6/1/2000

The Swiss Singing Society of Milwaukee

The Swiss Singers have a long history in Milwaukee with a Men’s Chorus chartered in 1879 and a Ladies Chorus chartered in 1927. The present Mixed Chorus was formed in 1982. Many of its 31 members were born in Switzerland. Several members are first or second generation American-born Swiss. The rest are Swiss in their hearts!  Members themselves or their forefathers represent many of the Cantons of Switzerland -- Bern, Uri, Zurich, Appenzell, Thurgau, and Ticino.

The Swiss Singers rehearse weekly on Wednesday evenings for two hours starting at 7:30 p.m. Rehearsals are held at Hales Corners Lutheran Church on 110th & Grange. New members are always welcome. If interested, please contact Joan at 414-425-7561 (jschneid@powercom.net) or Bert at 414-771-0522.

For a listing of current officers click here

The Swiss Singers of Milwaukee are under the direction of Mr. Hilbert (Hib) Wiedenkeller. Hib has been leading the Singers for 9 years. His exceptional music talent and Christian leadership skills have brought the group together in friendship and harmony. Hib has also developed each individual into a better, more confident singer. The Swiss Singers are accompanied by Helen Sorensen, a very talented lady with perfect pitch and outstanding keyboard skills.

In addition to performing at the main Milwaukee Swiss functions every year (the Valentine Dance and the August 1 Swiss Independence Day Picnic) they also perform for many nursing homes, schools, retirement communities, churches, etc.

For a description of the Singers Program and performance tunes click here

The Swiss Singers of Milwaukee are members of the North American Swiss Singing Alliance. Every three years, a Sangerfest is held in one of the member cities. In 1985, the Sangerfest was held in Milwaukee. Since then, Sangerfests have been held in Calgary, Canada; Columbus, Ohio; Ottawa, Canada; and near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In June 2000 the Milwaukee Swiss Singers participated in the Sangerfest in Edmonton Alberta, Canada.