Hi there,
But I am in the Kolping Saengerchor, I know the facts. More than half of our
70 choir members are fluent in German (and some in Plattdeutsch, Polish and
Russian.) About 40% were born in Germany. Here are some first names: Otger,
Hans, Ferdinand, Klaus, Ingrid, Konrad, Klara, Maria, Werner, Gerda, Hartmut,
Marcus, Gottfried, Josie. Surnames: Allgeyer, Bertke, Eismann, Geisselbracht,
Kappen, Metzger, Schantz, Schlembach, Tepe, Wilke, and many more.
I really wasn't talking about your Kolping Society but its turn will
come. Tell me about the ages of these singers. 
I've been in too many of these groups to accept that any one somehow
different from the rest. It's imply a matter of demographics. The 40%
used to be 100%. Give them a chance to die off already.
There are remnant choruses in various cities of the US. They speak of
a time when such societies had 500,000 members and would have
Sängerfests of many thousands of singers in combined and individual
choruses and audiences only limited by the sizes of the halls they
were performing in. See
I sang in many a Sängerfest myself and these were glorious events but
over time have become a few choirs who are hanging on with old people
and no voices. Even the venerable and oldest German singing society in
the United States, the Philadelphia Maennerchor founded in 1835, died
in 1962.
My friends from Germany tell me that singing societies over there also
have their difficulties attracting young singers. It is a sign of the
times. There are simply too many other things to do.
Before we begin to practice any song, one of our fluent German speakers
translates the song for the few of us who are not entirely fluent. So we know what
we sing. Our director sings with the Cinti Opera. Our pianist also works for
the opera. We have toured Germany three times. You are completely out of line
here.
Why? Because you still exist? Cincinnati Kolping is a big Society. It
may even be the biggest Kolping Verein in the world but at heart it is
a social club far removed from its founders' premise. I've been there
several times to meetings or social events and used to know some of
its leaders like Ted Tegenkamp rather well. Kolping and its
international connections may be keeping the singing group alive and
well for the time being but of the thousands of singing groups which
have disappeared over the years your claim to continued existence is
well meaning but why would you say it is so different from all the
others?
We frequently have families from Germany as visitors to our practices and
concerts. And they feel right at home.
I have found that families from Germany were astounded at hearing
songs, they've not had a chance to hear since their youth, sung in
America. My cousin, who just left here, is a choir director and his
programs are really not of his choosing. He would lose even more
members if he enforced good old fashioned German Volksmusik upon his
singers. They don't want to hear it anymore. Groups who used to come
to the NY Steuben Parade sometimes stayed to also participate in
Philadelphia or would travel through to Washington to see the sights.
A couple times we had an entire busload stop off at our house in NJ
off the turnpike and play for us. I'd have the mayor there, feed them
and give them warm beer (yuck). The kids were modern kids who listened
to American music but played in the local band because it was expected
of them. Believe me it was not their first choice of a fun time.
In our Clubhouse (really Klubhaus) you are as likely to hear a greeting or
conversation in German as in English.
Well, you must know it was really always in German. So things have
changed already.
The Donauschwaben group here in Cincinnati has kids as young as 5-6 active in
their group. And the teens and parents and G-parents are active. Not likely
to die out soon. Again you are out of line.
My dear man. You are talking my comments personally. I know where they
were and were they are today. I also know the Deutsch Ungarn who
preceded them after WWI. They are pretty much gone except for a few
soccer clubs. I could write a book about German socities in America. I
told you that Philadelphia Kolping is now resident at the
Donauschwaben in NE Philadelphia. I was there recently at the
Donauschwabenfest. The dancing groups are still there but you don't
hear the German which used to be spoken. The kids still do their thing
for the grandparents but will "their" kids still perform in those
silly customes? Where is the Deutsche Gesangverein or the Deutsche
Liederkranz founded in Cincinnati way back in the late 1830s? The
Donauschwaben just arrived here after WWII. They still have
connections to their family who founded the groups. They are still
young but like all the other groups who preceeded them, they too will
eventually go away. It's only a matter of time.
The Cincinnati Germans are alive and thriving.
I invite you to our Klubhaus for a conversation and a beer, Prost.
In my travels and much to the dismay of my wife, I try to visit German
clubs, restaurants and churches in my travels wherever I go. You can
even take a look at the Philadelphia German Brass Band performing at
the Philadelphia Vereinigung Erzgebirge on their annual Sports and
Octoberfest at:
http://fredrump.phanfare.com/album/110187/127120#imageID=6241090
I even discovered some pics from the Museumsdorf in Cloppenburg:
http://fredrump.phanfare.com/album/105235#imageID=5566975
Bottom line to this discussion is that all things come and go. It may
take a couple generations but integration into the American melting
pot has never been closed for any Caucasian group. It is inevitable.
Fred