Musiktidning February 1981

              Official Journal of the American Union of Swedish Singers (USPS 368-840)
Vol. LXXV CHICAGO, IL, FEBRUARY, 1981 No. 2
1890 — Sveas Soner Singing Society — 1980
Sveas Soner was organised in January
of 1890 with Alfred Larson as its first
president. He continued his leadership
for many years and it was fitting that
he was chosen later as the builder for
the Sveas Soner Music Hall in Rockford,
111. The society at first rented a hall on
East State Street and soon after, one on
Seventh Street. In 1894 a suite of rooms
was rented in the Syndicate Block on
Seventh Street but in January of 1895
a fire destroyed everything with no in-surance
to cover the loss. History tells
us that the singers never missed a rehear-sal
fcr they immediately rented quarters
on Kisliwaukee Street.
In 1892 Sveas Soner members pur-chased
our present site on Seventh Street
for $10,000 and prepared plans for their
new headquarters. The foundation and
walls were built for this $54,000 project.
Then came the great "crash" of 1893 and
the society was forced to declare bank-ruptcy.
The building stood with just
foundation and walls for two years.
(History seems to have repeated itself in
1980). Fortunately a Mr. Woodruff
bought up the claims and completed the
building as we know it. In 1896 he
rented the second floor to our society and
singers. Some years later he sold it to
the Sveas Soner Society for $28,000 —
his cost to complete the building.
Yes, it seems like ancient history but
it brings us to 1980 and our disastrous
fire. Much singing and hard work by
dedicated people has transpired through
the many years we have been in exist-ence.
Following the purchase of the
Seventh Street building Sveas Soner So-ciety
became one of the finest Swedish
Clubs in Rockford and among its mem-bers
were prominent industrialists who
made Rockford known for its furniture
and machine tools, such as Levin Faust,
P. A. Peterson, J. A. Landstrom, Hugo
Olson, and the Ekstrom Brothers, just to
name a few.
In the beginning there has always been
a chorus, the first one being directed by
C. H. Oberg. Next a professor from
Sweden, Wm. Swenson, was hired, he
DR. BERNHARDT WESTLUND
Director, Sveas Soner
also served as organist for Zion Lutheran
Church. While he was the director the
chorus joined AUSS. Following prof.
Swenson, for a two year period, was
A. B. Ohman. When he resigned the
chorus was without a director for sev-eral
years and during this period the
chorus almost "died.11 But good fortune
came in the person of John Ortengren of
Chicago who directed the singers for
sixteen years, making it into one of the
best choruses in the country. In fact,
four singers were members of an elite
chorus who toured Sweden in concert
in 1910.
About 1941 Gustaf Ohlson from the
chorus ranks took the baton and directed
the gingers for the next thirty years. The
years under his leadership put Sveas
Soner over the top. Harry T. Carlson
succeeded Mr. Ohlson and remained as
director until about 1950. Last, but not
least, we come to our present director,
Dr. Bernhardt Westlund, who has served
as our inspiring leader for thirty years.
Our chorus still has three members
who sang in the '40's: Joe Carlson,
La Verne Johnson and LaVerne Bargren.
The Sveas Soner Chorus has given many
successful concerts to enthusiastic Rock-ford
area audiencess many times featur-ing
along with the chorus well known
musical artists.
One of the highlights in the history of
Sveas Soner was their 75th anniversary
in 1965. An anniversary that culmin-ated
in a concert tour of Sweden with
trips to Copenhagen, Oslo, Paris, Lon-don,
and Dublin. Concerts were given
in many cities in Sweden, with very
favorable critique from the press every-where.
A visit was made at King Gus-tav
Adolf VTs summerpalace in Skane
and the King was presented a miniature
statue of Abraham Lincoln from the
Governor of Illinois. The presentation
was made by Bernie Bishop, tour leader,
Dr. Bernhardt Westlund, chorus direc-tor,
and Robert Barrick, chorus presi-dent.
On the graves of Hugo Alfven
and Dag Hammarskjold a tribute of
flowers were made.
Sveas Soner is now at another cross-road.
It is no longer a totally ethnic
chorus of singers with Swedish roots —
but a great group of men who love to
sing not only songs with Scandinavian
origins but also music from our own
American heritage and that of many
other countries. Wish us well as we
continue our membership with the Amer-ican
Union of Swedish Singers.
For the Sveas Soner Board,
Jim Light cap.
• Reacting to nuclear safety
Some 700 scientists and decision-makers
from 43 countries attended a five-day con-ference
on nuclear power safety issues
held by the International Atomic Energy
Agency in Stockholm. Swedish Energy
Minister Carl Axel Petri called for an in-ternational
nuclear safety agreement which
would stipulate minimum reactor levels.
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