Who is the South Shore Chorale?

• We are Fond du Lac’s largest volunteer choral ensemble (no audition required to join).

• We perform two major concerts each year (December and March/April).  Many of our concerts are performed with full orchestra and professional guest soloists.

• We welcome singers from all generations (high school – experienced), and all walks of life (doctors, lawyers, homemakers, teachers, secretaries, etc.) to perform with our Chorale.

• We embrace our rich sacred tradition (FDL Oratorio Chorus), but are building to the future through a recent name change (South Shore Chorale) to offer a wider variety of concerts including “An American Salute” which honored our veterans, “Earth Sea and Sky” which honored our mother Earth, and “It’s a Grand Night for Singing” which featured the great stage music from opera and Broadway musicals.

• We combine with other ensembles in the Fond du Lac area such as the Fond du Lac Area Children’s Chorale and Fond du Lac High School. 

• We have promoted High School Outreach Projects such as our High School Art Contest with  “An American Salute” concert and the High School “Messiah” Project (fall, 2010) giving high school students across Fond du Lac County the opportunity to sing with a semi-professional orchestra, professional soloists and large choral ensemble. 

Our audience base has significantly grown so that we have needed to move our concerts to larger performance halls to accommodate audiences of 1,000 people. 

MISSION
The mission of the South Shore Chorale is to share the art of choral singing with all ages of the Fond du Lac community through the performance of great choral masterworks.

VISION
The vision of the South Shore Chorale is to perform at the highest artistic level possible, provide the opportunity for individual singers of varying abilities to enrich their lives, and to encourage lifetime education for our audiences and singers through the art of choral music.

 

Meet Our Director

	Cory Schneider, Conductor Cory has been the director of the South Shore Chorale since 2005.  Born and raised in Fond du Lac, he is currently Director of Choirs at Fond du Lac High School.  Cory graduated from Carroll College in Waukesha with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education.  He received his Masters Degree in Music Education; Choral Conducting Emphasis from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  He is a member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), Music Educators National Conference (MENC), Wisconsin Choral Directors Association (WCDA), and Chorus America. Cory has been selected as a guest conductor for several choral festivals including the “Singing In Wisconsin” Festival held by WCDA.  He is currently singing with the Heartland Singers, and has sung with the Milwaukee Choral Artists, Waukesha Choral Union, and Jubilate Chorale of Waukesha.  He has served on several board of directors including the Fond du Lac Concert Association and the Fond du Lac Summer Music Festival where he served as president from 2000-2005.  Cory resides in Fond du Lac with his wife Julie and two sons, Colin and Ryan.
	HISTORY The South Shore Chorale began rehearsals in the fall of 1971 under the direction of Dr. Ray Wifler, music professor at the University of Wisconsin Center – Fond du Lac for a performance of Handel’s Messiah. Known as the Fond du Lac Oratorio Chorus, the choir performed major choral works with orchestra two times every year. In 2006, the name of the organization was changed to South Shore Chorale. Since the inception, the Chorale has performed choral works including Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Haydn’s Mass in Time of War, Handel’s Messiah, Vaughan Williams Hodie, Rutter’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, Haydn’s Creation, Brahms’ German Requiem, Bach’s Jesu, Priceless Treasure, Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, and Faure’s Requiem. While major choral works performed with an orchestra is a major component of the organization, we have performed many other choral octavos by great choral composers.

 

CONDUCTORS
Dr. Ray Wifler (1971-1972)
John Bauerlein (1972-1973)
Alan Lemery (1973-2005)
Cory Schneider (2005-present)

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Julie Francis, Secretary
Norman Francis, Treasurer
Pam Lane
Karen Lewis
Robert Mikkelsen
Edi Moore
Mimi Sager
Denise Schafer, Vice President
Cory Schneider, Music Director
Garvin Shields, President
Gail Stephany
Earl Wohlust