The White Heron Chorale is comprised of 75 men and women who simply cannot imagine their lives without the joy vocal music brings. In addition to performing in our concerts, our members are our biggest volunteers. Each member volunteers their time—singers are not financially compensated. In addition to performance and weekly rehearsals, members invest time in individual practice and participate in many committees and events.

We did a tally of hours invested. An average member will donate 700 hours of their time in a season.  Some other facts about our members:

• We are a group of 75 men and women auditioned annually.
• About half of our members are professional musicians involved in teaching or performing instrumental and vocal music. Many of our members serve as choir directors for their churches or are private vocal instructors.
• Our members volunteer and donate their time to a variety of non-profit organizations.
• Members reside across Northeast Wisconsin and come from as far as Ripon, Manitowoc, Green Bay and Fond du Lac to sing with the ensemble.

What the Singers Say About the White Heron Chorale
"I enjoy singing with the WHC because of its active concert season, high-energy rehearsals, diverse programming, friendly people, and because of the outstanding direction of conductor Rick Bjella."
--Tim Reed, Bass

"I sing because I must. By singing with the WHC, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It is a joy to sing with talented people of the same mind and make beautiful music together."
--Jeanne Lietzan, Alto

"I believe any organization that increases visibility of the arts is an asset to the community.  I chose to sing with the WHC because of the talent, insight, and energy Rick Bjella brings to choral music, and because of the talent and dedication of its singers."
--Dean Niquette, Tenor

"During my years at Lawrence, Rick's influence on my education reached deeply into who I was as a musician, as a singer and as a teacher. Rick challenged my integrity as a choral singer, teaching me that to be a part of a choir meant to be a part of a team.  When I graduated from Lawrence, I knew that I would need a performance outlet to complement my teaching career.  I chose the White Heron Chorale because I wanted to continue singing under Rick's baton. Singing with Rick as "real live working adult" is proving to be yet another wonderful learning experience for   I don't think he has ever forgotten the joy of music."
--Toni (Kuo) Weijola, Soprano