Choir celebrates a century of song

By Chris Treadaway

 

RICHMOND CA — A gathering of choirs joined voices March 5 in Concord to sing the praises of one of their own groups reaching 100 years.

 

The annual Pacific Sängerbund Kommers choir concert brought together nine ensembles of the San Francisco-based Pacific Singing Society totaling 330 voices to mark the centennial of the Richmond Chor with a celebration at the Crown Plaza Hotel.

 

The chorus, which is still based in Richmond, was founded by German-American immigrants as an all-male group in 1911; the chorus opened to women in 1977.

 

“This is a one-time historical event,” said Marie Hoffmann, a Martinez resident who is president of both the Richmond Chor and the Pacific Singing Society of San Francisco, an umbrella organization for 15 area choirs.

 

The event in the atrium of the Concord hotel was a sellout and included an opening mass chorus of all 330 voices — “it’s really something to hear,” Hoffmann said — a cake with “100” on it and displays on Richmond Chor’s long history.

 

Past members have worked in the Richmond shipyards, some current members are involved with the Richmond Museum of History and the Chor first performed at the Richmond Auditorium “almost as soon as it was built,” Hoffmann said.

 

The parent organization wanted to hold the concert in Richmond Chor’s hometown, but economics dictated otherwise. “Crown Plaza gave us a nice package,” Hoffmann said. “We have to go by what we can afford.”

 

Like many long-established social groups, the Richmond chorus has had trouble maintaining membership numbers. Active membership is down by 16 people, although there are also non-singing friends of the choir.