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The Inland Children's Chorus Community Page
This area provides an opportunity to make connections with others and share your thoughts or memories on the discussion forum below. The following are links to related content and individuals on the Web.
YouTube "The Story of Bethlehem" Part 1
YouTube "The Story of Bethlehem" Part 2
Chorus America "Impact" Study (excellent)
So you can download the PDF documents on this site, download a free copy of Adobe Reader.
Community Comments and Discussion:
Only the ten most recent comments are shown below. Click here to view all of the comments.
- Shirley Whiting - I became a member of the Inland Children's Chorus in 1944. My first concert was the Spring Concert of May 25 and 26, 1944. My regret was not being in the chorus at age eight. Being a member was the highlight of my youth and I loved every minute.
The excitement of waiting in line for the music to march to the stage, was beyond words, and after the concert, to still be on the stage and count, out loud, how many times the curtains would re-open again and again to applause from the audience was wonderful. We knew all the hours of practice were appreciated. I felt so very blessed to have been a member and to have had Mr. Westbrock as our Director.
I will be eternally grateful to the Inland Mfg. Div. of GMC and for Mr. Wallace Whittaker, Gen. Mgr. for his decision to encourage children to learn about beautiful music and how it enriches our lives. Also many thanks to Gerald Alred for all the time and effort he has put into getting "OUR" website and also to Wright State Univ. for accepting to be the permanent home for our material.- Diann (Thomas) Brown - I followed in the footsteps of my big brother, joining the chorus in 1958. How exciting to be involved in a large musical production at such an early age! I can still recall the butterflies in my stomach while waiting backstage, standing on those risers, waiting for the curtain to rise to reveal a large, appreciative, applauding audience! True, it was probably mainly family members, but it meant the world to me, making those long, weekly rehearsals all seem worthwhile. As soon as the first number would begin, I felt all my apprehension disappear, ready to put on the show of my life!
I started out my musical “career” singing soprano, and as the years went on and my voice started maturing, I would go on to singing second soprano and finally, alto. I remember asking Mr. Geiger if I could still earn a solo if I was an alto and he assured me I could, so I reluctantly changed. It always seemed to me that the sopranos were the ones who got the solos, but I did earn a solo, of sorts, singing the alto echo in the “Echo” song.
Inland gave us some fantastic Christmas parties over the years! There would be cartoons and homemade popcorn balls, and best of all, presents! One year, probably in 1958, we all got jackets. They were very high quality, the same style worn by college and sports teams at the time. They were white with blue lettering and may have even had our name sewn on them. I was so proud to wear mine, feeling like I belonged to something special! (Attached is a snapshot with me and a chorus friend who is wearing a jacket.) I also recall the time we each got a camera and another time, a “train” case for the girls. Those were different times and Inland spared no expense on us, even taking bus loads of us to LeSourdsville Lake amusement park near Monroe, OH every summer for a day of rides, games and eats! We played bingo and would earn silver dollars as prizes. Oh, how I looked forward to those trips every year!
I will forever be thankful for the musical training and fun times I had while in the Inland Children’s Chorus!- Paul Thomas - The Inland Children’s Chorus was a big part of my childhood, growing up as the last of six kids in a GM family that was constantly surrounded by music. Two of my siblings already sang in the Chorus and even before I was of eligible age, my sister convinced director Joe Geiger that her little 7-year-old brother had a good singing voice. Mr. Geiger allowed me to audition and I earned a spot in the Concert Chorus.
Joe Geiger was one of those guys that commanded respect. He would let kids be kids, but when it was time for rehearsal or a performance, you better be ready to go. This was no time for goofing off! We had a job to do. For 15 years he managed to take a group of 8 to 16-year-olds, most that had no musical experience, and got them to sing in harmony. Even more incredible was that, most of the time, they were in tune!
Concerts were held at Dayton’s Memorial Hall or Art Institute. The stage productions were nothing short of amazing: the Eton suits, bright lights and packed auditorium were all very exciting – and intimidating – to a young boy. Being very small in stature, I had the terrifying position of front row center, just inches from Mr. Geiger’s podium for two whole years! He was so close I could count the beads of sweat on his forehead under the hot stage lights. I can still recall his smile and little wink to calm our jitters before starting a concert.
One shining Chorus moment from my era occurred in December of 1966. In the 1960s, several TV stations had their own local and regional variety or talk shows. Many people recall the Phil Donahue show, which started in WLWD’s (now WDTN) studios. What most people don’t remember is that prior to Donahue, there was the Johnny Gilbert show. Johnny, famous for being the ‘voice’ of the game show Jeopardy, had his own locally produced variety/talk show on WLWD. The show featured many top name guest stars, a live band, an audience and lots of music. Johnny’s 1966 Christmas special featured the Inland Children’s Chorus. I can still recall the family gathering around the TV on Christmas Eve to watch the taped event. At 10 years of age I was appearing on a TV show. This was the big time! [Link to the flier on the “articles” page for “The Music of Christmas” hosted by Johnny Gilbert.]
The chorus kept me musically occupied for six years but I wanted more. After taking up trumpet, the rehearsals of both chorus and band became a bit too much. Puberty wasn’t all that kind to my singing voice anyway, so at age 13, I turned my attention to the trumpet.
Loving music as I do, I still play trumpet today as a weekend warrior in a big band. Last year we played for a party in the Shaw Gothic Cloister at the Dayton Art Institute. While wandering down a hallway looking for chairs for the band, I opened a door and found myself backstage. Suddenly I was peering out into a dark auditorium I hadn’t seen for 40 years. For me, this is where it all started. Chills ran down my spine as I recalled performances from my childhood on that very stage.
