Iuventus Chorale lifts voice in song

Youth-run choir is unique group

By SARA SYVERSON

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- This evening the voices of 30 area high school singers will be lifted in song, at a concert presented by Southcentral Minnesota's Iuventus Chorale, a unique group directed by New Ulm High School junior Matthew Olson.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm and is free to the public.

Olson came up with the idea to form his group in the fall of 1999.

He sent out letters of his intention to approximately 16 area high schools. He attracted students from New Ulm, Madelia, Nicollet and Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop.

He named the choir Iuventus, which is Latin for youth.

"Basically I wanted to provide a choir for high school age singers who were serious about singing," said Olson.

"The fact that it's youth-led and youth-comprised makes people interested and curious about the group. The group is very unique because it's all youth."

Olson began playing the piano when was six. In junior high, he became involved in choir and musical productions. He continued being a member of the choir in high school, has attended a summer music camp at St. Olaf and participated in the Minnesota All-State Choir.

Olson began rehearsals for the concert last October. He led the group in practices for several hours almost every Sunday night.

"I think the neatest thing about this choir is that people are there because they want to be there," said Olson. "The people in the choir want to perform well, and they strive to do well. They enjoy singing."

The concert will get underway with an organ prelude given by student organist Charles Ganske, who is also a junior at New Ulm High School.

Ganske will perform pieces by Fischer and Bach.

Ganske serves as organist at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and First Lutheran Church in Winthrop. He began his study of piano when he was in second grade, and three years later he began organ lessons.

Ganske has sung in choirs in junior and senior high school and he will also be singing as a member of the choir at this concert.

Adults and teachers have been very supportive of the youth choir and their effort to put on a concert, Ganske said.

"It's all students and no adults," said Judy Ganske, Charles Ganske's mother. "They love to sing so much. I think it will be good for the town to see the students do this thing on their own, and hopefully they'll inspire other kids to be creative."

The youth choir will sing mostly classical choral pieces, as well as premiering Olson's first choral composition, called "Love Shall Not Fail."

Olson said the experience has taught him how to write a grant proposal to obtain funding, organize advertising and choose the music the group would sing. He has also improved his conducting skills and learned how to make the choir rehearsals run efficiently.

Olson has learned from a guest clinic by Sigrid Johnson, a choir conductor from St. Olaf, on Jan. 21.

Johnson conducts the St. Olaf's Manitous Singers.

Olson and Ganske sent out approximately 250 postcard invitations to people they thought would be interested in attending the event and expect a good turnout.

Funding for the choral concert was provided through Sprint/Sprint PCS and the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, Waseca.