Plymouth Magazine-Fall26-DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 35
Matins choir in 1970.
More than Weekly Anthems
Starting with the children’s opera, special
performances became a staple of Matins,
too. From the 1970s and into the 1990s,
choirs performed Madrigal Dinners
in Waveland Hall or at Scottish Rite
Masonic Temple downtown. Ambitious
Christmas concerts, joining with the
adult Chancel choir and community
musicians, were offered in the sanctuary
during Stewart’s eras. Matins also have
sung at the Iowa State Fair as recently as
this past summer. Several albums, cassette
tapes and CDs were created from tour
set lists, and the annual Matins Variety
Show have allowed teens to step into the
world of Broadway music or showcase
individual talents such as guitar bands,
dance numbers and even mimes.
Variety Show was just one of several fun
but practical ways to underwrite the cost
of going on annual tours. Newspaper
recycling campaigns, selling frameable
keepsake prints, organizing the giant
April garage sale, and Super Bowl-season
fresh pizza and pasta sales all were a part
of Matins life at one point or another.
Perhaps no project was as memorable as
the annual Leaf Rake. For decades, dozens
of homeowners — some with two-acre
yards! — paid to have a swarm of Matins
rake their autumn leaves, sometimes
working in the rain or snow. “It was a huge
fellowship piece and a huge teamwork
piece,” recalled Elbert, who loved the
event. Upperclassman would drive the
younger members to the yards. Crew
chiefs would have assigned teams. For fun,
kids would line up for a “rake kick” game.
“It was hard work, but it was such a
bonding experience for everybody,” said
director Micich. Eventually, the COVID
pandemic, rising equipment-rental costs
and time-crunched family schedules
brought an end to the tradition.
“In this Very Room” CD
One of the secrets to the success of Leaf
Rake, annual tours and so many other
Matins events was lots of parent help.
“The parents were all in, and that was
really nice,” remembered Beshires. When
she returns for the Christmas Eve service,
visiting with some of those parent-helpers
is as much fun as seeing the alumni.
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