Choral society sees new growth
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ST. IGNATIUS — The Mission Valley Choral Society (MVCS) rung in the holiday season with a pair of Christmas concerts over the weekend, including one in the notable acoustics of the St. Ignatius Mission.
Begun in the 1960s, the MVCS started to bring in locals to direct the chorus during the ‘80s, including one Christian Bumgarner, who members say has been director of the choir the longest. With Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria,’ a rendition of ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas,’ and eight other songs, Bumgarner directed his final Christmas concert last weekend with around 50 singers and a string quartet accompaniment.
“(Christian) has been super. He’s just the right taskmaster with grace,” commented choir member Valerie Lindstrom. “We’re going to miss him terribly.” While Bumgarner will still be around to conduct the spring concert before retiring from MVCS to move closer to his grandchildren, Lindstrom explained his departure has marked a changing era for the community choir.
“Christian wanted to leave a stable organization when he leaves Polson, so we set up a committee,” Lindstrom explained. “We each have written a job description so if we leave, it’s very clear what the responsibilities for the committee are … We’re establishing a stable structure for the choir so it will continue.”
With a newly formed executive committee and board of directors, the MVCS has begun the process of filing for 501(c)(3) status to become an official nonprofit. With one of four concerts per year acting as a fundraiser to Helping Hands of Mission Valley - a local nonprofit that assists individuals with food, transportation, personal care items, and more - Lindstrom said making money for Helping Hands has been a main goal of MVCS for years.
Beyond their charitable work, the choral society’s stated vision is to inspire a love and appreciation for choral singing in present and future generations, as well as to inspire the community and foster personal growth in each member. All concerts are free to attend, though charitable donations are welcome, to keep the music available for the whole of the public. “It’s been a community choir forever,” Lindstrom stated. “It’s people from all walks, and it’s people who like to sing.”
Those interested in joining need not be perfect musicians, but simply those who enjoy music. The choir will be beginning practice for the Palm Sunday concerts in February, so those interested in joining or supporting the choral society can do so at: missionvalleychoralsociety.org or by calling 406-261-3304.
