We are the Celebration Singers!

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Thank you for visiting our website.    

We are The Celebration Singers, a chorus of approximately 50 to 100 singers from Dubois, Pike, Spencer, Crawford and Martin Counties in Southern Indiana. 

The history of our choir is listed below, including information on this season's musical selections at the bottom of this page.  

Stop and visit a spell.  We are so glad you're here. 

Use the links at the left above to see our Performance and Rehearsal schedules, Member List, Photo Gallery, Contacts, and other useful information.   We can also be found on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TheCelebrationSingers/).

We welcome new members.  If you would like to join our group, please click on the "Contact Us" link at left above.  No auditions are required.  Rehearsals are generally held twice per month, March through November.  We try to stick to the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month, with some exceptions as needed.  It's not required to attend every rehearsal, but it is recommended.   Click on the "Rehearsals" link at left above to see the current rehearsal schedule.

Last updated 01/12/24

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2002     Our choir was born......    At a January 2002 meeting of the Huntingburg Music Club, a number of members and guests discussed the possibility of forming a community chorus to "sing for fun".  Larry Feldmeyer volunteered to be director.  Eighty-five singers from thirteen communities came to the first practice in April and the chorus was born.  In June, the 1976 bi-centennial musical, "I Love America", was presented at the Salem United Church of Christ to a standing-room-only audience, and the Celebration Singers were on their way.  The Celebration Singers presented six concerts during 2002 in Huntingburg, Jasper, Holland, Ferdinand and Santa Claus.

2003     In 2003, "Prayer for America" was sung at five concerts to honor the many heroes who put their lives on the line to protect our freedom.   The concerts were held in Huntingburg, Jasper, Santa Claus, Ferdinand and Holland.

2004     In 2004, eleven performances were presented, consisting of Broadway musical and show tunes.  The performances were given in Jasper, Dale, St. Meinrad, Holland, Huntingburg and Ferdinand. The choir sang several selections from "Prayer for America" at the Dubois County Fairgrounds in connecton with the display of the traveling Vietnam Wall Memorial. We also presented our first Christmas program.

2005     2005 saw the Celebration Singers presenting "Legacy of Faith: A Concert of Remembrance and Hope" in St. Meinrad, Jasper, Celestine, Santa Claus and Huntingburg.   Several Christmas programs were also performed in Jasper and Huntingburg.  We also sang a Christmas program on June 25th at the Psi Iota Xi Sorority convention at the Executive Inn at Evansville. The theme of the convention was "Holidays".   Most importantly, in 2005 the Celebration Singers became a non-profit corporation.   A portion of our 2005 concert proceeds were donated to Hurricane Katrina relief.

2006     The 2006 performances featured music from the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies.  Concerts were held in Jasper, Santa Claus and Holland.   The ever-popular Christmas program was presented in Jasper, Huntingburg and Ferdinand.

In 2006 the choir purchased their own risers to be used during concerts. Prior to the purchase, we borrowed risers from St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Jasper and from Southridge High School. We very much appreciate the generosity of those organizations.

2007     In 2007, the Celebration Singers sang a program of hope, joy, and reassurance with "It's a Wonderful World" at the Lincoln Amphitheatre, and in Jasper, Petersburg and Huntingburg.   We sang several patriotic selections from "Legacy of Faith" at the closing ceremony for the traveling Vietnam Veterans Wall Memorial at the Jasper National Guard Armory. Several Christmas concerts were performed at Ferdinand, Huntingburg, Haysville and Jasper. 

2008     The 2008 season musical selections included a Stephen Foster tribute, excerpts from Andrew Lloyd Weber musicals and German music. The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Mother's Day Program, held at the Lincoln Amphitheatre on 5/11/08, served as the official kickoff for the State's Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration. Dignitaries included Governer Mitch Daniels, Congressman Baron Hill, Dr. Connie Nass (Chair of the Indiana Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Committee), Shelly Kirk (ABC News 25), and Dr. Darrel Bigham and Joan Flinspach (both of the National Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Committee). Concerts in 2008 were held at the Lincoln Memorial and the Lincoln Amphitheatre, the Executive Inn at Evansville, and in Jasper and Huntingburg. The Christmas program was performed in St. Henry, Haysville, Jasper and at the Lincoln Memorial .  