The Inland Chorus concerts were larger than life to a child. Inland gave the children lucky enough to be involved a good musical foundation, instilled discipline, and taught them group cooperation. With the difficulty of maintaining profit margins, a more global economy – who knows the reasons – businesses aren’t quite as involved in community today. I was lucky enough to grow up during a time when the GMs and NCRs gave back to their employees, families and the community. Even today, I am richer for their contributions.- Phyllis (Denlinger) Phillips - I recall Mr. Westbrock telling the assembled children in the concert group that we all needed to have black shoes for the concert. But he was also very emphatic in telling us that we should tell our parents that they did not need to buy us new black shoes. He said if we had brown shoes, we could buy black shoe polish and make our shoes black.
I will always remember the “real” trees sprayed white (no artificial Christmas trees then) and the large blue lights at Christmas. As we sang Silent Night, all the lights were dimmed except the blue lights in the background. One Christmas we gave Mr. Westbrock a baton with a small light in it to use during Silent Night as everything was darkened. (I think we took up a collection.)- Jerry Alred - Matt Phelan wrote the following note about the 1940 recording of Silent Night: “The narrator was Deems Taylor of New York. He was best known as the ‘voice’ of the Metropolitan Opera every Saturday. Mr. Whittaker, GM of Inland, brought him in just for this concert which took place at the Dayton Art Institute Dec. 1940.” [JA]: I would add that Deems Taylor is well known by music historians as a composer, music critic, and promoter of classical music. Apparently, Taylor was involved in an arrangement of a Chorus recording of Ave Maria, which includes the following notation on the label: “Edited and arranged for four voices by Deems Taylor.”
- Virginia Mauch Wade - I was delighted to learn of this website, which Tom Connair announced at the Golden Flyer Christmas Banquet on Saturday, Dec. 19. I graduated from the chorus in 1949. I cannot remember if I joined at age 8 or later. I do know that I was a member when I was 11, because I have a program from that year. You may find it interesting to hear that I was not related to anyone who worked at Inland. My mother, Leona Wellmeier Mauch, was a second cousin to Richard Westbrock, and she may have thought that connection would get me in. She took me to audition at the Loretto, and fortunately, I was accepted. I went to St. Anthony School, and remember riding the bus back and forth to the rehearsals with various other members, such as Rita and Ray Wittman, Tunney siblings, Doris Bauer, Geraldine and Linda Meixner, Mary Lou and Gerald Wening, and last but not least, our Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk. I will be forever grateful for this experience. Is it known yet where the archive will be located?
- Tom Connair - Jerry, In looking for more info re: the chorus, I noticed this statement that accompanied the 1943 picture of the concert group. It reads, "The Inland Children's Chorus was founded in 1936 by Colonel Wallace S. Whittaker, for 20 years Inland's General Manager. The purpose of the Chorus was to give the children of Inland employees an oppor-tunity for musical education which they might not otherwise get, and to make a worthwhile contribution to the cultural life of Dayton. In 7 years, the Chorus has succeeded beyond the fondest hopes of its founder. This talented organization has become nationally known as a result of its annual appear-ances with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, its national broadcasts and other public appearances. Directed by Richard Westbrock, and staged by Raymond Sovey, the Children's Chorus has become, during arduous war days, an added inspiration to the men and women of Inland and to a grateful community--who recognize in it a living symbol of all that America is fighting for". I just want to add that Wally Whittaker wasn't a colonel at the time of the formation of the chorus but became one when he entered the Army. J.D. O'Brien came on board as General Manager of Inland when Wally left. That's it for now, I'm still trying to figure out how to get some of the Inlander pictures transferred to a disc so lI can send them to you. Maybe that will happen after the first of the year. Merry Christmas (2009)
- Tom Connair - Jerry, I goofed, the name of the theater on 4th St. was Keith's, not Lowe's. I'm sure someone will catch that besides me. (A senior moment) I have sent your blog address on to my brothers, Mike and Tim and my sister, Susan (that's all that is left of our family of 7 siblings) so I hope they will chime in with some words of their own. As for me, I will add more thoughts at a later date.
- Jerry Alred - Tom, this is wonderful history. Wow! Thanks so much. This sort of posting is terrific for building the historical record of the Chorus for the site and for any permanent institutional home. I’d certainly urge you and others to contribute more memories about the Chorus.
- Tom Connair, DVM - Jerry, Thanks for the opportunity to comment about the chorus. My four older brothers were charter members and I joined in 1936, when I was 7. In succeeding years my younger brother and my sister also became members. Wallace Whitaker was the general manager of Inland at that time and my Dad, Sylvan Connair, Sr. was plant engineer and as such he worked with Raymond Sovey who came from NYCity to design the set for our concerts. To start with we did not have an equal number of boys and girls in the "concert" choir as is evident in some of the "Inlander" issues I have. The "darling" of the chorus at that time was Angela Mae Lehman who lived on Forest Ave. Paula Shay was only one of the many Shays to sing in the chorus. As a sidebar, Dick Westbrock had an all boys choir which went by the name of "Westbrock Singing Boys" and it is my belief that (I was also a member of this group) since we sang at Christmas time for Richard Grant and his family when they were having dinner on Christmas eve, Grant asked Dick Westbrock if he could form a childrens' chorus if a division of G.M. would sponsor it. Out of this came the sponsorship by Inland. For those of you who don't know the name Dick Grant, he was the president or CEO of G.M. in the 30's and lived in the outskirts of Dayton on an estate that went by the name "Normandy Farms". They raised purebred Jersey or Gurnsey cattle. Back to other info about the "chorus", we rehearsed at the "Dayton Industries" building which had been the YMCA but is now the Dayton Municipal building. From there we went to the Loretto and then to the Dayton Young Women's Club on 4th St. near Lowe's theater. After that I think rehearsals went back to the Loretto. I could share more memories but I think I've gone on long enough for now.
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