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Three choirs, voce Femminile, Male Ensemble Willamette and Chamber choir, sing together in Hudson Hall, which is decorated with a large wreath, lit Christmas trees, and a row of poinsettias.

The Willamette University Choirs

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Written by Sarah Samala, Class of 2028

Every December, Willamette University’s choirs come together in a decorated Hudson Hall to perform the annual wintertime concert, “Holidays in Hudson”: a night of carols, music and holiday joy for the Salem community. While the origins of this concert only span back to 1985, the Willamette choirs themselves have been bringing music to campus since 1930. Despite the addition and retirement of various ensembles, the legacy of the a capella Chamber Choir and the smaller, higher and lower voice choirs, Voce and Vox, has persisted through the group’s performances and annual traditions.

The first instance of a choir on campus is the Philharmonic choir, which began in 1930. Similar to present-day Chamber choir, the mixed, 30-voice choir went on tours in the Pacific Northwest, although it was exclusively composed of members from the Young Men and Women’s Glee clubs.1 Described as a group of “unusually fine ensemble singing,”2 the Philharmonic choir shared their music with the greater community of Oregon through biweekly broadcasts on the KGW, or Oregonian radio station. Though the Philharmonic choir only performed through 1938, in 1939, dean of Willamette’s school of music, Melvin Geist organized Willamette University’s A Capella, or more commonly known as University choir.3 The University choir was a 54-voice choir4 and similar to its predecessor, the choir also toured cities in the Pacific Northwest, such as San Francisco, Seattle, Eugene and Sacramento.5

A program featuring the Philharmonic choir and their director, Cameron Marshall.
A picture of the Philharmonic choir and the director, Cameron Marshall.

In 1954, the Willamette Singers, a 10-14 voice ensemble consisting of members from the University choir, was first listed in the Willamette University Bulletin.6 The group held performances locally and sang madrigal music. The University choir passed under a few different directors until 1983, when Dr. Wallace Long took over the position.7 In 1984, Long founded and directed the University/Community choir or Willamette Master Choir as it is known today.8 As per its name, the University/Community choir was a mixed, 100-voice choir that was open to Willamette students, faculty and staff, and members of the Salem community.9 At its inception, the Willamette Master Choir brought the Willamette community and Salem residents together through music, and continues to give back to the community through music programs in the Salem-Keizer school district and annual concerts at Hudson Hall.10

In congruence with their repertoire, in the fall of 1984, the Willamette Singers put on a their first “Madrigal Christmas Feaste.”11 With a program written entirely in olde English, the “lords and ladies” of the feast would serve a three-course dinner to guests and perform Madrigals. The production involved dressing the Willamette Singers in colorful renaissance-style costumes, partaking in English traditions, such as the salt ceremony and Wassail bowl, and encouraging guests to join in singing seasonal carols during “ye concert.”12 The “Madrigal Christmas Feaste,” lasted until 1989, when it was discontinued due to scheduling issues with other performances.13

In December of 1985, “Service of Lessons and Carols,” a concert consisting of Christmas carols, prayers, and lessons from the bible, was held in Waller auditorium. The University/Community choir sang well-known carols such as “Once in Royal David’s City,” and “Silent Night,” interspersed with narration from members of the Willamette community.14 The concert was a success, and a “Service of Lessons and Carols” cemented itself as an annual choral tradition.

By 1989, the growing skill and members of the University choir led to the addition of another ensemble. Long created Chamber choir, an audition-based choir for more advanced vocalists that toured the Pacific Northwest. The University Choir remained open to anyone who wanted to join.15

1991 marked the 150th anniversary of Salem’s founding. A commemorative concert featuring alumni and students of Willamette’s string orchestra, choirs and band was held during the event. The concert saw the return of one of the University choir’s former directors, Walter Farrier, and was dedicated to former dean and director, Melvin Geist. This performance also marks one of the last performances of the now-defunct University choir, which split into separate men and women’s choir the following year.16

Throughout the next 10 years, the men and women’s choirs underwent several name and director changes, eventually becoming the Male Ensemble Willamette and Voce Femminile by 2004.17 In 2000, “A Service of Lessons and Carols” was held in the newly built Hudson Hall as opposed to Cone Chapel, which was the typical venue for the choir tradition.18 The name of the concert was also changed to “Christmas in Hudson Hall” in 200019 and eventually “Holidays in Hudson” by 2020,20 and now included all three Willamette choirs.21 Even now, every winter, members from all three choirs come together to arrange poinsettias, assemble Christmas trees and hang wreaths in the 450-seat concert hall in preparation for this Willamette tradition.