2009      In 2009, the choir presented the program "The Music Inside of Me" with tunes including "Sing, Sing, Sing", "And There Is Music", "Put a Little Love in Your Heart", "Hungerin' In My Soul", "Shenandoah", "Our Help in Ages Past", "Let Me Fly", "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", "Dry Bones", and additional songs.   Concerts were held at the Lincoln Amphitheatre and at the Lincoln Memorial, as well as in Jasper, Stendal, Huntingburg, French Lick, West Baden and Haysville.

The ever-popular Christmas program was well-received, as always.   2009 Christmas selections included a choir and audience favorite, the very powerful "Mary, Did You Know".   We also added our own spin to the classic "Christmas In Dixie" which brought cheers from the audiences.   The Christmas concerts were held in Haysville, Ireland, Jasper and Huntingburg.   We concluded our 2009 Christmas season by singing in the awesome, recently-remodeled church at the Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand, IN on Jan. 3, 2010.   (See the pictures in our Photo Gallery.)

2009 brought several notable milestones for the choir.   Tuxedo-style shirts, bow ties and red/black reversible vests were purchased to give a more professional look.   We also expanded our performance area in 2009 by singing in October at both the French Lick Hotel and the West Baden Springs Hotel.  

2010     The choir was the subject of a multi-page Saturday feature article in the Jan. 9, 2010 edition of the Daily Herald. The 2010 Celebration Singers program continued the tradition of presenting excellent musical selections at performances across the Tri-State area.   Our 2010 performances included "Legacy of Faith" and the "Stephen Foster Tribute", along with additional favorites from past seasons, plus new selections.   Concert locations included Jasper, Huntingburg, Zoar, Dubois, St. Henry and Santa Claus.

Our 2010 Christmas program was one to warm the heart, with new arrangements of familiar tunes, some songs that were brand new to the audience, and some especially for the children and all those "young at heart".  Our special guests, The Chipmunks -- Alvin, Simon and Theodore -- made a special guest appearance to perform one of their hit songs.  See them in our Photo Gallery.  We also featured a guest cellist during the 2010 Christmas season.   Twelve-year-old Addie Gabhart joined our string musicians for a beautiful rendition of "What Child Is This".   Christmas concerts were held in Huntingburg, Ferdinand, Dubois, Jasper and Haysville.

2011     The 2011 program was an enjoyable variety of musical styles featuring songs written by American composers.   Many of the 2011 selections were spiritual in nature and provided an uplifting message for the audience.  They included "Down to The River To Pray", "Hungerin' In My Soul", "Yes, Lord!", "Standing In The Need of Prayer", "Stand By Me", "Give Me Oil In My Lamp", "You Raise Me Up", and "O, America", among others.  As always, there were a couple of patriotic selections in the program, including Irving Berlin's "America", "A Star Spangled Celebration", and "A Salute To The Armed Forces".   One of our new selections this year quickly became a choir and audience favorite -- a beautiful and powerful composition of "How Great Thou Art/Majesty".  Performances were held in Huntingburg, Jasper, Ferdinand, Zoar and Haysville.

Our Christmas 2011 program was one to fill hearts with the spirit of Christmas, with such varied selections as "Calypso Lullaby", "Rise Up Shepherd", "Can You See The Light?", "Never Been A Night Like This", "Jazz Gloria" and "Glad Noel", among others.  The brand new selection, "O Night Divine" is a composition that combines the Londonderry Air melody (think "Oh, Danny Boy") with lyrics from "Oh, Holy Night", to create a wonderful new piece.  Two of our early Christmas concerts this year featured guest flautist, Anna Sophia, a very talented 16-year-old German exchange student.   Performances were held in Huntingburg, Ferdinand, Dubois and Ireland.

2012     In 2012 we performed an uplifting collection of patriotic music called "Homeland" featuring some wonderful new arrangements of familiar songs, along with some that were completely new.   This patriotic program was well-received and appreciated by our audiences. Concerts were held in Jasper, Huntingburg, Ferdinand, St. Henry, Haysville and Santa Claus.  

The 2012 Christmas program featured "Christmas Cantata", along with a rockin' "Rise Up and See the King", a fun piece called "No Time to Diet" and a choir favorite, "How Great Thou Art/Majesty".  Performance locations included Huntingburg, Ferdinand, Haysville and Jasper.

