David Clarke founded the East Central Minnesota Chorale in 1980. Clarke was choral director at Cambridge High School, and after leaving Cambridge, became director of music at Normandale Lutheran Church in Edina. Dr. Dennis Port, now the conductor of the Bethel University Choir, also served as director for a few years. Over one hundred fifty East Central Minnesota residents have been members of the Chorale. Some of our members have been involved since the Chorale’s first year.
In the spring of 2007, David Clarke retired as director of the chorale. Mark Potvin, Choral Director at Princeton High School, accepted the position of music director of the Chorale in September 2007.
Throughout the years the Chorale performed in several cities in East Central Minnesota, and the Twin Cities. We performed at regional tours in Duluth, Grand Forks, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Rochester, Marshall, and other Minnesota towns for several years. The Chorale performed at the state convention of the American Choral Directors Association, as well as the ACDA regional convention in Lincoln, Nebraska. Locally, we give three concerts Christmas, mid winter, and spring.
Our repertoire includes everything from classical Renaissance to Contemporary choral selections and oratorios, to folk songs and spirituals, as well as Broadway and pops arrangements.
In recent years, we invited local high school choirs to join us in a Major Works concert, performed with orchestra and professional soloists. The concerts provide a unique experience for area high school singers.
A native of Detroit Lakes and a resident of Princeton, Mark Potvin is in his fifth season as artistic director for the East Central Minnesota Chorale (ECMC). He serves as conductor of both the adult ensemble and Unum Vox, ECMC’s resident high school honor choir representing Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine counties.
In addition to his work with ECMC, Mr. Potvin is vocal music instructor at Princeton High School. At PHS, he directs the curricular Concert Choir, Women’s Choir, and Ninth Grade Mixed Chorus as well as two extracurricular jazz choirs. Choirs under his direction have performed at conventions of the Minnesota Music Educators Association and American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota (ACDA-MN), as well as at the Dorian Choral Invitational at Luther College, and in the Choral Arts Finale at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.
Mr. Potvin has also worked as a graduate assistant and adjunct faculty member at St. Cloud State University where he served as associate conductor of the SCSU Concert Choir (2008-2010) and conductor of the Chamber Singers (2008-2009) and Men’s Choir (2009-2011). He holds a MM from St. Cloud State University and a BA from Luther College in Decorah, IA. His conducting mentors include Weston Noble, Timothy Peter, Lee Nelson, and Matthew Ferrell.
In the fall of 2008, Mark was named “Outstanding Young Choral Director” by ACDA-MN, an organization he served as Editor of its award-winning journal, Star of the North, from 2008-2011. He currently volunteers with ACDA-MN as Repertoire and Standards Chair for Men’s Choirs. He has twice been selected as “Advisor of the Year” by the Princeton Schools Activities Department for his work with the PHS Chamber Singers and Fall Musical. Mr. Potvin is an active member of ACDA, ACDA-MN, MENC, MMEA, and Education Minnesota.
Mark is happily married to Susan Potvin who teaches 7th and 8th grade instrumental music at Salk Middle School in Elk River. They are the proud parents of two boys: Noah and Simon.
Mary Kay O'Neill earned her B.A. degree from Concordia College, Moorhead, in elementary education and music, and an M.F.A degree from the University of Minnesota in organ performance and piano pedagogy. She has studied organ with Ruth Berge, Stephen Gabrielsen, and Heinrich Fleischer. Post-graduate piano study was with Celeste O'Brien at Augsburg College for five years, during which time she performed three recitals. Mary Kay is the organist, accompanist, and handbell choir director at Cambridge Lutheran Church, a position she has held since 1987. She is a member of the Twin Cities Area Suzuki Piano Teachers Guild, having served as president for two years. As a certified Suzuki piano teacher, she maintains a private piano studio in Cambridge.
| Matt Born, President | Renee King |
| Maureen Bartz, Vice President | Charles King |
| Lowell Becker, Treasurer | John Lindquist |
| Leah Volker, Secretary | Jean Knight |
| Arne Everson, Manager |
| Soprano I | Alto I | Tenor I | Bass I |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brea Lutterman | Maureen Bartz | Scott Iverson | Bob Begg |
| Angie O'Keefe | Muriel Bungert | Judy Franke | Matt Born |
| Marlys Olson | Jean Knight | Joanne Ploetz | Donald Deye |
| Pam Wilhelm | Marya Willert | Monte Dybvig | Charles King |
| Steve Tou | |||
| Soprano II | Alto II | Tenor II | Bass II |
| Beth Hanson | Linda Hove | Arne Everson | Phil Anderson |
| Del Rae Head | Lorrie Larson | Donn Fredlund | Lowell Becker |
| Renee King | Shannon Shogren | Aaron Knudsveg | Kyle Johnson |
| Jean Pauley | Ellen Siewert | Ken Southorn | Neil Johnson |
| Teresa Rajknowski | LuAnn Stelter | Jim Lutterman | |
| Teri Tou | Tammie Walker | Clare Lillis | |
| Leah Volker | Lynn Yueill | George Walker |