CL Choraleers celebrate 40th anniversary

BY Dawn Rankins

A lot happened back in 1980 with the eruption of Mount St. Helens, the debut of the Rubik‘s Cube and Ted Turner establishing CNN. That same year the Canyon Lake Choraleers took to the stage for the very first time.

With COVID-19 silencing the group for two years, many newcomers to Canyon Lake haven’t yet heard of the Canyon Lake Choraleers. The singing performance group is looking to change that in hopes that more will come and enjoy their concerts or perhaps even become a Choraleer themselves.

Longtime Choraleer members Jolene Terry, who joined the Choraleers in 1997, and Erla Wetherall-Cloer, who has sung with the ensemble since the 1980s, have fond memories of the group’s history.

As the women reminisced about the choir’s history, they said there has never been a dull moment.

The Choraleers began back in 1980 as a small group of only 12 to 14 singers who performed for senior and retirement centers, they said. Later, they began performing at the Canyon Lake Lodge, where they’ve been performing ever since.

In the early days, they said the Choraleers sang for small audiences of 100 people who sat at round tables in the Lodge. The choir members even provided refreshments.

Current Director Lorilee Bajema actively enjoys fine-tuning the Canyon Lake Choraleers. The choir has grown since she took over the reins of the choir about five years ago. The choir, after being off for two years because of the pandemic, is back on stage next month. Friday Flyer File Photo.

“One Christmas, we had no director or accompanist,” Erla said. “After interviewing a new director, who didn’t work out, Gail Christiansen, who was a church choir director, came to our rescue and bailed us out. Her son was a tiny tot who had just lost his two front teeth. He sang, ‘All I want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth’ and stole the show.”

Erla remembers seasons when everyone on the choir, including the director, would be sick with the flu and the choir barely was able to perform.

“At our last entertaining show one spring, Linda Hudson sang, ‘I‘m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair’ from South Pacific,” she said. “During that performance, Vern Hand hopped onto stage dressed in a grass skirt and coconut bra and again stole the show with a loud applause and cheering that brought down the house.”

Choir President Larry Garland and both Erla and Jolene agreed that the Choraleers have evolved.

“This group is constantly challenged by our current musical director, Lorilee Bajema,” Larry said. “We are stretched beyond our imagination right out of our comfort zones and we love it. Lorilee is a musical genius and the proof is in the audiences.”

What began as a small ensemble with an audience of about 100, is now a stout group of nearly 20 singers with sold out audiences of well over 300 for the three seasons prior to the pandemic, including the Spring Concert of 2019, “A Night at the Opera”.

“Our success is not only attributed to Lorilee’s creative direction, but I also think it’s due to our President Larry Garland, who constantly keeps us motivated,” Erla said. “We are like a family now. Our culture has completely changed.”