president, or mayor, for six months," he said. Strawn served on numerous committees and legislative conferences and later moved to Roselle, Ill., where he continued his political career. "I love politics; it gets in your blood.

In 1993, Strawn retired and moved to Lillian where he had bought property and built a home several years before his retirement. He continued his civic involvement with the home owners association and the Baldwin County Planning and Zoning Commission. He also joined the Eastern Shore Choral Society, where he has served on the board of directors.

Strawn and his wife have enjoyed their retirement years by taking cruises on the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean and traveling throughout the United States. They attend St. Anne's Catholic Church in Belleview, Fla., where Strawn sings in the choir.

The Eastern Shore Choral Society's new board includes

(left to right) Becky Rasmussen, Cindy Webster, Tom Bolden,

Stephanie Crowe, Jim Strawn, Mary Loury, Bernie Hutchinson,

Bibba Kendley and Jane Blaum

CHORAL SOCIETY TO BEGIN NEW SEASON

Submitted by Ceil Striplin Baldwin Register - August 3, 2007

The Eastern Shore Choral Society will begin its new season of rehearsals and performances with a potluck social at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 27 at the First Baptist Church on South Section Street in Fairhope. Anyone who loves to sing is invited to come to the potluck social and learn more about the choral society. Following dinner, there will be registration and singing.

The choral society rehearses on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church on South Section Street. There is a registration fee of $35 per semester. The first full rehearsal is Sept. 10.

The Eastern Shore Choral Society's Christmas concerts are scheduled for Dec. 4 and 6 at St. Francis Traditional Episcopal Church in Point Clear. The concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m., and tickets will be available at the door for $12.

The choral group's community-wide "Messiah Sing-Along" will be at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17 at the Fairhope United Methodist Church on South Section Street. Donations will benefit the ESCS's student vocal scholarships.