1812
— Williamsport Academy founded (private elementary and
secondary school)
1848
— Williamsport Academy becomes Dickinson Seminary (offers
college preparatory courses). The Rev. B.H. Crever is instrumental
in the creation of the school.
1869
— Acquired by the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the Methodist
Church; Lycoming retains its Methodist affiliation to this day
1929
— Dickinson Seminary becomes Dickinson Junior College (2
years of college curriculum added; first junior college in PA)
1939
— Clarke Chapel constructed
1940
— Dickinson Jr. College Choir tours New York City
1941
— By this time, Florence Dewey has become director of the
choir
1945
— Professor Frederick Stevens, head of the Music Department,
conducts the choir.
— Choir sang several Christmas songs as part of the Christmas
Pageant on December 19, 1946.
1946
— Several Ex-GI's join the ranks of the choir, and
choir performs at the Greater Dickinson Banquet in spring 1946.
— In September 1946, Dr. Walter McIver becomes director
of the College Choir and in charge of vocal music at Dickinson Junior
College. Mr. McIver was a graduate of the Westminster Choir School,
Minister of Music at the Covenant-Central Presbyterian Church, and
director of the Williamsport Civic Choir.
— Dr. McIver convenes choir practices every Tuesday
evening for the purpose of working on music to be presented at college
and civic occasions. The choir also performs at weekly chapel services.
— In early December, the College Choir and the Civic
Choir perform Handel's Messiah and perform a Christmas
program for the student body.
— In December 1946, Dr. McIver holds auditions and 40
choir members are named to the a capella Chapel Choir. This choir,
which rehearsed several times a week, provided music for the two
chapel periods held during spring 1947 and performed as a group
during choir tours.
1947
— The College Choir and Civic Choir perform Mendelssohn's
Elijah in May.
— Choir numbers 36 members
— Choir makes first recording with Walter McIver in June 1947.
Performs at Allenwood Presbyterian Church on June 1, 1947
— Dickinson Junior College becomes Lycoming College (a 4-year
degree program) in June 1947
— The inception of the Lycoming College Choir by Walter McIver
— Dr. McIver organized the Men's and Women's Glee Clubs,
which add to the College Choir and A Cappella Choir (formerly the
Chapel Choir) to create four distinct music groups. The glee clubs
assisted in broadcasts and in various meetings held for the college's
financial campaign; in addition, the Men's Glee Club entertained
the northern PA Rotary Club at a gala banquet at the Lycoming Hotel.
— In early December, the A Cappella Choir performs a
series of programs, appearing before 12 different audiences.
— The College Choir and the Civic Choir perform Handel's
Messiah in December.
1948
— In spring, the A Cappella Choir presented a full-length
concert in many locations, including for the Central PA area of
the Methodist Church's annual conference in Clearfield. A formal
presentation was given in Clarke Chapel for alumni and invited guests.
— The 1948 yearbook records that "handsome vestments"
were provided for the A Cappella Choir this year.
— Choir and The Williamsport Civic Choir perform Verdi's Requiem
by Giuseppe Verdi at the May 27, 1948 Commencement Recital in Clarke
Chapel. (50 years later, at the 50th Anniversary Concert in May
1996, Walter McIver and Fred Thayer co-conduct another Requiem
(Gabriel Faure's) with the 1996 choir and choir alumni)
1949
— Lycoming College awards first group of Bachelor Degrees
1950
—
1955
— Oldest known choir scrapbook
— Choir tours in New England; goes skiing!
1957
— Tour Choir tours Scotland and England (first overseas
tour)
1959
— Tour in Virginia and North Carolina; also visit to U.S. Naval
Academy
1960
— Tour choir tours New England
1961
— Choir releases first LP, "Let Us Break Bread"
1964
— In January, the choir performs on WNEP, Channel 16.
— Choir tours in New York, New England, and Canada
— 1st Founders Day at Lycoming College
— Choir records second LP, "Great Day," a compilation
of spirituals
1965
— Lyco Choir performs at the 1965 World's Fair in New York.
— Tour Choir performs in Midwest
1966
— Choir tours through MidAtlantic; gets snowed in near Philadelphia
1970
—
1974
— Tour Choir tours England and Wales
1976
— Dr. McIver retires; Dr. Fred Thayer begins conducting
1978
— Choir releases third LP
1979
— First Volleyball Marathon, to fundraise for Puerto Rico
trip
1980
— Tour Choir visits Puerto Rico as part of domestic tour
1982
— Tour Choir performs in Midwest
1984
— Tour in New England
1985
— Choir performs with the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra
— Tour Choir visits Washington D.C. and performs at the National
Cathedral
1987
—Domestic tour in New England and Long Island
— Tour Choir tours in Spain in May
1988
— Richard Lakey begins accompanying the Choir
1989
— Tour Choir sings in National Cathedral
— Chamber Choir performs with the Gregg Smith Singers
1990
— Tour Choir goes to Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic
for the first time.
— Choir releases first audiotape.
1992
— Tour Choir performs in North Carolina and Florida
— Choir releases second audiotape
1993
— First Choir CD is released.
