About Us

Chorus History

The Foothills Male Chorus was established by Robert Udell in September, 2005, but its roots in the Hinton area reach back into the 50s when a forestry male quartet first convened to sing and entertain in the town.  One of those choristers still sings in the Foothills Male Chorus.  Later, some of the current chorus members sang in the mixed Jasper-Hinton Glee Club, the Yellowhead Singers and the Chordbusters, a men’s chorus in the 1980s.  

The Chorus sings a traditional male chorus repertoire, including gospel, folk, Canadiana and popular music. It meets weekly at the Gateway Church for rehearsals, and performs at a number of events in Hinton. Every year, it presents a cabaret night to kick off the fall performance season, as well as a spring concert series in Jasper, Edson, Grande Cache (tentatively) and Hinton (May 8-11). In the 2008/09 season it will perform in the Alberta Legislature (December 1) presenting a Christmas repertoire as well as opening the week's House sitting with O Canada. The Chorus will also present a joint concert in both Hinton (January 31) and Edmonton (May) with the Edmonton's Mission Hill Brass Band.  

The Chorus was honoured to be invited to perform in Men Making Music 2007.

Directors and Accompanist

Robert Udell, the Director of the Foothills Male Chorus and bass singer in its Pathfinder Quartet, has a broad background in choral music having sung in mixed and male choirs, and gospel, mixed and barbershop quartets.  He cut his musical teeth in a Salvation Army band at age 7 and has been continuously involved since then in many aspects of music including musical theatre, recently reprising his role as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof.  The Foothills Male Chorus is his first foray into musical conducting and he is enjoying the experience and challenges that attend this new endeavour.  

Assistant Director Paul Girard studied vocal performance in pop and jazz at Capilano College in Vancouver.  He is a second tenor in the male chorus, as well as in its Pathfinder Quartet.  He is also the musical director of Break-A-Leg Theatre’s musical productions in Hinton, including recent productions of Oklahoma and Fiddler on the Roof.   

Accompanist Dolores Logan has taught piano for 50 years, and accompanied choirs and soloists in community choirs, church choirs and festivals across western Canada during her long career.  Her rock solid piano playing is the foundation of the Foothills Male Chorus.