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Published by the American Union of Swedish Singers In its 121st year of Performing Svenska Sånger in America
Volume CXXI October, 2013 No. 8
The Nordic Harmoni chorus in Vermont decided to be part of
the Londonderry Fourth of July Parade. It was so much fun to
step lively and walk the half mile parade route. With our ban-
ner leading, we formed an irregular marching line and sang Vi
gå över daggstänka berg a couple of dozen times! The wind
gusts made for a tough banner carry, and next year we will be
sure not to follow the antique car participants. It was exhaust-
ing!
Vin and Carol Johnson celebrated their 65th wedding anni-
versary at our annual picnic on September 6. It was held at the
Kuhlberg's beautiful backyard here in Londonderry.
Vin has been with the AUSS since the mid 1950s and his
financial stewardship of Divisional and National conventions
won him the AUSS Gold Medal award in 1994. Carol was in
the Apollo Auxiliary until the creation of the Eastern Division
Ladies Chorus in 1983. Her fine voice has been part of the
AUSS ever since and helped start the Nordic Harmoni Chorus.
We are so lucky to have such dedicated and talented singers
and doers with us!
Besides all our fun social events, we also put on excellent
concerts. On Sunday afternoon, September 8, we performed at
the Equinox Village Retirement Home. Their director is part
Svensk and a social member of Nordic Harmoni, so it was an
easy invite. The music committee selected the right mixture of
English and Swedish songs, standards and spirituals. Director
Ken Olsson is especially fond of spirituals and, on our fine
keyboard, he really gets into the right spirit.
After a couple more fall concerts, we will move to our Jul
programs, concentrating on Sankta Lucia performances. Our
schedule is to sing into the Jul season, take the winter off, and
restart in May. It works for us here in Vermont. It is so much
easier to get good attendance on a warm Tuesday when you
come and go in daylight.
- Carl-Erik Westberg, Nordic Harmoni
Nordic Harmoni’s Summer Events
Top and bottom: Members of Nordic Harmoni march in the London-derry Fourth of July Parade.
Center: Ken Olsson (front), directs the chorus at Equinox Village Retirement Home.
Bottom left: Vin and Carol Johnson (seated) celebrate their 65th wed-ding anniversary at Nordic Harmoni’s annual picnic.
October 2013 MUSIKTIDNING page 2 of 8
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE
AMERICAN UNION OF SWEDISH SINGERS (Organized November 24, 1892)
A Musical Journal in English and Swedish
"To teach, cultivate and promote Chorus singing, principally Swedish."
ELLEN SVENGALIS, Editor 204 Wyassup Road
No. Stonington, CT 06359
Tel: (860) 535-0362 Fax: (860) 535-0378 E-mail: [email protected]
CHARLES UPCRAFT Business Manager
4525 Parkside Lane Edina MN 55436
Phone: (952) 928-8173 E-Mail: [email protected]
JAMES R. MAURICE Subscriptions
445 E. North Water St. E2203 Chicago, IL 60611-5542
Tel: (312) 670-9570 Winter (Jan-Apr) tel: (727) 729-6269
E-mail (all yr.): [email protected]
OFFICERS OF AUSS 2012-2016 President: Alana Mapes
25500 NW Svea Dr. Hillsboro, OR 97124
Phone: (503) 647-5486 E-mail: [email protected]
Vice President: Christine Johnson
700 S. Main Street Ste 119-133 Lapeer, MI 48446-3077 Phone: (313) 506-5458
E-mail: [email protected]
Secretary: Kelly Otto P.O. Box 20835
Portland, OR 97294 Phone: (503) 318-7929
E-mail: [email protected]
Financial Secretary: James R. Maurice 445 E. North Water St. E2203
Chicago, IL 60611-5542 Phone: (312) 670-9570
Winter (Jan-Apr): 670 Island Way #904 Clearwater, FL 33767
FL phone: (727) 729-6269 E-mail (all yr.): [email protected]
Treasurer: Charles Upcraft
4525 Parkside Lane Edina MN 55436
Phone: (952) 928-8173 E-Mail: [email protected]
Librarian: Robert Voedisch
722 N. Haddow St. Arlington, IL 60004
Phone: (842)255-7253 E-mail: [email protected]
Director-in-Chief: Sherry Dreyfuss
11665 Gleneagles Lane Belvidere, IL 61008
Phone: (815) 885-1424 Fax: 815-885-2250
E-mail: [email protected]
Asst. Director-in-chief: Ken Olsson P.O. Box 445
Jamaica, VT 05343 Phone: 802-874-4366
E-mail: [email protected]
Asst. Director-in-chief: Vance Sele 314 NW Treglown Ct. Hillsboro OR 97124
Phone: (503) 866-9692 E-mail: [email protected]
DIVISION PRESIDENTS (2010-2014)
Eastern: Ellen Svengalis 204 Wyassup Rd.
