Latest News


Seeking new director
 Date Posted: Wed, Jan 31 2024
The Fox Valleyaires Men’s Barbershop Chorus in Appleton, Wisconsin is looking for a Chorus Director to lead weekly rehearsals and prepare the Chorus for our spring show, other public performances, and contests.
The Director has input on matters of music selection, arrangement, and stage presence.
We currently rehearse on Tuesday nights from 7pm to 9:30pm at First English Lutheran Church downtown site.
There is a family atmosphere in our chorus.  Rehearsals are focused on learning music, but fun and laughter are always abundant.
Interested persons can obtain more information and/or apply by contacting:  Jerry Ader at 920-735-3663 or  jdader812@gmail.com
Responses appreciated by March 31, 2024.

Give your loved one a Singing Valentine!
 Date Posted: Thu, Jan 25 2024
Dazzle your sweetest with a Singing Valentine!

We will send a quartet in formal attire to your loved one's home, workplace, or just about anywhere else to surprise them with a long stem red rose, a customized card, and two love songs!  We'll also take a photo with your loved one and the quartet.

The valentines will be delivered on Wednesday, February 14, 2024 from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.  The cost is $40, and balloons or extra roses can be added for an additional charge. 

To order a valentine, simply call Richard Staedt at 920-734-9495.  He can answer any questions you have and schedule your surprise gift to your sweetheart!

Chill Factor wins the District Championship! House of Chords is the District Novice Champion!
 Date Posted: Mon, Oct 16 2023
On October 14, 2023, at the Land O' Lakes Fall Convention in Minneapolis, two of the Fox Valleyaires' chapter quartets took top honors!

Our very own Chill Factor Quartet became the 2023 District Quartet Champion!  Tenor Michael Blair, Lead James Estes, Baritone Chris Vander Pas, and Bass Jeremy Pues sang beautifully, and the Fox Valleyaires is proud to be their home chapter.

Another of our chapter quartets, House of Chords, was named the 2023 District Novice Quartet Champion!  Tenor Aaron Studemann, Lead Lynn Kopitzke, Baritone Jim Vandenberg, and Bass Brian Hildebrandt put on an amazing performance as well.

Come hear them both sing on our next chapter show!



Sing with the Fox Valleyaires this Christmas!
 Date Posted: Tue, Oct 10 2023
Ever wanted to try out singing some barbershop, but aren't sure how to get started?  We have the perfect opportunity for you!  The Fox Valleyaires is inviting men who like to sing to join us during our Christmas shows on November 29 and December 5, 2023.  Toward the end of the shows, the Christmas Chorus community members will join the Fox Valleyaires on stage for several barbershop Christmas songs.  It is a lot of fun!

You don't need to read music, and we provide you with learning track recordings to practice with at home.

This is free, and there are no strings attached or any obligation to continue after the Christmas shows.

To participate, join us for at least two of the following 1-hour rehearsals on Tuesdays at 7:00 PM: November 14, 21, and 28.  (The rehearsal on November 28 runs from 7:00PM - 9:30PM.)  We meet at:

First English Lutheran Church - North Site
6331 N. Ballard Road
Appleton, WI 54913
(North of Appleton North High School)

If you are interested, please fill out our online signup form, or contact Ken Bester at 920-915-2912 with any questions.  This will allow us to be able to contact you with any last minute changes.  We look forward to singing with you!




 
United We Sing!
 Date Posted: Thu, Apr 27 2023
Sing with the Fox Valleyaires this summer!

We are inviting men from the community to sing with us on "America the Beautiful" and "The Armed Forces Medley" at two performances this summer: the Kimberly Amphitheater Show on June 11, and on the "Brats, Beer, and Beethoven" symphony concert at the Fox Cities Stadium on July 15.

To participate, you will attend Tuesday evening rehearsals from 7:00-7:45 PM on May 16, May 23, May 30, and June 6 to learn the two songs.  If you attend at least three of those four rehearsals, you can sing with us at the Kimberly Amphitheater show on June 11.  To sing at "Brats, Beer, and Beethoven" on July 15, you must also attend a rehearsal on Tuesday, July 11.

Participation in our United We Sing program this summer is FREE!

