Let's do flowers. Can we go on... Poppy, petunia, poppy, petunia, gladiola
singing in a higher pitch
children
Poppy, petunia, poppy, petunia, gladiola Not too bad. And for your last warm up, can I have-- Let's do "Danny Boy." At Jefferson Middle School in Madison, Garrett Debbink leads the after-school choir. Here we go!
plays piano accompaniment of "We Found Love"
children
Nice and loud. Yellow diamonds in the light I started it when I got here six years ago. It's called Loud and Clear. We always do the pop stuff, the newer stuff. A cappella has a little bit more of a draw and it's what the kids are into. From modern pop... Can you feel that? We're playing with love tonight ...to more old school.
choir singing in German
children
Es wird schon gleich dunkel es wird ja schon Nacht Lots of energy first tenors. Don't lose that pitch. Garrett also directs the Madison Maennerchor.
Choir singing "Ein Prosit" in German
children
Ein Prosit der Gematlichkeit Being able to be a director for a choir that's been around for 165 years is really something special. Cool, that'll be good. A choir founded in 1852 to be exact by German immigrants, four years after Wisconsin became a state. They would go to work and then they would go to the bar. And this was their entertainment. They would have a couple drinks and sing songs. I think it's a really interesting history that we've kind of lost. The men's choir originally came to the New World with Old World ways and forged a rich tradition around the state and in Madison. Most of it is four-part men's choral music. So it's tenor one, tenor two, baritone, bass. When Grover Cleveland visited Wisconsin in 1887, it was the Madison Maennerchor that serenaded the U.S. president......in German. Today, the songs are still sung in German.
Announcer
Please welcome Madison Maennerchor.
applause
Announcer
tuning note
Announcer
Ein prosit alle hier sind That's you and you and you Lebe, Liebe, Lache Freu dich auf der Welt My German is actually very rough. I've been learning, but it's not a prerequisite at all.
"O Tannenbaum"
Announcer
In dem Baum In dem Baum Wo es schallt So, I'm looking at measure five, second verse. Wie oft hat nicht zur Weihnachtszeit It was extremely intimidating. Some of these guys have been singing these songs longer than I've been alive. And to then show up and be like, "I know how these songs go." Eventually, I did kind of step into the role as someone with music and choral and directing background.
singing a sustained note
Announcer
Everyone take a seat. We sang this one on Friday and it sounded great. So, same thing. If you weren't-- If you weren't there on Friday, don't muck it up for us.
laughter
Announcer
German choir culture in Wisconsin has withstood the test of time. In der Wald mit Hiya und TraLa Trinke Bier
applause
Announcer
I think it's one of the more unique things about this choir. It was a tradition back in Germany. As time has gone on, this tradition, a four-part male choir singing, has actually, to my knowledge, mostly disappeared and has really stayed alive with the descendants of German immigrants here in the states. Schon gleich dunkel Here in Madison, it could also disappear. This is the oldest German men's choir in the state. Old in two ways. In a one-horse open sleigh Oh! Most of the guys are old enough to be my grandpa's or at least my dad's age. I'm pretty sure I'm actually the youngest person in the choir. The choir's not getting younger.
Choir singing in German
Announcer
Garrett's goal is to grow the choir and strike a chord in finding that balance between the old and new through singing, socializing, sausage, and Sheepshead. I think that's one of my favorite things. No matter who you are, there's a place
00 to 9
30 that you can show up. It is creating that sense of community where people feel welcome, where people have fun. I get to do that for a living. And I think that's one of the best things.
Choir singing
00 to 9
And du And du
applause
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