In 2020, Wallace Long retired from his position as Chamber choir director, marking the end of his thirty seven year Willamette career. Shortly thereafter, financial issues regarding the COVID pandemic caused the discontinuation of Male Ensemble Willamette,22 the first instance of a Willamette choir being cut entirely from the University. The remaining choirs, Chamber choir and Voce continued to meet virtually through the pandemic.23 In 2023, three years after it was cut, Dr. Anna Song revived the lower voice choir as Vox, a latin name to parallel its higher voice counterpart, Voce,24  bringing the present ensembles to Chamber choir, Voce (previously Voce Femminile) and Vox.

Poster for a post-COVID concert with Chamber choir and Voce.
Poster for a post-COVID concert with Chamber choir and Voce.

Though having undergone entire ensemble changes and a global pandemic, the legacy of the Willamette University choirs is characterized by longstanding annual traditions, like “Holidays in Hudson” and the Pacific Northwest Tour, and many more unique performances that change every year. Whether listening to the yearly procession of “Once in Royal David’s City,” an enticing and “welcum”-ing Madrigal dinner, or the Family Weekend Concert, there are always opportunities to support and enjoy the music of the Willamette University Choirs. 


Endnotes

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  1. Programs, 1930-1939, Box: 3, Folder: 22. Arts and Sciences Academic Departments records, WUA059. Willamette University Archives and Special Collections.
  2. “Radio Programs by Willamette University,” Willamette University Bulletin, 1933, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/12035.
  3. “The Fine Arts at Willamette U: They’re for you!” Willamette Collegian, 12 September 1953, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/9536. 
  4. “A Cappella Choir Begins Tour With Camas Concert Tonight,” Willamette Collegian, 3 April 1953, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/9854. 
  5. Programs, 1950-55, Box: 3, Folder: 24. Arts and Sciences Academic Departments records, WUA059. Willamette University Archives and Special Collections.
  6. College of Liberal Arts – Bulletins and Catalogs, 1953-1955, Series VII, Box: 12, Folder: 15. Willamette University Publications collection, WUA066. Willamette University Archives and Special Collections.
  7. Anna Seahill, “Dr. Long’s last choir tour after 37 years as director,” Willamette Collegian, 29 January 2020, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/39922. 
  8. Programs, 1990-1991, Box: 4, Folder: 7. Arts and Sciences Academic Departments records, WUA059. Willamette University Archives and Special Collections.
  9. “Willamette University Choir Tour Program, 1986,” Willamette University, 1986, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/40455. 
  10. Keeping Choral Music Alive. (2018). Willamette Master Chorus, Retrieved 7 April, 2026, from (https://www.willamettemasterchorus.org/choral-music-alive.php.
  11. Wallace Long, email message to author, 3 March 2026
  12. “A Madrigal Christmas Feaste, 1985,” Willamette University, 1985, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/40458.
  13. Wallace Long, email message to author, 3 March 2026
  14. “Lessons and Carols, 1999,” Willamette University, 8 December 1999, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/40595.
  15. Wallace Long, phone interview by author, 2 March 2026
  16. Programs, 1992-1993, Box: 4, Folder: 9. Arts and Sciences Academic Departments records, WUA059. Willamette University Archives and Special Collections.
  17. Wallace Long, phone interview by author, 2 March 2026
  18. “Lessons and Carols, 1999,” Willamette University, 8 December 1999, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/40595. 
  19.  “Christmas in Hudson Hall, 2001,” Willamette University, 6 December 2001, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/40614. 
  20.  Wallace Long, phone interview by author, 2 March 2026
  21. Programs (1 of 2), 2000-2001, Box: 4, Folder: 18. Arts and Sciences Academic Departments records, WUA059. Willamette University Archives and Special Collections.
  22. Wallace Long, phone interview by author, 2 March 2026
  23. Piper Lehr, “Professor retirement, Zoom issues: choir adapts to new challenges,” Willamette Collegian, 8 February 2021, https://www.willamettecollegian.com/post/professor-retirement-zoom-issues-choir-adapts-to-new-challenges. 
  24. Anna Song, conversation with author, 2 March 2026.

Image Citations

Click to expand
  •  Programs, 1930-1939, Box: 3, Folder: 22. Arts and Sciences Academic Departments records, WUA059. Willamette University Archives and Special Collections.
  • “Madrigal Dinner,” Willamette University, 1984, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/41090.
  •  “Wallace Long and Chamber Choir,” Willamette University, 1995, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/41108. 
  • “Christmas in Hudson,” Willamette University, 2000, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/41132.
  • Posters, 2016-2023, Box: 18, Folder: 4. Arts and Sciences Academic Departments records, WUA059. Willamette University Archives and Special Collections.




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