No. Stonington, CT 06359 Phone: (860) 535-0362
E-mail: [email protected]
Central: David Winter 3550 N. Lake Shore #1004
Chicago, IL 60657 Phone: (773) 549-1678
E-mail: [email protected]
Western: Karen Jones 2521 S. W. Bertha Boulevard
Portland, OR 97201 Phone: (503) 244-1469
E-mail: [email protected]
OTHER OFFICES Website Coordinator:
Ellen Svengalis 204 Wyassup Rd.
No. Stonington, CT 06359 Phone: (860) 535-0362
E-mail: [email protected]
Chorus Recruitment Chairman: Carl-Erik Westberg
P. O. Box 178 Londonderry, VT 05148 Phone: (802) 824-6578 Fax: (802) 824-3358
E-mail: [email protected]
Membership Directory Coordinator: Kelly Otto
P.O. Box 20835 Portland, OR 97294
Phone: (503) 318-7929 E-mail: [email protected]
HONORARY PRESIDENTS, AUSS
Donald Lamont Carl-Erik Westberg
Jody Jones Joseph P. O’Leary
HON. DIRECTORS-IN-CHIEF
Robert Read Arthur W. Elander
Ernest Gunn Jeffrey DeLay
MUSIKTIDNING SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Please send material to the Musiktidning Editor. If possible, please
send both stories and photos via E-mail ([email protected])
Material for the November issue is due Nov. 8.
President’s Message Alana Mapes, AUSS President, [email protected]
Continued on page 5
When I was elected AUSS President in 2008, our dear friend
from Sweden, Per-Olof Lund, told me that the Nordic Sånger-
förbund had voted to include the AUSS, and had approved me
as an official board member representing our organization. I
have not traveled to the meetings in Finland, Iceland, etc., but
I have sent an AUSS President’s Report to the board meet-
ings. This spring Per-Olof contacted me asking about the
possibility of forming a North American Branch of the Nordic
Sångerförbund in the US.
There was a Pacific Coast Norwegian Singers Association
Sangerfest in Tacoma, WA, June 27 through the 29. I did
have other plans for that weekend, but Tacoma is a short three
and a half hour drive up I-5, and I felt
it was important to be there, so my
weekend plans changed. Marshall
and I attended the 104th Sangerfest
concert held at Pacific Lutheran Uni-
versity’s Lagerquist Hall Saturday
evening. There were 135 singers on
stage. They sang eight English
songs, six Norwegian songs, and a
couple Swedish ones. A brass quintet
played a set, and accompanied some
of the mass numbers.
Just like our conventions, there was an afterglow with food
and lots of music around a piano to end Friday’s event.
Saturday, I met with the President of the Pacific Coast Nor-
wegian Singers Association (PCNSA) and the President and
Past President of the Norwegian Singers Association of Amer-
ica, (NSAA) and Per-Olof. We shared about each of our or-
ganizations so we could learn more about them. They were
impressed that there was a National AUSS, and three divi-
sions, and a Cultural Heritage Foundation. The PCNSA and
NSAA are two totally separate organizations. They cover
membership choruses in the Pacific Coast, and the Central
states respectively. There is no Norwegian Association for
the eastern states. They also took note that we had an online
National Newspaper, a web site, and a Facebook account.
All representatives at the meeting agreed that forming a
North American Branch of the Nordic Sångerförbund was a
good idea. We all voiced that joining would need to be
brought before our executive boards, and discussed and voted
on at a Delegates’ Meeting. Several questions were
raised. My number one question was that the AUSS has
women, whereas the Sångerförbund by-laws say that the
Grand Concerts are for male singers. Per-Olof said they had
addressed this issue in Europe, and that many choruses are
mixed…but only the men sing in the Sångerfests. I told him I
October 2013 MUSIKTIDNING page 3 of 8
Nine of Portland’s fourteen newest members are: Seated: Naomi and Phillip Beymer, and Karli Anderson. Back Row: Anna Svensson, H`ele’n Mock, Christina Lombardi, Anio Bakos, Katariina Lehtonen, and Eli Schwarz. Not pictured: Edda Sigurdar, Kaleb Bacchetti, Jennie
kjei, Eva Feldman, Annica Widlund. Photos: Jerry Jones
Above: Eli Schwarz patiently assists the chorus as they attempt to sing his native
Danish. At right: Aino Bakos and
Katariina Lehtonen work on Finnish pronunciation.
