47 Years and
Counting
Welcome to the 47th season of the Bismarck-Mandan Civic Chorus. As we near a half-century of enriching lives and promoting choral music in the Bismarck-Mandan area, we look back at some of those who have, and still are, ensuring the continued success of the Chorus.
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In 1977, a group of vocally gifted artists from the Bismarck-Mandan community came together to form the Bismarck-Mandan Civic Chorus, with director Theodor Duda, accompanist Julie Schwartz and board president Bruce Schwartz, and performed a single concert. Tom Porter, Debi Rogers, Clyde Bauman and Kim Shaw were founding members of that group and are still active in the Chorus to this day. Porter sang with the Chorus for several years in the 1980s and began his tenure as director in 1993.
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Rogers is a musician, teacher and actor who has performed with the Chorus for 46 consecutive years. She plays the Gaelic wire-strung harp and is as enthusiastic performing from concert halls and outdoor festivals as she is in senior centers and theatrical stages.
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Clyde Bauman is a teaching and performing musician. He teaches music at Bismarck State College and has worked as a music and entertainment professional for more than 40 years, presenting more than 6,000 performances across the country in the areas of musical comedy, classical music, gospel music, and theatre. He has been featured with the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra, Missouri Valley Chamber Orchestra, the Bismarck-Mandan Civic Chorus, Dakota Chamber Chorale, and many other groups. He is perhaps best known for his “Mylo Hatzenbuhler” comedy shows. Clyde and his wife, Janet, live in Bismarck.
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Bill Franke and his wife, Barbara, have been singing in the Chorus since 1980. Franke also served as director from 1987 to 1991. Kim Shaw begins her 31st season singing with the BMCC. She has been a soloist for several concerts and special events.​

These longtime members have set a standard that influences other members of BMCC and impacts the communities of Bismarck and Mandan. In the nearly half-century since its first presentation, the Chorus has been performing concerts and conducting outreach events to entertain audiences and introduce choral music to future generations of music lovers. ​
In 1983, BMCC performed at the regional convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Lincoln, Neb. In 1998, during the 20th anniversary season, the chorus performed in Carnegie Hall in New York City. The Chorus regularly collaborates with other arts and community organizations in the Bismarck-Mandan area and throughout the state. Recent collaborations include
​the Central Dakota Children’s Choir, Bismarck-Mandan ​
Symphony Orchestra, Missouri Valley Chamber Orchestra, THEO Art School, Northern Plains Dance, Bismarck State College Art Department, area middle school choirs, Bismarck-Mandan Garden Club, Minot Chamber Chorale, Chuck Suchy, West River Winds, Mott High School Choir, B’Lattitude and Harvey's Centennial Men’s Choir.

Debi Rogers is a musician, teacher and actor who has performed with the Chorus for 47 consecutive years.

Clyde Bauman is a teaching and performing musician who has worked as a music and entertainment professional for more than 40 years.