Lydia Erickson

Lydia has directed the DeWitt Community Singers for 20 years. She has her Bachelor of Music Education degree (K-12) from Central Michigan University with a choral Major and Vocal Performance Minor. Her Master of Music degree from Michigan State University is in Vocal Performance. She has studied and sung under the direction of Dr. Charles Smith, now former Director of Choral Activities at Michigan State University.

Erickson teaches private and class voice at Lansing Community College, a position she has held for almost 25 years. She is also a soprano soloist and section leader at a local Lansing church for over 20 years as well. In addition to these endeavors she maintains a thriving voice studio at her home, lydiaerickson@comcast.net.

Erickson has performed in operas as: The Two Women, A Hand of Bridge, and Faust. As a member of the Opera Company of Greater Lansing, she was cast in Carmen, Krutnava, Attila, and Fidelio. With this same organization, Ms. Erickson toured as Red in Red Riding Hood performance for the Opera in the Schools Program. She has also played Adina in Elixir of Love and Berta in the Barber of Seville. A highlight of her performing career was in the historic Calumet Opera Theater playing Santuzza in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana.

Ms. Erickson has performed with the Lansing Symphonic Choir, the Grand Rapids Symphonic Choir and was a member of the Michigan School Vocal Music Association Honors Choir. She also toured Europe with the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp International Choir.

Erickson utilizes her wide range of vocal experiences and training to nurture and develop the musically skilled as well as the beginner level participants in this choir. Her knowledge of the vocal instrument, extensive as it is, is equaled only by her desire to expand ones appreciation of the beauty of music.

Chuck Gabler

Chuck was originally from the Detroit area.   His higher education was at Concordia, River Forrest, ILL.    He has participated in the World Tour in 1969, sand in over 30 countries, for a Pope and several royal families.    While teaching the Chicago area Chuck sang with professional status in The Chicago Symphony Chorus, The James Chorale, 4th Presbyterian's Morning Choir and several others, including a White House performance for President Johnson and Lady Bird.   Chuck currently resides in Mason, Michigan,  and is doing substitute teaching as well as performing with MSU's Choral Union.

 Jennifer Joy

Jennifer came to Lansing from New York City via the CATS National Tour.  She has appeared on Broadway and National Tour of Hello Dolly! starring Carol Channing; in City Centre Encores' Production of One Touch of Venus; Off-Broadway in You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow (A Stephen Sondheim Revue) and in many other shows regionally, nationally and on the high seas. 

Locally she has recently appeared in The All Night Strut at the Boarshead Theatre; as Amalia in She Loves Me at the Performance Network in Ann Arbor where she won an Opie Award from the Oakland Press for her musical performance; Edith in the Michigan Opera Theater's Production of The Pirates of Penzance, Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls at the Cherry County Playhouse, Prudie in Pump Boys and Dinettes and as Sarah Stone in No Way to Treat a Lady at the Boarshead Theatre.  Jennifer studied acting at Michael Howard Studio in New York City and with Fred Kareman at Carnegie Hall, dance at Broadway Dance Center in New York City and voice with Bill Reed Studio in New York City. 

She currently studies voice with Donna Green of Okemos and teaches and takes dance with Vicki Diebold of Potterville at The Dance Studio.  She resides in Lansing with her husband Jim and their four-legged children, Pudge the dog and Emma and Frankie cat.  Being at part of the choir at Plymouth Congregational is a wonderful experience, both musically and spiritually.

Noble Thomas

Noble Thomas, Baritone, studies Vocal Performance at Michigan State University, and is a member of the Plymouth Choir, operating as Bass Section leader for the past 2 1/2 years. His production experience includes Pirates of Penzance, Working: as Joe Zutty, You Can't Take it With You, Taming of the Shrew, Annie Get Your Gun: as Frank Butler, Carousel: as Billy, Rakes Progress: as the Gate Keeper, The Tails of Hoffmann: as Herman, The Life, and Don Giovanni: as Mazetto. He has also performed: scenes from "A Room with a View" at the National Opera Convention in Chicago 2006, as Riff in the Quintet from "West Side Story" at the MSU Opera Gala 2005, as Dr. Frank in "Gallantry - A Soap Opera" in the Freshman/Sophomore Scenes Program 2006, and as the soloist in numerous choral performances. He was also chosen as one of eight vocalists from the School of Music at MSU to travel to China for 7 days as part of a Chinese/American vocal tour and exchange program. He is currently working on his biggest role as Rio Lobo in the university premier of Daniel Catan's brand new opera: Florencia in el Amazonas.