Rehearsals are at First English Lutheran Church at 6331 North Ballard Road in Appleton, about a mile north of Appleton North High School.

If you would like to join us or you have any questions, contact Ken, our Membership VP, at membershipvp@foxvalleyaires.com, or just show up at our first rehearsal on May 16 at 7:00 PM.  See you there!

Give your loved one a Singing Valentine!
 Date Posted: Wed, Dec 21 2022
Dazzle your sweetest with a Singing Valentine!

We will send a quartet in formal attire to your loved one's home, workplace, or just about anywhere else to surprise them with a long stem red rose, a customized card, and two love songs!  We'll also take a photo with your loved one and the quartet.

The valentines will be delivered on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.  The cost is $50, and balloons or extra roses can be added for an additional charge. 

To order a valentine, simply call Richard Staedt at 920-734-9495.  He can answer any questions you have and schedule your surprise gift to your sweetheart!

Come sing with the Fox Valleyaires for Christmas!
 Date Posted: Mon, Oct 3 2022
The Annual Christmas Chorus is Back!

Ever wanted to try out singing some barbershop, but aren't sure how to get started?  We have the perfect opportunity for you!  The Fox Valleyaires is inviting men who like to sing to join us during our Christmas shows on November 30 and December 6, 2022.  Toward the end of the shows, the Christmas Chorus community members will join the Fox Valleyaires on stage for several barbershop songs.  It is a lot of fun!

You don't need to read music, and we provide you with learning track recordings to practice with at home.

This is free, and there are no strings attched or any obligation to continue after the Christmas shows.

To participate, join us for at least 4 of the following 1-hour rehearsals on Tuesdays at 7:00 PM: November 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29.  (The rehearsal on November 29 runs from 7:00PM - 9:30 PM.)  We meet at:

First English Lutheran Church - North Site
6331 N. Ballard Road
Appleton, WI 54913
(North of Appleton North High School)

You can just show up to the first (or second) rehearsal, or you can call Paul Schreiner at 920-858-9695 with any questions.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Come sing with the Fox Valleyaires for Christmas!
 Date Posted: Fri, Oct 29 2021

Please note: We are required by First English Lutheran Church to be MASKED during rehearsals.

Here is the best way to get around the road construction on Ballard. 
  • From 41, go north on Ballard Road.
  • Just past Appleton North High School, turn left from Ballard onto East Edgewood Drive
  • Now turn right from Edgewood onto East Applecreek Road, which winds northeast.
  • Lastly, East Applecreek Road ends into North Ballard Road, at which point you turn left to continue north on Ballard until you get to First English Lutheran Church.
We hope to see you on Tuesday!
A Statement from the Fox Arts Network
 Date Posted: Wed, Aug 19 2020

I.    INTRODUCTION

Like so many businesses, the performing arts industry is at a standstill. When our organizations are unable to perform or engage in the arts with our audiences in person, our community is missing not only its cultural soul, but also a critical engine to our local economy.  We cannot wait for the day when we can welcome audiences back to enjoy the laughter, love and transformation that only live engagement through the arts can provide.   

II.    HEALTH AND SAFETY AND THE CHALLENGE OF “PHYSICAL DISTANCING”
 
There are specific challenges to getting our organizations engaged with the community again.  Of primary importance is ensuring the health and safety of everyone onstage, behind the scenes, and in the audience.  The simple truth is that the very thing that makes going to a performing arts event so thrilling – the shared, communal experience – is the reason it doesn’t mix well with the concept of “physical distancing.” This is true for the audience as well as for the cast, crew, artists, musicians, and staff.  Your Fox Cities arts community is working closely with local health and safety experts to determine how to create a safe environment when we are able to reopen.
 
III.    ECONOMIC IMPACT

When we are open, our organizations support jobs in every sector of our economy – teachers and directors preparing the performance, dressers preparing the costumes, cashiers selling tickets, merchandise and concessions, designers creating posters and advertisements, carpenters readying the sets, lighting and sound crew setting the lighting grids and sound boards, hair and makeup artists transforming the actors into characters, ushers assisting patrons to their seats, and performers playing instruments, singing, dancing, and acting. On performance dates, our audience members fill restaurants, hotels, and parking garages and patronize local shops and vendors.  

