What is the
New York State Sängerbund?

As German-speaking immigrants settled around the state, they brought with them a love of choral singing and formed choruses like those back in their heimat. In 1897 twenty-two choruses pledged to support each other, encourage competitive singing, and advocate camaraderie. Thus the sängerbund was founded.

This host association is the umbrella organization uniting German choruses from throughout New York State. Our mission is to promote and advance German culture, heritage, and tradition through music and song to communities all over the state. We meet these objectives in several ways:

• Encourage and support local concerts, festivals, and celebrations of traditional Germanic heritage.
  
  
• Promote the triennial statewide competitive singing festival known as a Sängerfest. The Sängerfest comprises three days of concerts, dances, and competitive choral singing events.
  
  
• Distribute grants for German scholarship, youth choral programs, and funding for public concerts and community education.

Around the State    2008

This Calendar of Events is provided to help publicize German events scheduled throughout the year. Please support our choral brothers and sisters as you travel in New York State and perhaps are visiting a New York State Sängerbund member-verein city. We present this only as a guide and do not guarantee its accuracy. Therefore, please contact the appropriate verein for any last minute changes. If you have any additions, corrections, or changes please contact the webmaster.

Wed 2

Troy

Board of Director's Meeting

Sun 6

Albany

General Membership Meeting

2:00 - 5:00 PM

Wed 9

Troy

Rod and Gun Club Meeting

Sun 13

Poughkeepsie

Nederlands Dinner

1:00 PM

$15.00

Sat 19

Albany

Wurstfest $6.00

4:00 PM

Big Wally

Sat 19

Poughkeepsie

Semi-Annual Meeting

1:00 PM

Sat 19

Utica

Open Pitch Tournament

12:30 PM

Please bring food to share!

Sun 20

Kingston

Pizza Party & Raffle

1:00 to 5 PM

Big Wally

Sun 20

Poughkeepsie

Schlactfest

2 - 6 PM

Bud Gramer

Sun 20

Troy

Annual Meeting

Mon 21

Utica

Monthly Meeting

7:00 PM

Club Member's

Sun 27

Troy

Breakfast - Brunch

8:30 - 11:30 AM.

$5.00

Sun 27

Utica

Chicken & Biscuits Dinner

12 - 4 PM

Reservations Required

Sat 2

Kingston

Fasching-Mardi Gras Dance

7:30 PM - 11:30 PM

Big Wally

Sat 2

Utica

Fasching/Mardi Gras Ball

Dinner 6 PM

Fritz's Polka Band

Sun 3

Troy

Super Bowl Party

Rathskeller

Wed 6

Troy

Board of Director's Meeting

Sat 9

Troy

Board of Director's Meeting

Sweetheart Ball

Wed 13

Troy

Rod and Gun Club Meeting

Sun 17

Poughkeepsie

Hungarian International Luncheon

1:00 PM

Hungarian Csárdás

Mon 18

Troy

SVA Meeting & Elections

Sun 24

Troy

Breakfast - Brunch

8:30 - 11:30 AM.

