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Our Origins
In the summer of 2006, Elizabeth Bertz Westlund, a graduate
of Sibley High School in the West St. Paul/Mendota Heights area of Minnesota, took the initiative in establishing the first community choir in Northern Dakota County. She did this to honor the much-admired former . Sibley High choir director Garland O. Lockrem. Starting with some of “Gar’s”
past choir members, and eventually
attracting other choral singers from throughout Northern Dakota County and surrounding areas, this choir has grown to have over 50 members of various ages and backgrounds.
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| 1920 - 2006 |
During Gar’s 25-year tenure at Sibley High, in addition to teaching
music theory and art, he conducted the A
Capella Choir, the Carillon Singers,
and the Men’s Choir. He always sought to provide
challenging, excellent music for his young vocalists, and his influence was wide-ranging. From the very first year of his Sibley teaching career, Gar prepared concerts
at Christmas time that included
not only the Sibley choirs and
band and orchestra but also other choirs from throughout the school district. He even engaged his art students in painting the huge backdrops for these productions. One description of a past holiday concert states that there were 650 students
taking part!
In the mid-1960s and 70s, Sibley’s A Cappella Choir was honored to perform with the Minnesota Orchestra, and not once, but several times. One guest performance, in particular, indicated a huge vote of confidence in Gar’s young students: They were invited to appear with the Orchestra when it premiered “Carre” by Karlheinz Stockhausen, which is a modern choral-orchestral work incorporating dissonance and unconventional notation–not the usual stuff of high school vocalists.
In 1969 and again in 1972, the Sibley
A Capella Choir traveled abroad. It was graciously received wherever it went, whether performing in plazas, concert halls, or magnificent, sonorous cathedrals. The choir also spent time at a music festival in Freiburg, Germany, singing with other groups from
all over Europe. Gar understood
what impact the summer tours
would have on his young students both musically and educationally–how their perceptions of their own potential and of the world might change.
Throughout
his years at Sibley, Garland Lockrem’s contagious love of people and music-making endeared him to his students
and their families. He left a legacy of singers
who still love to vocalize in harmony and who understand
why beauty in sound could sometimes move him to tears. Because Gar challenged
his students to perform the very
best in a cappella sacred and
secular music, the Gar Lockrem
Community Choir, named in his honor,
continues to pursue that goal.
Our Mission As
a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, our mission is to perform high-quality choral music for the community and to promote
music education in Minnesota schools through scholarships and grants. This mission is made possible in large part by contributions
from our audience members and sponsors. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to: The Gar Lockrem Community Choir, Inc. P.O. 169
1670 South Robert Street |
