A Community Christmas Celebration
Saturday, December 7, 2024
7 p.m.
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Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Staples, MN
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our GOALS
Our goals include:
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• Continued collaboration with professional
composers, directors and choruses
• Maintain focus on outreach to young male
singers in Minnesota through educational programs in partnership with area schools.
• Further the diversity of SAMC repertoire through
incorporation of elements from theater, visual arts
and technology.
• Promote male chorus singing through travel,
outreach, social and performance experiences.
SING with us
The SAMC season kicks off the first Wednesday in
September each year and the chorus welcomes
new members to join us at any time during the year.
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COMMUNITY outreach
For more than 20 years, the Staples Area Men’s Chorus (SAMC) has made it part of our mission to help young men find the joy and richness that singing brings to life. As part of this effort, we work with high school and college music programs to attract and retain male singers for their choral ensembles, and to help them remain strong and vibrant organizations. Each October, these effort culminate in the Real Men Sing Choral Festival.
At no charge to participating schools, the SAMC books the facility, hires a guest conductor and a voice teacher, buys the music, and provides an evening meal. Rehearsals and workshops are scheduled in the afternoon and the event is capped off with a concert in the evening.
In addition to the Festival Chorus of over 200 Singers, the concert also features a high school men’s chorus, a college or university men’s chorus, the SAMC, and selected soloists from the vocal clinic. The Festival has been a resounding success, attracting 200 high school age young men from 15 communities and an appreciative audience that has grown every year as news of the Festival has spread.
Participating high schools are not limited to bringing only their “best” students. They can bring one, four, or all of their male singers to the Festival.
The Festival provides the opportunity to work under some of the very best choral directors in the state, as well as sessions centered on proper vocal technique and getting the best sound out of every singer’s voice.
Every participating school will have the opportunity to have at least one soloist work with the Guest Voice Clinician.
The mentoring and leadership provided by directors, clinicians and chorus members is meant to advance the goals of the event, which are to convince young men that “yes, real men do sing;” to inform them that there are artistic and creative opportunities waiting for them after leaving their high school choirs; to demonstrate that men from many walks of life and many ages, can come together, build community, create enriching music together, and have a great time doing it.