Here in Portland, Oregon, we have
many new members. Three of them
came to help with language, and
stayed because they had fun and love
to sing. We are so lucky to have
them all.
The plan for our Christmas pro-
gram at Scanfair is to have the songs
from the different countries intro-
duced by a native speaker in that
language. We would like members
of the audience of that heritage to
stand and be recognized. The song’s
text will then be explained in Eng-
lish. We are also learning the na-
tional anthems of the countries. Our
director, Vance Sele, is arranging the
songs into SATB for us.
We have found this challenging,
but fun. We don’t put language to
the song until the melodies are fairly familiar. We are read two words at a time by the native speak-
ers, and make many notes in our music. We laugh a lot. For instance, if we do not get the correct
pronunciation in Danish, we say the word “gold” for “God”…not interchangeable in a Christmas
song.
We are members of the American Union of Swedish Singers, and Swedish is 50% of our concert,
but now we are truly the “Scandinavian” Choruses of Portland.
- Alana Mapes, Scandia Ladies Chorus
Portland’s Newest Members
October 2013 MUSIKTIDNING page 4 of 8
On September 4th, singers of the
Swedish Glee Club—Waukegan and
spouses began the new season with a
Welcome Back Pizza Night dinner be-
fore rehearsal. A variety of pizzas were
catered by a local pizza restaurant. After
rehearsal, dessert of coffee cake and
kringle was provided by the singers’
wives group.
The Glee Club's Annual Meeting was
held at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, September
21st, at the American Legion Hall in
Lake Forest. We had 21 members in
attendance and, for the first time, it in-
cluded women. Officers and committee
chairs were elected or re-elected for the
upcoming year. One new singer, Allen
Layburn, was received into the member-
ship. The new officers are:
President - Gene Sanderlin
Vice President - Donna Fortney
Treasurer - Jim Maurice
Secretary - Mary Shepard
Trustee - Doug Shepard
Music Committee Chairman - Evert
Schmidt
Music Committee Chairwoman -
Nancy Borkman
The new board was introduced to the
membership and guests that Saturday
evening at the Annual Banquet held at
the Midlane Country Club. We were
seated in an upper level dining room
with a full view of the golf course.
Our upcoming main event is our annual
Julmiddag celebration, to be held at the
Chevy Chase Country Club in Wheeling,
Illinois on December 8 at 3:00 p.m. The
Waukegan mixed chorus will be joined
by the Chicago Swedish Male Chorus for
an evening of music and lots of food.
- Pat Minkler and Jim Maurice,
Swedish Glee Club—Waukegan
Waukegan’s Season Kick-Off
The annual election of officers for Waukegan produced the following (from left to right): Doug Shepard – Trustee, Jim Maurice – Treasurer, Nancy Borkman – Music Committee Chairwoman, Evert Schmidt – Music Committee Chairman, Gene Sanderlin – President,
Donna Fortney – Vice President, and Mary Shepard – Secretary.
The Swedish Women’s Chorus has
successfully hired a new director, Allan
Andrews. Mr. Andrews hails recently
from Dallas, Texas and has a broad range
of choral directing experience. He has
directed award winning college and
church choirs and taught at several
schools. Mr. Andrews is picking up
Swedish very quickly. We feel very
fortunate to have him as our new direc-
tor.
Mr. Andrews will also direct the SVEA
Male Chorus. With a little adjustment to
schedules, both choirs will have joint
singing time at each rehearsal. SVEA
will begin the evening with Mr. Andrews
and they will eventually be joined by the
SWC for a half hour rehearsal and then
the SWC will rehearse alone with Mr.
Andrews. Both choruses are looking
forward to a strong, choral singing sea-
son, both as separate choirs and jointly.
Our first performance of the season
will be at the Columbia Lutheran Home
on October 22. We have performed at
this retirement home for over 15 years.
The residents look forward to our visit
and invite friends and family to the per-
formance.
- Mary Hillman, Swedish Women’s Chorus
Seattle Choruses Have a New Director
Happy
Autumn! Allan Andrews
October 2013 MUSIKTIDNING page 5 of 8
President’s... Continued from page 2
didn’t think that would “fly” in the
AUSS. The Pacific Coast Norwegian
President, Jeff Highland was very inter-
ested in how we did our Grand Concerts,
with men’s numbers, women’s numbers
and mixed pieces. The President from
Minneapolis thought his men would not
like to have women in a Grand Con-
cert. Per-Olof agreed to be the General
On Saturday, October 5th, the ASI Male Chorus
held its annual October Frukost (breakfast). We
had the wonderful opportunity to hold the Frukost
in Larson Hall, the amazing space modeled after
the Stockholm City Hall's gallery where the No-
bel Prize Dinner is held. Larson Hall is the sec-
ond floor of the Nelson Cultural Center, the
Swedish Modern addition connected to the his-
toric mansion at the American Swedish Institute.
We worked in a new kitchen with equipment we
had not used before. And we made it work. We
made it work because the ASI Chorus Auxiliary
came really prepared to cook and bake wonderful
Swedish breakfast food. It worked because cho-
rus leaders planned well and were really well
organized. Hard working, caring young people
helped bus dishes during the event. Chorus sing-
ers helped ensure that our guests always had their
coffee cups full.
At the smorgasbord table was Swedish sausage,
Swedish kringle, lingonberries, Swedish pan-
cakes, hardboiled eggs, and many other Swedish
breakfast dishes.
Our efforts were really supported by the ASI
staff.
We had a wonderful accordionist play Swedish
music from 8-11 in the morning, the length of the
breakfast.
The Chorus sang four sets of music. We sang
Vi gå över daggstänkta berg, En glad trall, Villa
vid denna källa, Climbin' Up the Mountain, and
Hälsa dem därhemma. We also sang Happy
Birthday in Swedish twice. We even had time to
visit with our guests, including friends and rela-
tives.
It was a pleasure holding our Frukost in this
beautiful new facility, the beginning of a new
chapter in the history of the ASI Male Chorus
Frukost.
- Richard Sandeen, ASI Male Chorus
October Frukost in Minneapolis
Above: Members of the ASI Male Chorus Auxiliary work in the new kitchen. Below: the ASI Male Chorus entertains the Frukost guests.
Bottom: Chorus members and helpers make sure guests always have coffee. Photos: Weldon Hultgren
Secretary (an office he holds in the Nor-
dic Sångerförbund) and work with the
North American committee so we would
have something to present at our next
conventions.
Saturday evening was a delicious ban-
quet, with awards, and dancing later
on. The Norwegians were very gracious
hosts, and we had a wonderful week-
end. I came away with a lot to think
about. Hopefully, the Portland Chorus
can travel to Washington and have a
joint concert, and show them that women
can be included in a Grand Concert, and
the male choruses can still maintain their
identity. I was very proud to represent
the AUSS and share about our out-
standing organization to this group of
Norwegians. We had a delightful week-
end, and made new friends. It was a
productive meeting, accompanied by
beautiful Scandinavian music. Thank
you PCNSA!
- Alana
October 2013 MUSIKTIDNING page 6 of 8
What Makes the AUSS Special?
The American Union of Swedish Sing-
ers is one of the oldest Swedish-
American organizations in North Amer-
ica, dating back to 1892 with ground-
work laid at the 1893 Columbian Exposi-
tion in Chicago. It is unique, in that
much of the AUSS history is preserved
and presently in safe keeping at the
Swenson Center, Augustana College,
Rock Island, Illinois.
We have a number of people to thank
for diligently collecting and preserving
this material, including Martin Ahlm,
Hans Bolling, Hubert Ramberg, Robert
Voedisch, Carl E. Carlson and Dan Carl-
son, among others. Donald Lamont and
Robert Voedisch were instrumental in
the design and construction of the pre-
sent Singers Gallery in the Rockford
Museum.
Minutes taken from organization meet-
ings in 1892 and years to follow came
into our hands through Otto Loven of
Bridgeport, Connecticut who served as
recording secretary in the 1930s. An-
other book of minutes was recovered, by
chance, in a wardrobe of the Svithiod
Singing Club, Chicago just before clos-
ing in 1980. This book contained min-
utes from conventions as recorded by
Joel Soderlund who devoted many years
of service to the organization as re-
cording secretary. Gustav Rickan, Gun-
nar Bloom and Martin Ahlm arranged for
the preserving and binding of all editions
of Musiktidning from 1906 through
1995. Gunnar Bloom accumulated pro-
gram books from most festivals and,
from this collection of material, it was
possible for Author Lilly Setterdahl, with
the cooperation of several AUSS mem-
bers, and financial support from John
Werner, to diligently research, translate,
and complete A Century of Song.