2013     The Celebration Singers were honored to be invited to sing at Governor Michael Pence and Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann's Inaugural Praise and Worship Service (pre-inaugural festivities) on Sunday, January 13, 2013, in the spacious Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis.   We performed two very powerful selections, "How Great Thou Art/Majesty" and "A Prayer For Our Time"   We were humbled to receive a standing ovation at the end of our performance, and deeply honored to receive personal handshakes from Governor and Mrs. Pence, and Lt. Governor Ellspermann as we descended the steps from the stage to the convention hall main floor.  

Lt. Governor Ellspermann personally extended the invitation to our director, Larry Feldmeyer, in mid-December.   Lt. Governor Ellspermann is a native and resident of Ferdinand IN, (in the heart of Dubois County) and has personal ties to some of our members.   We thank Lt. Governor Ellspermann for the wonderful invitation.

We chartered two tour buses to transport the choir to Indianapolis on that day.   We sincerely appreciate the generosity of local corporations and individuals alike who helped us cover our travel costs for this very special occasion.   See the top of this page, and also see the Photo Gallery page, for pictures from the service.

For our 2013 season, we added a wonderful rendition of "Amazing Grace" as a complement to "How Great Thou Art/Majesty", and we brought back "Let There Be Peace On Earth".  To liven things up, we added "The Beatles In Revue", a medley featuring 15 classic Beatles tunes, arranged by Ed Lojeski.     This year's lineup also included the sentimental ballad "Homeward Bound" arranged by Mack Wilberg featuring four-hand piano accompaniment.   A new rousing patriotic selection added this year was "The Stars and Stripes Forever".   It's the classic John Philip Sousa march as you've never heard it before.   Concert locations included Indianapolis, Jasper, Huntingburg and Lincoln State Park.

Our 2013 Christmas program featured Joseph Martin's Advent cantata, "Appalachian Winter" which celebrates early American carols with a lively folk music spirit. Also included in the program were "Celtic Advent Carol" along with "For Unto Us A Child Is Born" from Handel's "Messiah".   Christmas concert locations included Huntingburg, Ferdinand and Holland.

2014     From the true American musical treasures created by George and Ira Gershwin to a rousing rendition of "Daddy Sang Bass and Momma Sang Tenor" the Celebration Singers' 2014 summer program contained something for everyone. The memorable Gershwin songs added an exciting new dimension to the choir's repertoire. True to the choir's performance tradition, patriotic selections that respectfully honor America and outstanding sacred numbers were also included in the program.   Concerts were performed in Ireland, Huntingburg, St. Anthony, Jasper and Dale.

Our 2014 Christmas program featured many audience and choir favorites, including the beautiful and powerful "Mary, Did You Know?", Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus", and the soulful "Rise Up and See The King" which combines "Rise Up, Shepherds And Follow" with the traditional spriritual "Soon and Very Soon".  Christmas performances were held in Huntingburg, Ferdinand, Holland, Haysville and at St. Benedict's Cathedral in Evansville.

2015     For our 2015 summer program, we assembled a "Praise Fest" of sacred selections.  The program included gospel numbers, spirituals, traditional anthems and some of the newer contemporary songs that reminded the listener that Jesus commands our destiny.   Audience participation was encouraged, and listeners had a chance to sing along with the choir.   2015 concert locations included Ireland, Huntingburg, Jasper and Gentryville.

The Christmas 2015 program brought a wonderful selection of "Sounds of the Season".  Included were some brand new compositions along with some choir and audience favorites, including "Glory to the Son of God", the Spiritual "Somebody's Talkin' 'Bout Jesus", "African Star Carol", "Baby Born in Bethlehem", "What Child Is This", "Glad Noel", "All is Well", and the Caribbean beat of "Calypso Lullaby".   A brand new selection, "All Through the Still, Silent Night", incorporates "All Through the Night", "Silent Night", and "Still, Still, Still".   We also performed a very harmonious rendition of "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) written by Mel Torme and Robert Wells, arranged by Mark Hayes.  Christmas concerts were held in Huntingburg, Jasper, Ferdinand, Haysville and Fulda.

2016     In honor of the Bicentennial of Indiana's statehood, our 2016 program was patriotic and featured the 1976 "I Love America" cantata which was originally written to celebrate the Bicentennial of the United States of America.   2016 concerts were held at the Lincoln Boyhood Memorial and the Lincoln Amphitheatre, and at Jasper, Otwell, Huntingburg and Dale.

