Contracting for an A for Second Semester, 2000 Donna Frederickson UMD Cohort, Int'l Falls

The "String of Pearls," A Women's Community Choir

This singing group is a women's choir that loves to sing plus contribute to our community. I started the group several years ago and we have a great time singing all sorts of music. We meet once a week and the choir is open to women of any age. At many rehearsals we have those in attendance from age 12 to 75. Our community has a men's choir also, called the Northern Timbres. Therefore, we can have separate men's and women's units. We unite our efforts to learn major works where the voicing needed is SATB.

The String of Pearls gave several concerts this past year within our community. We sang at three nursing homes in the area, a senior apartment complex, at the community band shell, at several community meetings and we performed a finale concert on March 26 for the Falls Hunger Coalition. If we are offered a stipend for our singing, we suggest that the money be given to a charity. The String of Pearls is sponsored by Community Education, ISD 361, so our music and other few expenses are paid for through that program.

The concert we gave for the Falls Hunger Coalition raised $389.00. I arranged with the Lutheran Brotherhood Voyageur Branch in Int'l Falls to provide matching funds, so that $389.00 became $778.00. The Hunger Coalition was very pleased to receive that amount because this past year has been financially difficult for them due to increased need in our community.

-- Anonymous, April 30, 2000