$5.00

Sun 1

Poughkeepsie

Frühlings Gala

5:30 PM    $70

Norbert Dengler Orchestra

Sat 15

Troy

St. Patrick's Day Party

Fri

Gloversville

St Patrick's Day

7:00PM

Corned Beef & Cabbage

Sun 30

Kingston

Brunch

9:30AM - 12:30PM

Albany

Hungarian Dinner

5:00 PM

Gypsy Music by Budai Sandor

Sat 19

Kingston

Spring Dance

7:30 PM - 11:30 PM

Big Wally

Sun 20

Buffalo

Deutsche Messe

10:00 AM

St. Ann's RCC, Buffalo

Sun 27

Utica

NYSSB BMC Meeting

2:00 to 5:00 PM

Hosted by Utica Männerchor

Sun

Troy

Life & New Members Banquet

Rsv Rq 6:00 PM

Big Wally

Sat

Troy

S.V Alpenklang Bauernball

Rsv Rq 6:00 PM

Sun

Troy

Mothers Day Breakfast

Rsv Rq 9:00 AM - Noon

All You Can Eat Buffet

Sat

Albany

Spring Dinner-Dance

6:00 PM

The Rizzos

Sat 17

Kingston

Spring Concert & Dance

7:00PM - 12:30AM

Bud & Linda

Sat 29

Binghamton

Memorial Day
Breakfast in the Woods

8:00 - 11:00 AM

Bavarian Musikverein

Sun

Albany

German Day Picnic

1:00 PM

16-20

Kingston

5 Day Trip

Niagara Falls

Toronto Canada

Sun 22

Kingston

Kaffeeklatsch

2:00 to 6:00 PM

Big Wally

Sun

Troy

Rod & Gun Club Picnic
Tomhannock Reservoir

Noon - Dusk

Chicken BBQ 4:30 PM
George 518 283-0654

Binghamton

4th of July
Breakfast in the Woods

8 - 11 AM

Binghamton

Julyfest

4 - 11 PM

Night Sounds

Binghamton

Julyfest

4 - 6 PM
6 - 7 PM
7 - 11 PM

Bavarian Musikverein
Moravian Dancers
Joe Weber

Albany

Old Time Picnic

1:00 PM

Bavarian Barons

Sun 10

Kingston

Gartenfest

1:00 to 5:00 PM

Sun

Albany

Summer Picnic

1:00 PM

Mountain Tops

Aug 31 -
Sept 1

Buffalo

German-American
Federation Celebration

TBA

Cheektowaga
Town Park

Sat

Binghamton

Labor Day
Breakfast in the Woods

8 - 11 AM

Bavarian Musikverein

Sat ____

New York City

Steuben Day Parade

Bus Trip

Sat 23

Kingston

Leberkäse Dinner/Dance

5:00 - 9:00 PM

Big Wally

Sat

Binghamton

Harvest Dinner Dance
    and Oktoberfest

5:30 - 11 PM

Fritz's Polka Band

Sat

Troy

German American Day Banquet

Cocktails 5:00 PM
Dinner 6:00 PM

Rsv Rq The Continentals

Sat

Albany

Oktoberfest Dinner-Dance

6:00 PM

Big Wally

Sat-Sun
18-19

Buffalo

NYSSB Convention

Buffalo Schwaben Chor

Sun 19

Kingston

Schlachtfest

1:00 - 5:00 PM

Pork Dinner

Sat

Troy

Männerchor-Damenverein
Anniversary Banquet

Cocktails 5:30 PM
Dinner 6:00 PM

Rsv Rq Big Wally

Sat

Binghamton

Annual Banquet & Concert

5 - 11 PM

Memory Makers

Sun

Albany

Sportler Dinner

2:00 PM

CD Music

Sat 15

Buffalo Schwaben Chor 128th Concert/Dance

w Spatzen Kinderchor

W Senca Middle School
Gregor's Grove

Sat 22

Kingston

Liederabend & Dance

7:00 PM to 12:30 AM

Bud & Linda

Sat

Troy

Bavarian Night Rsv Rq

Cocktails 5:30 PM
Dinner 6:00 PM

Sun 7

Kingston

Kinder Christmas Party

1:30 - 4:30 PM

Santa Claus

Sat

Binghamton

German Club Christmas Party

6 - 10 PM

TBA

Buffalo

Weihnachtskonzert
w German American Musicians

7:30 PM

Lancaster Opera House

Sun

Albany

Christmas Dinner-Dance

2:00 PM

Mountain Tops

Sun

Troy

Adult Christmas Party

Rsv Rq - TBA

The Continentals

Sun 21

Kingston

German Christmas Service

1:00 - 4:30 PM

Trinity Lutheran Church

Mon 22

Kingston

Staff Christmas Party

7:00 - 10:00 PM

Singers/Workers

Sun

Troy

Children's Christmas Party

2:00 PM to 4:30PM

Rsv Rq NO CHARGE

Sun __

Poughkeepsie

German Christmas Service

Albany

New Years Eve Dance

8:00 PM

Big Wally

Immigrants from many lands contributed to the melting pot of American musical creativity. A specifically American form of musical culture emerged in the 19th century at a time when the German element in the United States was most active and effective in shaping musical tastes and traditions. German singing societies, the Sängerbunde, were formed to give testimony to the German-Americans' perennial love for music, sociability and conviviality.

Unfortunately, the Germans found it difficult to integrate in sizable organizations and had a tendency to dissipate their social energies in small groups. By 1881 in Cincinnati, where the Nord-Amerikanischen Sängerbund was formed in 1849, there were 18 major German clubs and six different choral societies. When new works by Richard Strauss demanded a larger scope of the choir, a recommendation was made to add female voices.

Singing societies in the cities of the Atlantic states felt the Nord-Amerikanische Sängerbund was too far west, so they formed their own Nord-Östliche League in 1850. In July of 1897, Karl Koch of Albany attended the Nord-Östliche Sängerfest in Philadelphia and conceived the idea of forming a Sängerbund in Upstate New York. At an annual meeting of the editors of the German Newspapers Association, Koch, a poet and the editor of the Albany Sonntags Journal, wrote an article calling for the establishment of such an organization. He was supported by John C. Schreiber, editor of the Utica Deutsche Zeitung, and Jacob Birkmayer, editor of the Troy Freie Presse. The next month, on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of the Troy Männerchor, a number of societies pledged themselves to this endeavor and in October of 1897, at its first convention in Albany, representatives of 22 societies signed the provisional constitution of the Central New York Sängerbund and elected its first officers.