— Jan Szyrocki, founder and conductor of the Szczecin Polytechnic
Choir, serves as Conductor-in-Residence at Lycoming
1994
— Choir performs at the National Cathedral and the Washington
Shrine; domestic tour includes Midatlantic region
— Tour Choir tours Germany, Poland, and Czech Republic in May
— Chamber Choir performs The Passion According to St. Matthew
by J.S. Bach
1995
— Tour Choir tours North Carolina and Georgia; concerts with
Walter McIver in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
— Chamber Choir performs selections from Barber's Reincarnations
and Bach's Cantate No. 4, "Christ lag in Todesbanden"
— In fall 1995, Chamber Choir performs jointly in concert with
the Gregg Smith Singers, which includes a performance of Richard
Lakey's Mass
1996
— Full Choir performs at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York
City
— Tour Choir travels throughout Florida, including stops in
Winter Park, Tampa, Fort Myers, Naples, Coconut Grove, and Orlando
— Chamber Choir performs Elijah by Mendelssohn
— 50th Anniversary of Lycoming Choir, with alums reuniting
for concert of Gabriel Fauré's Requiem, on Graduation
Weekend '96
— Chamber Choir performs with Barry Manilow at the Community
Arts Center, then performs for Elizabeth Dole's rally in Williamsport,
then sings at the White House at Christmastime
1997
— Second Choir CD, Blow Thou Winter Wind, is released
— Tour Choir tours New England; concerts in Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, and New
York
— Chamber Choir performsThe Creation by Haydn
— Tour Choir tours Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic
— Fred Thayer takes a half-year sabbatical in Costa Rica and
Dr. William Decker assumes directorship of the choir for the fall
1997 semester
1998
— Tour Choir visits California, visiting Orange Country, Los
Angeles, Santa Barbara, and the San Diego area; first Lycoming Choir
performance at the Crystal Cathedral
— Chamber Choir performs The Passion According to St. John
by J.S. Bach
1999
— Choir performs at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
— Tour Choir tours the Midwest, including a visit to Chicago
— Choir releases its third CD, Blue Skies.
— Chamber Choir performs Petite Messe Solennelle by
Rossini
— Chamber Choir performs again at the White House at Christmastime
2000
— Tour Choir travels to Florida for domestic tour
— Tour Choir travels to Munich, Prague, Poland, Berlin, and
Wagenfeld (Germany) on its now tri-annual overseas tour; various
alumni visit with the choir overseas.
— Gropies Berlin choir (from Berlin, Germany) performs at Lycoming
2001
— Tour Choir visits the Carolinas and Georgia
— Chamber Choir performs In the Beginning by Aaron
Copland, Totus tuus by Henryk Gorecki, and Rejoice
in the Lamb by Benjamin Britten.
— Clarke Chapel is renovated (stage extension and permanent
backdrop)
— Choir releases fourth CD, Wondrous Love
— Fred and Pat Thayer receive the Dale Bower Service Award,
Sept. 2001
— Fred Thayer is honored for 25 years as Lycoming's choir director
with a brunch and ceremony at Homecoming 2001
2002
— Choir tours in California for the second time
— Tour Choir performs at the Crystal Cathedral and appears
on television's "Hour of Power"
— Chamber Choir performs major works by Pergolesi, Jasinski,
and Verdi in its annual noon concert
— Chamber Choir performs a fall concert, "Thomas Morley
and All That Jazz"
2003
— Choir releases fifth CD, Sing Joyfully
— Tour Choir tours New England, including an appearance at
St. John the Divine in New York City
— Chamber Choir performs "The Sacred Music of Gregg Smith"
for its annual spring "master works" concert
— Professor Emeritus of Music Walter McIver passes away on
April 17
— The triannual European tour scheduled for May 2003 to Spain
is postponed for a year because of the war in Iraq
— Redesigned choir website launches at www.lycoming.edu/choir.
(Many alumni contribute to the new website's launch, providing the
choir with its own domain name and additional server space.)
— Jan Szyrocki passes away in October 2003. Jan was the founder
and conductor of the Szczecin Polytechnic Choir (which hosted the
choir in Poland), served as Conductor-in-Residence at Lycoming in
1993–1994, and had many other musical endeavors.
— Chamber Choir performs Williams' "Toward the Unknown
Region" and a selection of "Music of the Seasons"
for its November concert.
2004
— Tour Choir tours throughout Florida, including a performance
at Coral Ridge Ministries in Fort Lauderdale.
— Chamber Choir's "master works" concert features
"French Masterpieces", including "Rex Tremendae"
and "Lacrymosa" from Berlioz's Requiem, Zelenka's
"Gloria Patri," Monteverdi's "Gloria Patri,"
and Poulenc's Gloria. Their special guest is soprano Eileen
Clark.
— In May 2004, Tour Choir tours abroad in Spain, including
stops in Madrid, Córdoba, Priego de la Córdoba, Granada,
and Segovia. This tour is the ninth overseas tour that the Lycoming
Choir has taken since 1957, and the second tour in Spain.
— Fred Thayer takes a sabbatical from summer to December, composing
and conducting in Bolivia and Spain. Dick Lakey and Charles Masters
substitute for the fall 2004 semester.
2005
— The Tour Choir and Lycoming Band perform a joint concert
at Harrisburg's Whitaker Center on February 10.
— The Tour Choir's spring schedule includes a weekend in western
Pennsylvania, a weekend in New Jersey (including an appearance at
St. John the Divine in New York City), and a spring break tour to
the Carolinas and Georgia.
— 60th Choir Alumni Reunion on Homecoming 2005, October 7–9,
2005. Two rehearsals, a Saturday evening choir banquet (featuring
a choir retrospective) and Sunday morning alumni choir performance
at Pine Street UMC highlight the weekend.
— Welch Honors Hall is dedicated during Homecoming 2005. The
new building includes a performance space that will be used by the
Chamber Choir and for recitals.
2006
— Tour Choir flies to California for the third time, and again
performs at the Crystal Cathedral and on television's "Hour
of Power" (airs March 5, 2006).
— Chamber Choir's spring concert includes works by Benjamin
Britten, Joseph Haydn, and Luigi Cherubini
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