It is rare to have a community of our size with so many well-established arts organizations: a professional symphony orchestra; more than one visual art museum; a performing arts center that offers touring, educational, and local productions; a large community music school; several community choirs for adults and youth; and a youth ballet. The economic ripple effect of the shutdown is powerful because the members of our arts community live here. Your neighbor, friend, coworker, or child is likely a participant in one of these Fox Cities performing arts organizations. We are all negatively affected if any one of them is unable to survive the shutdown.

The reopening of arts events will be a vital component to restarting our local economy.  According to the Americans for the Arts, in 2016 this meant $58.4 million in economic activity for the greater Fox Cities region nonprofit arts and culture industry, including 1,613 full time equivalent jobs and $5.5 million in local and state government revenue.
 
IV.    WHAT CAN BE DONE IN THE MEANTIME?

During this intermission, our organizations continue to enlighten, educate, and uplift the spirit of our community.  We have developed online programming with local and national arts supporters to help give behind-the-scenes experiences and online teaching platforms to continue to educate in and through the arts.

But now we need your help. Without your continued financial support, your Fox Cities nonprofit performing arts organizations may not survive the shutdown. Please consider making a donation or purchasing a gift certificate for a future program or performance. Just like your favorite locally owned restaurant or small business, we are struggling. Unlike them, it will be months before we can return to in-person programs and performances.

We look forward to the day we can welcome our audiences back.  We want you to experience the artistry of actors, musicians, artists, educators, and crew that have been assembled to create a world of imagination and discovery. Thank you for supporting your local nonprofit performing arts organizations now and in the months to come. We can’t wait to be with you again.


Appleton Boychoir
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
Fox Valley Chorus of Sweet Adelines International
Fox Valley Symphony
Fox Valleyaires
Lawrence Community Music School Gamelan, Girl Choir, String Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble
Makaroff Youth Ballet
newVoices
On a Positive Note Chorus

 
Rehearsals Suspended Temporarily
 Date Posted: Thu, Mar 26 2020
In the interests of safety and health of our members and you, our valued guests and friends, we have suspended or postponed rehearsals and performances until it is save.  Don't forget us, WE'LL BE BACK!  Stay safe, and wash hands!
2020 Spring Show Postponed
 Date Posted: Tue, Mar 17 2020
Unfortunately, our 2020 annual show has been postponed.  Details on the new date and time will be posted here on our website and on our Facebook page as soon as they are finalized. 
New Video!
 Date Posted: Mon, Feb 17 2020
We have a new video featuring some footage from this past year's Christmas show.  Enjoy!
YouTube Video URL:
Order a Singing Valentine!
 Date Posted: Tue, Jan 21 2020
Looking for something unique for your loved one on Valentine's Day?  What is more romantic than a barbershop quartet?  That's right, you can arrange to have four distinguished gentlemen, exquisitely dressed, meet your loved one at his or her home or business on Valentine's Day and express your love by delivering a rose and a couple of songs presented in the barbershop style.

All this for only $40. You can also add on extra options, such as chocolates, a balloon, or extra roses.  "Exact time" scheduling and long-distance delivery are extra.

Valentines will be delivered this year on February 14, 2020.  Ordering begins on January 27th!  Order early for your best selection of dates and times.  To order, call 920-278-7464 between 9 AM and 4 PM, or e-mail Bob at RJPautz@gmail.com.

Alternatively, you can purchase and schedule the valentine on Eventbrite!
 

 
Join us in our Christmas Chorus!
 Date Posted: Fri, Aug 23 2019
You are invited to sing with us at our 2019 Christmas concerts!  It's fun, free, and there is no obligation.

As Buddy the Elf famously said, "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."

Christmas Chorus participants will join us for five Tuesday night rehearsals from 7-8 PM begining on November 5 at First English Lutheran Church North, 6331 N. Ballard Road in Appleton.  (If you need to miss one of those rehearsals, you can still participate.)  You will then join us for several songs in our Christmas shows on December 4 and December 10. 

No barbershop experience is necessary.  If you are a man who enjoys singing, we'd love for you to join us!

