All-Iowa Elvis Choir Formed

Cerro Gordo: On July 12, over 235 Elvis impersonators from Masonic Grove as well as other cities and towns from all over Iowa, gathered to form the first All-Iowa Elvis Choir (AEIC). The choir, conducted by Dr. Alexander Shliapnikov, a Fellow with the Georg von Podebrad College School of Music, came about after several influential Elvis impersonators began discussing what it would have been like if the King had put his spin on the traditional choral repertoire.

     Says Dr. Shliapnikov, "It was all a joke in the beginning. During a post modern music seminar I gave at GvP a student noted that Elvis had recorded many popular sacred music pieces and wondered what if he had lived to venture out into opera, for example. You can see how it snowballed from there."

     The idea likely should have died there had William Tomas, an Elvis Impersonator from Masonic Grove not been attending.

     "It was an idea that just kept buzzing around in my head," says Tomas who at 26 dyed his hair and lost 25 pounds to portray the younger Elvis. "I talked to other impersonators about forming an All-Elvis group but it didn't go over very well. Most either want the spotlight all to themselves or the considered the notion a desecration of the King's Eternal Memory."

     But against such peevish orthodoxy, Tomas valiantly stuck to his vision.

     "I knew I wasn't going to be decorating a room in an hour, so to say. It was just matter of networking the right people."

     Says Dr. Shliapnikov, he was delighted when Tomas invited him to conduct the AIEC. "I work mainly to preserve the unique style and integrity of Elvis in the choir. But the first thing I had to do was put the old fat Elvis' in the back; their rhinestones and towels prevented the younger slimmer Elvis' from seeing me conduct."

     The AIEC repertory includes examples of both classical and modern choral music. Standard performances include Renaissance motets, Mozart's Dies Irae from Requiem, excerpts from Orff's Carmina Burana, Holst's Dirge For Two Veterans, and the finalé feature Hello Dolly.

     Tickets for the July 24, 25, and 26 performances at the Masonic Grove Civic Center are still available.