A little bit about the history of St Clair Community Singers
The St. Clair Music Study Club, whose members were a musically inclined group of ladies, was active for over fifty years. In addition to meetings when they listened to and discussed different kinds of music, they sponsored many concerts and music scholarships. Many musicians started their careers with the help of the Club.
In the mid-eighties, the Club started a mixed choral group, the Hymn Singers, with Lillian McLeod as the first director. The Music Study Club ended in 2001-2002 and the following year the name of the Hymn Singers was changed to the St. Clair Community Singers.
There have been any number of directors, including Rebekah Rothman-Wingrove, Ken Kepler, Terry Beasley, and Bert Van Dyke. The longest serving director was Jo-Anne Wilkie of St. Clair. She and other directors were ably assisted by the talented long-time accompanist, Carole Lohr. The Singers now have a new and enthusiastic director, Dr. William Harrison, and a wonderful returning accompanist, Monica Brickner.
The St. Clair Community Singers chorus has members from a wide area of St. Clair County, who range in age from 14 to 90. The Singers are active for two seasons each year, culminating in a concert and occasional performances at other community venues, Christmas caroling, guest appearances at a local church and other wider community events.
Additional details as listed on the Community Foundation website:
The St. Clair Music Study Club was organized in May of 1930 by a group of St. Clair women. The purpose of the Club was to study music and promote music appreciation.
The Club usually had a theme- opera, music of the times, chorus, symphonic, etc.- and that theme guided their programs through the year. Upon the start of the Club, they soon started their first of many on-going projects, the “Christmas present”, a Christmas program for the community that included solos and instrumentals.
The Club also took on Music at the Gazebo. This program continued until the Club ended in 2001-2002. Upon the ending of the Clubs programs, they still were very interested in nurturing young musicians through scholarships and have continued to do so through this scholarship fund.
The individuals named in the scholarships provided by this fund all played a significant role in the St. Clair Music Study Club throughout the years.
Betty Winslow served as president of the Club for eight terms. She initiated “Patron Membership”, Music at the Gazebo and created a piano scholarship. Betty passed away in 2011 after giving many years to the community.
Agness Haas was a long time choir participant and member of the St Clair Music Study Club, and was also active in the choir at St. Peters Lutheran Church. She came to St Clair in 1949 and passed away there in 2006 at the age of 95. She had a great passion for music and helping people.
George and Lillian McLeod dedicated their lives to music education. Before and after coming to St Clair in 1953, George taught music at the University of Detroit and the Musical Institute of Arts in Detroit, and directed numerous choirs and choral groups. He directed the St Clair Music Study Club choir, gave private voice lessons in the area, and was also choir director for the Congregational Church in St Clair as well as several churches in Port Huron. He passed away in St Clair in 1970 at the age of 68. Lillian also taught piano in her home to many young students in St Clair. She also sang in the Music Study Club and Congregational Church choirs, while raising six children. She passed away in St Clair in 1994 at the age of 78. The McLeod’s brought a music culture to St Clair that greatly enhanced the community over many decades!