The Golden Tones Celebrate 30 Years Of Music

2015 Golden Tones group

The Golden Tones choir group has a long and rich tradition in surround communities.

The group will present "The King: The Long-Awaited Promise" this weekend at St. Theresa's Catholic Church in Clearwater. The shows will be Saturday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m. There will be a free will offering taken at the door.
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History
It all began in the fall of 1985 in the old music room at Clearwater High School.  Only three people attended that first rehearsal – a director, a singer, and an accompanist.  While for some, the turnout would be seen as far less than encouraging, it was actually the start of something that would rapidly snowball.
Mary Lou Haggart…the name brings back fond memories for the many people who were graced to know her.  A former music teacher, Mary Lou moved to Clearwater after her husband Jim was hired as president of the local bank in 1984.
Mary Lou continued holding music rehearsals, eventually moving the group to the basement of Concordia Lutheran Church.  They held their first concert there.  Pastor Donald Braunersreuther was one of their biggest supporters.  He is credited with giving the group a name – The Golden Tones.

Mary Lou Haggart

The Variety Show
The Golden Tones held a lasagna supper show in 1986 at the Clearwater High School gym.  This show simply became known as “The Variety Show”.  In years following, the shows were on-stage in the multi-purpose room at the school.  The group’s members were actively involved in not only the music for the shows, but everything behind the scenes, too - assembling lighting, painting backdrops, designing table decorations, choreographing dances, selecting costumes, writing skits, advertising – and many people had multiple roles.

The Variety Shows were held Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights on a weekend in June.  235 people packed the house each of the three nights.  The shows opened with the Golden Tones singing two religious songs and reciting a prayer.  A buffet supper followed, catered by the L-Bar-B Steakhouse.
The audience was enveloped with music and entertainment for the entire evening.  A Master of Ceremonies would keep the show rolling with jokes between acts.  Large-group songs, small-group musical acts, dancing, and instrumental numbers were included.  The audience would never know what was coming next – they might see Tarzan swinging across the stage, the Streak, a “Sister Act” Nun wearing a boa, the Mississippi Squirrel, or someone tip-toeing through the tulips!  One year, Hal Daub - former Congressman and Mayor of Omaha - played trumpet on-stage.
Repeat performers who were expected each year at the Variety Shows were the “Three Old Maids”, “The Andrews Sisters”, “The Clearwater Quartet”, “Dorf on Golf”, “Two Pianos”, “The Dixieland Band”, and “Guys and Dolls”.
The night often ended with the large group singing “God Bless the USA” while a huge flag slowly dropped down from the stage’s ceiling.  Military tributes were often a part of the show.  The tenth and final Variety Show was in June of 1995.

Christmas

The group did not practice in the summer, but once September rolled around, rehearsals would resume so they could learn material for a Christmas cantata.  The first few cantatas were performed at Concordia Lutheran Church.  Later performances were held at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Ewing and St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Clearwater.   The cantatas told the story of the birth of Jesus through musical numbers and narration.  Often, a children’s choir would sing, also.  Those attending were asked not to clap to create an ambience in the church.  After the performance ended, the Golden Tones surrounded the sanctuary of the church, holding candles and singing the verses to “Silent Night” as those attending were ushered out.
The Christmas cantatas were held annually from approximately 1987 until 1998.  Mary Lou, sadly, found out she had lung cancer and was unable to continue directing the group she founded.  Clearwater’s music teacher, Karen Smith, directed for a couple of years.  Mary Lou passed away in 2001.  Her well-attended funeral was held at the Clearwater Methodist Church.  Her beloved group, the Golden Tones, crowded together in the back of the church and sang their hearts out for her one last time.

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Later Years

The group took a few years off after Mary Lou’s passing.  After all, she left big shoes to fill.  Area music teachers have since taken turns taking on the role of director.  They presented a Christmas cantata in 2004 and then again in 2010, 2011 and 2012.  They decided to do it again in 2015 and are performing this weekend at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Clearwater.  

If fading memories serve correctly, this year marks the 30th year since that group of three got together to practice, not knowing what would emerge.  Many things have changed.  Some things have not.
That accompanist who came to the first practice was Carol Thiele of Clearwater.  Carol is still playing for the group after thirty years.  She has played for every Christmas cantata except for one year when she played the Virgin Mary.  That singer who attended the first rehearsal was Virginia Filsinger, also of Clearwater.  She, too, is still singing with the Golden Tones.

Mary Lou continues to be with the group in spirit.  Those who knew her, think of her often.  Her picture is propped on a shelf in the music room at Clearwater where the group still practices every Monday night during the season, as they did for years.  Mary Lou watches over them and silently inspires them, in a sense.  She was amazing - so very talented.

Community Involvement

The group Haggart founded, The Golden Tones Community Chorus, was set up as a nonprofit organization years and years ago.  As they purchased equipment to use in performances over the years (spotlight, flood lights, sound shell and risers), they have allowed the school at Clearwater to use the equipment for One-Act and musical events.  The group has appreciated the school allowing them to use facilities over the years for practices and performances.

The Golden Tones have also offered a scholarship to a high school senior who plans to be involved in music in college.  The Board of Directors meets to select one application out of those received.  Many of the past scholarship winners performed with the group at some point in time.

Today

The group performing the cantata this weekend is smaller than in years past – numbering about 22 adults and 11 children – but the Christmas message the cantata delivers is still the same.  The current group has members from Clearwater, Elgin, Ewing, Neligh, Orchard…and even a doctor from Kearney who works in O’Neill and drives down to practice with the group every week.

The singers have come and gone over the past thirty years.  There are probably 200 people out in our local communities who will tell you they were once a member of The Golden Tones.  For some, it has been a family tradition – three and four generations have sung in the cantatas.  Quite a few who sang in the original Variety Shows have passed on.  Some have moved away.  And for others, life is just too busy to commit to the weekly practices for three months.  But, all will tell you that during their time with The Golden Tones - whether just a year or all thirty years; and whether they were exceptional singers or couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket - they met a few new friends from the surrounding communities and learned to love music just a little bit more at those Monday night practices.

Story and photos submitted by Tammy Bearinger.