ABOUT US EVENTS NEWS LISTEN EMAIL SIGNUP SHOP CONTACT US HOME About Us Timeline Mission Back to Our Roots Biographies Past Concert Programs Milwaukee Choristers Foundation Timeline On Sunday, Nov. 19, 1933, at 2:30 p.m., a group of Riverside High School alumni -- all of whom had sung in the school's A Cappella Choir -- gathered at Plymouth Church to form a new community chorus. They performed publicly for the first time on March 4, 1934 as the Riverside High School Alumni Chorus. In 1937, the group was renamed the Milwaukee A Capella Choristers. In 1938, the Choristers were invited to sing at the St. Louis convention of the National Music Educators Association. On August 28, 1948, a group of Choristers, led by member and attorney Edward Ramsey, signed papers to incorporate the group for the first time under the name "The Milwaukee A Cappella Choristers, Inc." In 1964, they performed in the Wisconsin pavilion at the World's Fair in New York City. On Oct. 7, 1970, the Choristers' officially changed their name to "The Milwaukee Choristers, Inc." In 1983, to celebrate their 50th anniversary, the Choristers commissioned and presented the world premiere of a choral work, "Olives of Endless Age," by former Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Conductor Kenneth Schermerhorn. In 1984, the Choristers were selected, in nationwide competition, to sing for the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Washington, D.C., the first and only Wisconsin chorus ever so honored. In 1988, nearly 60 of the singers journeyed to England, Scotland and Wales for a concert tour. In 1989, the Choristers presented the first full-scale Milwaukee performance of John Rutter's "Requiem." In 1992, the Choristers sang by invitation for the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association (WCDA) meeting in Fond du Lac, WI. They made several such appearances in the following years: 1996 (Eau Claire), 1999 (Madison) and 2003 (Oshkosh) In 1994, nearly 50 singers took part in a concert tour to Germany, Austria, Poland and The Czech Republic. In 1996, the Choristers were guest performers in a Milwaukee concert presented by The Salvation Army Hendon Citadel Band from London, England, which was on a concert tour of the United States. In 1999, more than 40 singers joined in a concert tour of Italy that included a performance at a Sunday liturgy at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. In 2006, the Choristers sponsored a Milwaukee appearance by, and joined voices with, the world-renowned King's Singers at the Pabst Theater.       ©2007 The Milwaukee Choristers, Inc.