For more information, call Scott Finley at 920-475-4348 or Jan Berg at 920-739-6881.  Or just show up at 7 on Tuesday!
Join us for our Christmas Chorus!
 Date Posted: Sun, Sep 16 2018
You are invited to sing with us at our 2018 Christmas concerts!  It's fun, free, and there is no obligation.

Christmas Chorus participants will join us for five Tuesday night rehearsals from 7-8 PM begining on November 6 at First English Lutheran Church North, 6331 N. Ballard Road in Appleton.  (If you need to miss one of those rehearsals, you can still participate.)  You will then join us for several songs in our Christmas shows on December 5 and December 11. 

No barbershop experience is necessary.  If you are a man who enjoys singing, we'd love for you to join us!

For more information, call Scott Finley at 920-475-4348 or Jan Berg at 920-739-6881.  Or just show up at 7 on Tuesday!
 
Bubbling Exercise
 Date Posted: Wed, Jun 6 2018
Our directors had us work on our breath control yesterday by blowing bubbles into water bottles.  Brecken (on the left) must feel he needs extra help....

Member Renewals
 Date Posted: Wed, Feb 7 2018




Congratulations to the above members on renewing their membership with the Fox Valleyaires and the BHS!
Will Mackin 60 Year’s - Dick Staedt 58 Years
Ken Felton - 40 Years - Gary Stadler - 20 Years
Jan Berg - 2 Years. - Brecken Vandervelden - 2 Years
L.O.L. District Contest
 Date Posted: Sun, Nov 26 2017


The Fox Valleyaires placed 4th in the recent Land O’ Lakes District Chorus Contest held in Rochester Minnesota.
 
  The Land O' Lakes District (LOL) of the Barbershop Harmony Society comprises all of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and the western half of the Michigan Upper Peninsula, USA; and all of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and the western half of Ontario, Canada. Within the LOL are 53 barbershop choruses or "chapters," and many more registered quartets. Choruses range in size from more than 100 men "on the risers" to as small as 12 men.
New LOL District Hall Of Fame Inductee
 Date Posted: Sun, Nov 26 2017


The Fox Valleyaires congratulate our President Larry Lewis on being inducted into the Land O’ Lakes District Hall Of Fame at the fall District Convention in Rochester Minnesota.
New Member!
 Date Posted: Wed, Oct 4 2017
New Member!
The Fox Valleyaires welcome Ben Miller as their newest member!
New Member
 Date Posted: Wed, Jul 19 2017
The Foxvalleyaires welcome Blake Doss as their newest member!

 
Brat's, Beer and Beethoven
 Date Posted: Sun, Jul 2 2017
Brat's, Beer and Beethoven
Thank to the Fox Valley Symphony for asking us to be a part of this event. We had a blast!
Division Champs!!
 Date Posted: Tue, May 30 2017
Division Champs!!


We are the Champions!
New Member!
 Date Posted: Thu, Mar 2 2017
New Member!


The Fox Valleyaires welcome their newest member Jan Berg
Singing Valentines
 Date Posted: Tue, Feb 14 2017
New Member
 Date Posted: Mon, Feb 13 2017
New Member


Our newest member - Brecken Vandervelden
Chistmas Shows
 Date Posted: Fri, Nov 18 2016
Chistmas Shows
Fox Valley Symphony - Beer, Brats & Beethoven
 Date Posted: Sat, Jul 9 2016
Hello Gentlemen,
 
Thank you SO MUCH for joining us on the field last week. What an inspirational addition to the concert. I’ve heard so many positive comments and people absolutely loved you.
 
I hope you will join us again next year! We are scheduled for Saturday, July 1 and would love to have you with us. To be fair, we can plan to flip the groups next time, with you singing right after intermission. Let me know if you would like to be a part of it again.
 
Thanks again, and hope you enjoy the pictures too!
 
 
Jamie LaFreniere  - Executive Director
Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra
111 West College Avenue, Suite 550, Appleton, WI 54911

National Anthem at the Timber Rattler's Game
 Date Posted: Wed, Aug 12 2015
The chorus singing the National Anthem at the August 11, 2015 T-Rats game.
YouTube Video URL: