Staples Area Men's Chorus to host annual Dinner Concert

STAPLES -- The Staples Area Men's Chorus is gearing for its annual Dinner Concert, featuring "good music, fine food and the fun of having performers come to your table," organizers said.

"These traditional concerts are wonderful events," said Stan Carlson, director since 1971. "Throughout the evening, courses of the dinner are interspersed with portions of the concert.

"There is nothing like the thunder and whisper of male voices raised in song," he added. "It is always a rousing evening of food for the body and for the soul."

If you go

Who: Staples Area Men's Chorus

What: Dinner Concert

Where: T. Maxwell's Restaurant, Staples

When: 6 p.m. May 5

Cost: Call (218) 894-5416 or 800-213-6877

This year's event -- its 25th anniversary concert -- is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 5 at T. Maxwell's Restaurant in Staples. Tickets are available by calling (218) 894-5416 or 800-213-6877.

"The Dinner Concert means, of course, that coffee cups and assorted dinnerware are at risk, as men put on their red vests and take a crash course in bringing their waiter skills up to the level of the musical skills for which they have become famous," said Carlson, longtime choral director at Staples-Motley High School.

The chorus traces its lineage to the Staples Civic Chorus, founded in the 1930s. Carlson, the state's 1990 Choral Director of the Year and 1998 Music Educator of the Year, reorganized the chorus into its current form in 1971 with the help of area civic organizations and individuals.

The group has issued numerous recordings over the years, appearing regularly at various state and national choral conventions since its founding. It also has issued several recordings.

For more information, call (218) 894-1899.