Look familiar?
Cary-Grove has undergone many changes in the past
30 years, but this view hasn't changed at all!
For C-G music students, this part of the school was our "second home."
This is the entrance to the backstage area, with the
auditorium on the left and the band office, instrument room
and costume closet on the right.


about the school
Cary-Grove High School is located
in Cary, Illinois, USA. It opened in 1961,
and serves the towns of Cary and Fox River Grove.
In 2005, the enrollment was approximately 1,700 students.


about the swing choir
Dana Floor became the choir director
in 1972. During the 1973-1974 school year, he added
something new to the music department: a swing choir.

Unlike a traditional choir or glee club,
a swing choir performs contemporary music with
choreography, and is accompanied by piano,
bass and drums. Broadway showtunes,
pop music hits, old standards and secular
holiday music make up the typical
swing choir repertoire.


about these pages
In 2005, memories of Cary-Grove occupied my thoughts more than usual.
There were two reasons for this: 1) I had my old choir albums converted
to CD, and 2) Mr. Floor retired after 33 years. I started a small
website containing just my Swing Choir pictures, and (like most websites)
it just kept growing and growing! I am always
on the trail of Swing Choir pictures from yesteryear, and hope
to have all years represented in the near future.

On the next few pages, you will find lots
of photos, arranged from the oldest to the most recent.
Check them out!

(If you have a Swing Choir picture you'd like to send me,
I'd be happy to post it on this page!)


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We've got video!

I was experimenting with my digital camera, and wanted
to see how it would record a VHS video from a TV screen.
The final product isn't half bad, and I think you'll enjoy the results!

I've uploaded the videos to Multiply. They'll play
for everyone who has a Flash player installed,
just like YouTube. If you are on a dial-up connection,
they'll take awhile to load.
Enjoy!


-----
From the Ray Rayner Show, December 1978:
Mister Santa
Fruitcake


Singing the National Anthem at a Chicago Cubs game, May 1980:
Cubs Game


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OK, this isn't the Swing Choir...
this is the Concert Choir in 1970-1971,
under the direction of Alan Wedertz



1973-1974
The very first C-G Swing Choir!




1973-1974
"Sleigh Ride" --December 1973
This is the classic "sleigh" choreography in "Sleigh Ride."
The song is still performed in exactly the same way
today. Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page
to see the 2004-2005 group performing it.




1973-1974
Night Club 1974




1974-1975
This is the group I first saw when I was 12 years old.
Needless to say, I was starstruck!

**Actually, I did get to "perform" with this group.
For my birthday, I took some friends to see Night Club 1975. During the song
"Life is a Cabaret," each member chose a person from the audience
and danced with them. My friend Julie's sister Val was
in the group, and (because it was my birthday) she arranged for
her partner to choose me!




1975-1976




1976-1977




1976-1977
Night Club 1977
My, those dresses were short!