THE MALE CHORUS
The Beethoven Maennerchor was founded in Bethlehem , PA in 1891. A group of 22 men, directed by William Guenther, then Waldamar Grossman, and in 1909 by Prof. Hans Roemer, whose musical talent attracted a number of new singers. The male chorus continued to prosper in the Maennerchor Hall with a number of different directors.
In 1933 Herbert Fiss was engaged as director and the fortunes of the chorus took a decided upturn under the leadership of this dynamic young musician. His first success was the capture of the first prize at the State Saengerfest in Sunbury in 1937. Singers of other ethnic origins were attracted by the great choral music and the chorus grew to 90 voices when they won the Columbia Prize for the best chorus in the National Saengerfest in Baltimore in 1938.
Eight more state trophies were won in the following years. These efforts were topped in 1957 when the Maennerchor brought home the Columbia Prize for the second time.
Other memorable performances by the male chorus: The National Folk Festival in Washington, 1939; The Choral Festival of the Associated Male Choruses of America in 1948 and 1949; “Old Hiedelberg Night”, 1948 and the “Bach Festival”, 1949 at the Bethlehem Steel Club; the chorus of “Tristan and Isolde” at the Philadelphia Civic Opera Co., 1952; a memorial service at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, 1960; and German Heritage Day at the Bethlehem City Center Plaza, 1976.
Reprinted from the 95th Anniversary Celebration Program of the Beethoven Maennerchor.