It may be of interest to review choruses
as recorded in A Century of Song begin-
ning with the earliest from each division.
We will start with the Eastern Division.
Note: Some choruses have changed
names and some have become Scandina-
vian when accepting singers from other
Nordic countries. Due to lack of minutes
or recorded documentation, the listings
may not be complete.
Bridgeport, Connecticut choruses -
past and present
We begin with Bridgeport, Connecticut
and the Swedish National Quartet that
joined the AUSS in 1896, but soon after
became inactive.
The Svea Sextette joined in 1899 and
sent four singers to the 1897 singing fes-
tival in New York. They disbanded
around 1901.
The Bridgeport Glee Club was organ-
ized in 1902 in the home of George
Svanberg with the first minutes written
on a paper bag. The group participated
in the New York singing festival in 1910
and apparently disbanded after that.
Norden joined the AUSS in 1905 and
participated in festivals through 1952.
Their home was the Norden Club at 4
Seabright Avenue, which still exists to-
day. Some members participated in the
A.U.S.S. History—Regions, Part 1
The North Star Singers in 1934.
The North Star Singers and Northern Lights Singers in 2012. Continued on page 7
October 2013 MUSIKTIDNING page 7 of 8
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AUSS concert tour in 1967.
The Swedish Baptist Chorus existed
from 1932 through 1949 and was a mem-
ber of the AUSS from 1944 though 1949.
Still in existence is the North Star
Singers. They were organized in 1933
by members of the North Star Lodge of
the Independent Order of Good Tem-
plars, and another group of Good Tem-
plars transferred to Bridgeport from the
Underwood Corporation in Rockford,
Illinois, with Esther Erickson as pianist,
who also became their first director.
North Star joined the AUSS in 1938 and
held rehearsals in the Bridgeport Ma-
chines Company, Salem Lutheran
Church and, currently, at the Scandina-
vian Club in Fairfield, 1351 South Pine
Creek Road. The North Star Singers
have participated in all national and divi-
sional festivals.
Of special note, they recorded a record
album at the invitation of RCA Victor
and Scandinavian Music House in 1939.
These recordings were often played on
Scandinavian radio programs. North
Star performed in the General Assembly
Hall of the United Nations in September,
1973 before an audience of more than
3,000. Then Secretary General, Kurt
Waldheim, gave them special thanks.
North Star, along with their auxiliary,
hosted two Eastern Division Conventions
(1952 and 1972) and one AUSS National
Convention (1978).
Also, still in existence, is the Northern
Lights Singers. This chorus was formed
in 1990 with twelve ladies, six of them
having sung with the Scandinavian
Women’s Chorus of Connecticut. The
Northern Lights also rehearses at the
Scandinavian Club in Fairfield. To-
gether with the North Star Singers, they
have performed at least twice a year at
the Club: a post-Christmas program
(“Tjugondedag Knut Fest”) and a Spring
Concert. Also, together with North Star,
they hosted the 2002 Eastern Division
Convention in Trumbull.
To be continued…
- Condensed by Don Ahlm from A Cen-
tury of Song by Lilly Setterdahl. Additional
history supplied by Ellen Svengalis.
Continued from page 6
AUSS History... ‘tis nearly the season… to wish your AUSS friends all the best with
Christmas Greetings in MusiktidningChristmas Greetings in MusiktidningChristmas Greetings in MusiktidningChristmas Greetings in Musiktidning We will send out a renewal notice to those who supported the Jul issue last year.
For first time greeters, please send a copy of your greeting, preferably digital or camera ready to:
or via regular mail to: Ellen Svengalis 204 Wyassup Road N. Stonington, CT 06359
We can do the layout and add Jul decorations, if you prefer.
Rates are as follows: 2.5"w x 2"h $30 5.0"w x 2"h $45 7.5"w x 4"h $80 7.5"w x 6"h $140 Full page $200
Make checks payable to Musiktidning Musiktidning Musiktidning Musiktidning and mail to address above.
Due date is December 1. Questions? Call (860) 535-0362
October 2013 MUSIKTIDNING page 8 of 8
Sveas Söner of Rockford, Illinois be-
gan its new season by singing a concert
at the P.A. Peterson Center in Rockford
on Sunday afternoon, September 8th.
This facility for seniors was founded by
the industrialist P.A. Peterson, an immi-
grant from Sweden, who was involved in
the start-up of many businesses in Rock-
ford.
The occasion was a program for resi-
dents and their special caregivers. Care-
givers are called Barnabas ministers.
They visit residents as often as possible
and have been trained in how to relate to
aging residents. The chorus sang a vari-
ety of songs in English and Swedish.
They ended the program with an audi-
ence sing-a-long. Everyone enjoyed
joining in on Children of the Heavenly
Father, How Great Thou Art and God
Bless America. The last selection was
The Angel Blessing with director Sherry
Dreyfuss as soloist. Linda Smith accom-
panied the singing.
Following the program all chorus
members and spouses were invited to a
cook-out at the center. Then, everyone
went to the home of Don and Alice
Anderson for dessert and fellowship.
- Mary Lofquist, Sveas Söner
Sveas Söner Sing for Seniors
Roger Eric Lindberg 73, a resident of
Oak Park, Illinois passed
away on August 21, 2013
after a brief illness. He was
a graduate of Oak Park River
Forest High School and
Culver Stockton College
where he received a Bache-
lor of Science in Speech
Correction and Elementary
Education. At Northern Illi-
nois University he com-
pleted the coursework for a
Master of Arts in Speech
Pathology and Audiology.
Roger worked as a Speech-Language
Pathologist for Oak Park Schools for 37
years.
Like his father before him, Roger was a
47-year active member of the Chicago
Swedish Glee Club. He participated in
many AUSS conventions and singing
festivals as well as the club’s Scandina-
vian Singing Tour in 1977. His last con-
cert was at the Swedish Days Festival in
ROGER LINDBERG
Geneva, Illinois on June 22nd. His fa-
ther, Eric E. Lindberg, also a lifelong
member of the glee club, sang in a con-
cert honoring the bicentennial only a few
days before his untimely death in 1976.
Roger’s mother, Betty Lindberg, was an
active member of the ladies auxiliary and
was well-known throughout the AUSS
community for her dedicated support.
Roger’s grandfather, Gustav A.
Lindberg was born in Sweden
and became the first park com-
missioner of Oak Park. He held
this position for 30 years and a
park in northwest Oak Park was
named for him.
Roger was also a 20-year
member of Oak Park Musical
Theater and shared his many
musical, acting and dancing
talents with several Chicago
suburban theater organizations.
He was an avid and accomplished pho-
tographer, traveled extensively, and was
virtually unbeatable in Trivial Pursuit.
A dedicated family man and father,
Roger is survived by his lovely wife
Susan, two children, a grandson, a sister,
and nieces and nephews.
We will greatly miss our wonderful
friend and brother singer.
- David Winter, CSGC
Waukegan chorus members are sad-
dened by the death of Fred Fortney, a
singer in the Swedish Glee Club—
Waukegan for over 45 years, who passed
away on August 29th, one day before his
80th birthday.
Fred graduated from St. Olaf College
with a Bachelor of Arts in English and
Latin and from the University of Wis-
consin at Madison with an Master of
Arts in Latin. He taught high school in
Wisconsin Dells,
Wisconsin and
Lake Forest,
Illinois before
becoming a pro-
bation officer for
Lake County,
Illinois.
Fred was very
involved with
community af-
fairs. He was on
the board of several Family Service
Agencies of Lake County.
Fred served in many offices for the
Glee Club, including: editor of the news-
letter for 19 years, music committee
chairman for 27 years and as histo-
rian. Fred was the rock that our club
stood on for so many years. He loved
the chorus and put everything he could
into it.
He was also a long-time correspondent
for Musiktidning. In 2004, he was
awarded the AUSS’s highest honor, the
Gold Medal, for his service to the Union.
Fred is survived by his wife Donna,
also a singer in the Waukegan chorus,
two daughters, five grandchildren, three
siblings and numerous nieces, nephews,
and cousins.
The Waukegan Swedish Glee Club
sang Tryggare Kan Ingen Vara at the
memorial service on September 7 at St.
James Lutheran Church in Lake Forest.
If there is a chorus in heaven, then Fred
is joyfully singing, again.
- Pat Minkler and Gene Sanderlin,
Swedish Glee Club—Waukegan
FRED FORTNEY
1933 - 2013
Sveas Söner performing at a recent event