Sängerfeste were held in 1898 in Utica, 1901 in Albany, 1903 in Syracuse, 1906 in Troy, 1908 in Utica, 1911 in Albany and 1913 in Syracuse. During World War I, the societies strictly adhered to singing and remained neutral following the precepts of their adopted country. ln 1922, the Sängerbund celebrated its 25th anniversary at the Arion Hall in Syracuse and resumed the Sängerfeste in Troy, in 1925 in Buffalo, 1928 in Schenectady, 1931 in Poughkeepsie, 1934 in Rochester and 1937 in Utica.

For its first 41 years, the Sängerbund was restricted to male singers but various singing societies had already formed their own ladies' choruses. On October 30,1938, Elsie Dossert of Syracuse organized these ladies' choruses into the Vereinigte Frauenchöre of Central New York (United Women's Choruses of Central New York). Since then, this organization has been extremely supportive of the Sängerbund and instrumental in its development.

The Sängerfeste were interrupted again during World War II and resumed in 1947 in Syracuse on the 50th anniversary of the Central New York Sängerbund at which time the United Women's Choruses of Central New York presented the Sängerbund with its first Bundesfahne. This flag was cherished and proudly displayed at official meetings of the Sängerbund for the next eleven years. Subsequent Sängerfeste were held in 1950 in Troy, 1953 in Buffalo and 1956 in Syracuse. On the occasion of the 1959 Sängerfest in Rochester, the United Women's Chorus of Central New York presented a new flag, based on an original design by Hans Brand of the Syracuse Liederkranz. This flag replaced the original which had been consumed by a fire that destroyed Germania Hall of Poughkeepsie where it was being stored temporarily. This new flag was another masterpiece of the Kunststickerei of Baden-Württemberg which had crafted the original flag.

The Sängerfeste continued in 1962 in Utica, 1965 in Albany, 1968 in Buffalo, 1971 in Troy, 1974 in Poughkeepsie, 1977 in Albany and, in 1980, the 25th and final Sängerfest of the Central New York Sängerbund was held in Utica. After almost 30 years of discussion, the Central New York Sängerbund merged with the United Women's Choruses of Central New York in September 1980 during the convention in Syracuse and both organizations were united under the name of the New York State Sängerbund. The event was commemorated by the attachment of two richly embroidered banners to the Bundesfahne. The office of president of the United Women's Choruses ceased after the merger and Carol Daly took office as the first vice-president of the New York Sängerbund. Karl Haeussel continued as president of the new organization until his death in 1984. He was succeeded by Carol Daly, elected in 1986 and re-elected in 1989. In 1992 Werner Franz was elected President and reelected in 1995 and 1997. He was succeeded by Herman Koelmel, elected in 2000 and reelected in 2003.

With the uniting of the men's and ladies' choruses, the Sängerfeste continued with the additional competition of mixed and ladies' groups in 1983 in Troy, 1986 in Binghamton, 1989 in Utica, 1992 in Syracuse and 1995 in Binghamton.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the New York State Sängerbund, the 31st Sängerfest was advanced to 1997 and hosted by the Utica Männerchor and Ladies Chorus. Thereafter, the tri-ennial cycle was resumed with the 32nd Sängerfest in 2000 in Buffalo. The Sängerfest was hosted by the Buffalo Schwaben Choir and celebrated the end of the Twentieth Century.

To start the new millennium, the choruses of the New York State Sängerbund, under the direction and guidance of the Bundes Music committee, developed Prize Singing rules to be applied to the 2003 Sängerfest competition. These rules were designed to promote and encourage more participation by all choruses of the Saengerbund by adding a non-competitive category of performance for the Saengerfest. All choruses will be able to continue their musical skills with pride, dignity, satisfaction, and self esteem while maintaining the substance and essence of our rich German heritage.

The Kingston Männerchor and Damenchor hosted the 33rd Sängerfest, for the first time ever in Ulster County's Mid-Hudson River Valley and Catskill Mountain Region. An integral part of this Sängerfest was the participation of the kinderchore represented by the Buffalo Spatzen, Utica, Poughkeepsie Germania, and the Engelchor from Kingston. In a tribute to Gemütlichkeit, Freundschaft, and Kameradschaft the 6th, 7th, and 8th of June 2003 was dedicated to a weekend of German culture and tradition through music and song.