Our 2016 Christmas program featured traditional favorites including "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing", "O Night Divine", and "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen", each with its own special composition. The Christmas bells tinkled with "Carol Of The Bells" and "Ding Dong Merrily On High". The lineup also featured some new compositions, "The Yearning", "I Hear A Prophet Callin'", "Glory Is A-Comin' Our Way", and "Christmas Sanctus", which quickly became favorites. Several additional selections rounded out the concert.   2016 Christmas concerts were held at Ferdinand, Haysville and Jasper.

2017     True to our heritage, our 2017 program featured a mixture of spiritual, patriotic and pop music arrangements that were fun to sing and were warmly received by our audiences.  It included such numbers as "Blue Skies", "Glory To The Risen Lamb", "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", "Over The Rainbow", "I Sing Because I'm Happy", "How Great Thou Art/Majesty", and the rousing "Hallelujah By and By", among others.  In September, we were thrilled to be able to sing for the 75th anniversary celebration of Jasper Engine & Transmission who has been our corporate sponsor since 2005.

The Christmas 2017 program contained carols to tell the Christmas story from Advent all the way through the birth of our Lord.   And some secular Christmas numbers were thrown in for good measure.  Some of the songs included in the program were "Celtic Advent Carol", "Do You Hear What I Hear", "Infant Holy, Infant Lowly", "Runnin' Down To Bethlehem", "Home For Christmas Medley", "There's A Tiny Baby Born Tonight", and selections from Handel's Messiah "For Unto Us A Child Is Born" and "Hallelujah Chorus".  We were also treated to a duet by husband-and-wife team Ray and Sadie Harpenau who sang the country Christmas tune "There's A New Kid In Town".  In response to numerous requests by our audiences and our choir members, we brought back "Mary, Did You Know" this year.  Christmas concerts were held in Ferdinand, Huntingburg, Haysville and Jasper.  As a new treat, about a third of our choir members participated in the December 15th "Will Read And Sing For Food" show held at Klubhaus 61 in Jasper.  The show was a fundraiser for the Dubois County Alzheimers' Association.  It was a lot of fun and we hope to be able to do it again in the future.

2018     Our 2018 program was a fun one.   Rafaela Schaick of Strings Inc. joined us in a rendition of "Orange Blossom Special".   Rafaela is an extraordinary talent.   Patriotic selections included "Because of the Brave", "God Bless The USA" and "The Stars & Stripes Forever".  We also performed a very beautiful compilation of "The Prayer/Lead Us, Lord" and the sentimental favorite "Ashokan Farewell".  Lots of rousing well-known favorites rounded out the program.   We are grateful for the wonderful audiences who joined us this season.

We performed our 2018 Christmas concert four times in November and December -- at St. Ferdinand Catholic Church in conjunction with the Ferdinand Christkindlmarkt, at Precious Blood Catholic Church in Jasper, at First Presbyterian Church in Jasper and at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Huntingburg. The program was a wonderful combination of sacred carols, secular tunes and some just-plain-silly numbers. We appreciate the great audiences who attended the performances.

2019     Our 2019 Summer program had an international flair. We featured Irish songs, German songs, and of course, patriotic American tributes.   Concerts were performed in Ireland, Otwell (Boone Township), Jasper, St. Meinrad and Huntingburg. It was heartwarming to see all of the wonderful folks in the audience!

November and December were really busy with 5 Christmas concerts scheduled at St. Ferdinand Catholic Church, St. Celestine Catholic Church, St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Haysville, Precious Blood Catholic Church in Jasper and Salem United Church of Christ in Huntingburg. The songs selected for this year's Christmas season were truly joyous! We had great audiences at each location, and it was a great way to celebrate the Christmas season!

2020     Ahhhhhh.... 2020......"The year that wasn't"!  Just at the time we would normally begin our rehearsals in March for our 2020 season, the Coronavirus COVID19 lockdowns were just starting.  Since nearly all of our members are in the "at risk" age group, and since singing is an especially effective method of spreading airborne viruses, we cancelled our rehearsals and concerts for our entire 2020 Summer season.  It was very hard on our members who were longing for the camaradarie and fellowship enjoyed at our rehearsals and concerts.  We were all hopefully looking forward to meeting in late August to begin rehearsals for our 2020 Christmas season.  Then at the end of June we learned that Ferdinand's November Christkindlmarkt was cancelled.  The Christkindlmarkt concerts have been our most widely attended Christmas concerts over the years, drawing tour buses from St. Louis MO, Dayton OH, Louisville KY and others, along with lots of our loyal local supporters.  With that cancellation, plus the news that the virus situation was still a very real concern, we made the decision to cancel our entire 2020 Christmas season as well.  So now we are very hopeful that we will be able to assemble in March of 2021 to begin rehearsals for a tremendous 2021 Summer season!  We thank you very much for visiting with us on our website, and we are REALLY looking forward to seeing all of you in 2021! 

