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I want to thank my sister Frances Elizabeth Koelmel Van Dexter for the three photographs of the 15th Sängerfest which was held in Troy, New York on 23 - 24 - 25 June 1950 at the world-renowned Troy Music Hall. The Festdirigent was Mr. Arthur G. Laabs.
Click on the photos below for a full view.
In the Damenchor photo Frances is in the front row, third from the left. Fourth from the left is our cousin Elizabeth (Betty) Schoenagel Biro and fifth from the left is her sister Ann Bridget Schoenagel Wichelns.
In the Gemischterchor photo the three cousins are seated 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the first row left side. Our father, Hermann Koelmel (white hair) is singing in the first row 10th to the right of the Music Director (white hanky in breast pocket).
In the Männerchor photo Hermann (white hair, bow tie) is singing in the first row 3rd from the left of the Music Director, behind the pianist's music.
An interesting side note is the stage floor. The wide plank flooring is actually an extension to the original stage. Member builder George Betke, who had completed the Germania Hall fire restoration in 1948, built the temporary extension for the occasion of the 15th Sängerfest. His work was so good in fact that the owners of the Troy Music Hall, the Troy Savings Bank, used this temporary extension for another 53 years, until 2003 after which it was replaced.
Herman A. Koelmel, New York State Sängerbund President
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