Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

Four Decades of Song: Susquehanna Chorale celebrates its 40th year in fine voice

Linda Tedford, center, and the Susquehanna Chorale

When Linda Tedford arrived in central Pennsylvania some four decades ago, she wanted to serve both her own needs and those of the area.

“I had a degree in choral conducting but no choir,” she said. “There weren’t any in the area, except the Harrisburg Choral Society.”

So, Tedford decided to start her own chorus. She became founder, artistic director and conductor of a new group called the Susquehanna Chorale. One of the original members was her husband.

When the chorus performed for the first time in the historic St. Peter’s Kierch in Middletown in September 1981, Tedford may have wondered if it would flourish over the years. She needn’t have worried.

The Susquehanna Chorale has indeed thrived and grown. It began with 11 singers, and, today, that number has risen to 37.

“At 37, we’re still a chamber choir,” Tedford said.

Through the years, the chorale has been privileged to sing “wonderful pieces of music, many of them commissioned,” she said. They’ve also received numerous accolades, including being the first volunteer choir to win the prestigious Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence.

For Tedford, a recurring source of satisfaction has been those who sang with the chorale as kids and later returned to perform as adults.

Indeed, there are so many graduates, as the Susquehanna Chorale includes separate children’s, youth and young women’s chorales, with an annual Youth Choral Festival. The chorale also has developed educational programs for children and young people.

In the past, the Susquehanna Chorale has performed frequently with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, which Tedford calls “more than gratifying.” She looks forward to the day when this collaboration will resume. The HSO is now performing at the Scottish Rite Cathedral rather than in its usual venue, the Forum, which is undergoing renovation. Unfortunately, Scottish Rite doesn’t have enough space to fit both groups.

To honor its 40th anniversary, the Susquehanna Chorale is releasing a “Celebrating 40” book, with history, memories and pictures. Also, in a few months, it will be among the featured performers at the American Choral Directors Association of Pennsylvania’s summer conference, which takes place at Messiah University.

“It’s an honor to be chosen,” Tedford said.

The past few years have been tough ones, as they have for many arts organizations.

In March 2020, group members left a rehearsal with the usual words, “See you next week.” With the onset of the pandemic, that didn’t happen. Instead, like the rest of us, members resorted to meeting on Zoom. They later resumed rehearsals in a church that seated 800, which allowed for plenty of social distancing.

The chorale soon regrouped to perform outdoors at Italian Lake, restarting indoor concerts only recently. Now, it is gearing up for two spring concerts, one in Hershey and the other at Messiah University.

The spring program will include songs that “have delighted listeners for four decades,” Tedford said.

“There will be a fine balance between sacred and secular music,” she said.

Selections will include chorale favorites, such as Schubert’s “Holy, Holy Holy,” the early American folk classic, “Down to the River to Pray,” and a special performance of “Shenandoah” with chorale alumni.

Still ahead, if conditions allow, are touring performances this summer in Poland and Austria. As of this writing, chorale members were unsure if these would actually happen, given the political situation in Eastern Europe.

“We’re hoping for a miracle,” Tedford said.

Right now, the world could use a few miracles—and a whole lot of song.


The Susquehanna Chorale will perform two spring concerts: Friday, May 13, at 8 p.m., at the Derry Presbyterian Church in Hershey, and Sunday, May 15, at 4 p.m., in the High Center-Parmer Hall, Messiah University.      


For more information on the Susquehanna Chorale, call 717-533-7859, visit
www.susquehannachorale.org and see past performances on YouTube. For tickets for all concerts, regardless of location, contact the Messiah University box office at 717-691-6036 or tickets@messiah.edu.

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