2021     2021 seems to be a continuation of the lockdowns from 2020. With the Coronavirus vaccines, some of society is starting to open back up, but there are still too many unknowns for us to jump back in. We will continue to sit it out and see what 2022 looks like. We hope to see all of you in 2022!

2022     YAY!! We were SINGING AGAIN in 2022!! We are SO HAPPY to be back together to SING FOR FUN! Our 2022 summer program included a couple of our favorites from the "Legacy of Faith" contata -- "A Prayer For Our Time", "If My People" and "Coming Home". We introduced a brand new (for us) spiritual "Just A Little Talk With Jesus", which quickly has become a choir favorite. We filled out the program with some of our most-requested spirituals and patriotic numbers.

Our 2022 Christmas program included numbers "Celtic Advent Carol", "Here Comes the Light", "Breath of Heaven", "Do You Hear What I Hear", "A Little Night Caroling", "Calypso Lullaby", "For Unto Us a Child Is Born", "Angels in Seven", "Mary, Did You Know" and "Hallelujah Chorus". And we wrapped it up with "Christmas In About Three Minutes". We had great audiences at our Christmas concerts held in Ferdinand, Ireland, Huntingburg and Haysville. We also did some caroling at St. Charles Health Campus in Jasper, and BeeHive Homes Assisted Living in Huntingburg.

WJTS-18 of Jasper recorded our 12/3/22 Christmas concert at St. Ferdinand Catholic Church and uploaded the video to their YouTube channel. You can find it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm22Rjfv4gM. We sincerely appreciate the work of the WJTS-18 staff.

2023     In February 2023 the Celebration Singers took an amazing step and created The Celebration Singers Endowment Fund with the Dubois County Community Foundation. The fund will allow us to continue to support music, music education and the arts in perpetuity. We are very excited about this latest achievement! We invite our members, our fans, and the community at large to consider donating to this worthwhile fund through the Dubois County Community Foundation to support various music and arts programs in the area.

Our Summer 2023 concerts were held in Jasper, Ferdinand, St. Henry and St. Meinrad and included a great mix of patriotic, spiritual and just-for-fun songs. The line-up included the beautiful songs "10,000 Reasons/Bless the Lord", "Shenandoah", "Old time Religion Medley", "A Prayer For Our Time", and "Forever Country" as well as the lively "Sing, Sing, Sing". We were joined by our own mystery Tally-Man in the fun selection "Day-O". Our patriotic numbers included "The Star-Spangled Banner", "A Star-Spangled Celebration", "A Tribute To The Armed Services" and "My Country 'Tis of Thee". The program concluded with the beautiful "Above All, You Are My All in All" and the powerful choir favorite "How Great Thou Art / Majesty".

Christmas 2023 concerts were held in Ferdinand, Jasper, St. Meinrad and Dubois. Some of the songs in the concerts included "Listen", "Carol of the Bells", "One Small Child", "Ding Dong Merrily on High", "Breath of Heaven", and the energetic "Runnin' Down to Bethlehem" and "There's A Tiny Baby Born Tonight". We included the heartwarming tunes "Home For Christmas Medley" and "'Til The Season Comes Round". We were pleased to include the audience and choir favorite "Mary, Did You Know?". We closed the program with the wonderful song "The Birthday Of A King".

WJTS-18 of Jasper recorded our 12/17/23 Christmas concert at St. Peter's United Church of Christ at Dubois and aired it on Dec 22 and Dec 25. They also uploaded the video to their YouTube channel. You can find it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOOgwxf_9VA. We sincerely appreciate the work of the WJTS-18 staff.

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We are so appreciative of the wonderful audiences who come to our concerts.  We are so glad to sing for you and share our love of music with you.

We would love to see you at a concert! Check out our "Performances" page for a listing of the places and times for our upcoming concerts!

Join us as we "sing for fun"!

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We would love to hear from you. Click on the email link on the "Contact Us" page and send us a short note.

Thank you for visiting our site.   Come back again to check on updates!

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