The Rogue Valley Chorale is Southern Oregon's oldest public choral organization. It was founded in 1973 by a group of local musicians who wanted to provide a forum for performing fine choral music. After initial discussions regarding requirements for membership, programming and other considerations, Lynn E.
Sjolund, then director of vocal music at Medford Senior High School, agreed to direct the chorus. In order to receive non profit status, Articles of incorporation were filed with five members serving as the original Directors of the Board. The incorporating members were Mary Kay Harmon, Leslie Hall, Kathy Gordon, Karen Foster, and Judy Cushing. Additional members were
added, and the organization wrote by-laws and held auditions. Forty-five singers presented the premier concert of the Rogue Valley chorale on December 4, 1973. On the program were Bach's
Komm, Jesu Komm and Respighi's Laud to the Nativity.
Since that time the group has grown in number and musical stature. The Chorale has performed many of the great choral master works, including Bach's
St. John Passion and Mass in B Minor, Mendelssohn's Elijah, and Brahms', Mozart's and Faure's
Requiems. The group has traveled to Europe on three concert tours and appeared in concert and a special mass in Medford's sister city, Alba, Italy in the summer of 1998. In March, 2000 the Chorale sang as a featured group in a Carnegie Hall concert directed by John
Rutter, director of the world famous Cambridge Singers.
Mr. Sjolund, the founding director of the Chorale, has conducted it during all but three years of its existence. During a three year absence to serve as Director of Choral Activities at Loyola University of the South in New Orleans, the Chorale was directed by Russ Otte and Sean Warren.
For a narrative and pictures from Chorale tours, please click on the
following:
20th
Anniversary Tour - 1993 - Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic
1995 Tour
- Scandinavia: Sweden and Norway
1998
Tour - Italy
Carnegie
Hall - 2000, New York
30th Anniversary
Celebration
