Front row:  Linda Gasau, Janet Hemme, Carolyn Colson, DeEtta Murphy, Connie Sims, Debby Hughson, Judy Teufel - piano, Val Krause, Connie Kriesel
Second row:  Brenda Wulff, Brittany McNicol, Karen Weber, Karen Brandt, Janet Brandt, Carolyn Fieldler, Donna Oetting
Back row:  Carl Colson, Jim Teufel, Steve Krause, Ken Weber, Tim Schelp, Dennis Oetting, David Schelp, Bill Gasau - director



The choirs at Holy Cross, Immanuel, and Christ Lutheran churches didn't always sing together.  It began in 2007 when the best laid plans went awry.  Michelle Willams (the choir director at Holy Cross at the time) was organizing a fall festival of praise with all the choirs of the local churches invited to attend and participate.  The choirs at Holy Cross, Immanuel, and Christ started practicing together to get ready for the evening.  When the event was postponed and eventually canceled, everyone was very disappointed.  "We decided not to let all our hard work go to waste, so we performed our songs at each of the churches."  one choir member recalls, "then it was getting close to Christmas time, so we thought, hey, why not sing some Christmas music too?"  And sing they did.  By the springtime, it was almost a foregone conclusion that the choirs would get together to sing again.  "We enjoy singing in our own smaller choirs, but its a neat experience to sing with the choirs combined.  It adds greater diversity to our numbers and gives the choirs a fuller sound."  The choir was honored last spring by the request of the LLL to provide the entertainment at their semi-annual banquet.  They then capped out the year by performing at the nursing homes in Concordia and Sweet Springs followed by a pot luck dinner.
 
The choir was shocked when their director and piano player, Michelle Williams, announced after the first year that she would be moving out of the area along with her husband who was also a member of the choir.  They have rallied now and have hit the ground running with Mr. Bill Gasau directing accompanied by Judy Tuefel on the piano.  "We miss Michelle, but know that we need to move on if we are going to continue to sing together.  We were thrilled when Bill and Judy agreed to step in.  They are two very talented individuals and we are very blessed to have them."  They are planning four performances this year:  fall, Christmas, Easter, and spring.  They will sing in each of the churches four times and twice in each of the nursing homes.  It's a full schedule, but no one complains.  "We just really enjoy singing together."