Sing Out Louisville (Louisville, Ky.) Records, 1969-1998
Held by The Filson Historical Society
Creator: Sing Out Louisville (Louisville, Ky.)
Title: Records, 1969-1998
Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Collections Department.
Size of Collection: 3 cubic feet
Location Number: Mss. BP S617
Scope and Content Note
This collection includes information related to Sing Out Louisville, a musical performing group made up of youth from various Louisville area high schools. The records include some board minutes, newsletters from Sing Out Louisville, its international parent organization Up with People and various other regional Sing Out groups. Also included are performance programs, schedules, group rosters and event planning material. The collection is valuable as a look into Sing Out Louisville over the span of almost two decades.
Related Collections:
Sing Out Louisville Museum Collection 2019.11
Historical Note
Sing Out Louisville was an organization of performing young adults ranging in age from roughly junior high to college age from several Louisville area schools. Sing Out Louisville began in 1969 and was administratively dissolved as a corporation in 1998. It is unclear if the group performed until 1998 as performance records appear to end in the mid-1980s.
The group was initially affiliated with the larger international parent organization Up with People. Up with People traced their history back to the preaching of Frank Buchman and the Moral Re-Armament movement that began in the late 1930s. An article from The Reader’s Digest states that the idea for Sing Out emerged at a youth conference at Mackinac Island sponsored by the Moral Re-Armament movement. According to the article, the idea for the group grew from one college student’s irritation with “the image of American youth being created by beatniks, draft-card burners, campus rioters and protest marchers.”2 Many local Sing Out groups existed across the United States and internationally. In 1969, there appears to have been some changes and confusion within the Up with People’s structure, specifically regarding the relationship between local Sing Out groups and the parent organization.1
According to a Courier-Journal article, Ann Dorzback, the parent of four Sing Out Louisville members, was instrumental in keeping the group alive and growing throughout its history.3 Included within the collection is correspondence between Dorzback and Sing Out members and parents, as well as a letter in German likely written by Dorzback, who immigrated from Germany. Throughout Sing Out Louisville’s existence, the group maintained contact with several other similar Sing Out groups in various cities. On several occasions, Sing Out Louisville attended conferences and workshops hosted by other Sing Out groups. In late 1971, in an effort to revitalize the Sing Out program and coordinate among Sing Outs nationwide, the National Sing Out Action Council was formed at a conference in Waco, Texas.4 Along with other issues, the council faced disagreement regarding local Sing Outs’ relationship with Up with People, and the Moral Re-Armament movement.
References:
1 William A Mackenzie, letter to Dan Skuce, November 19, 1969, Mss. BP S617 8
2 “Sing Out, America!” The Reader’s Digest, May 1967, Mss. BP S617 16a
3 Joan Kay, “Enthusiastic Mother Couldn’t Give Up Sing Out Louisville,” The Courier-Journal, undated, Mss. BP S617 16a
4 “Special Edition,” People to People newsletter, Vol. 2, No. 1, January 4, 1972, Let’s Go San Diego, San Diego, California, Mss. BP S617 13
Folder List
Box 1
Board Meeting Minutes
Folder 1: Sing Out Louisville Articles of Incorporation, Constitution and By-Laws
Folder 2: Certificate of Dissolution, 1998
Folder 3: Senior Board Minutes 1974-1983 (incomplete, some undated material)
Folder 4: Board meeting and event planning notebook, 1982-1984
Folder 5: Notes concerning role of board and internal disagreement, c. 1980
Folder 6: Junior Board elections and members 1978-1979
Correspondence
Folder 7: Internal Correspondence
Folder 8: Legal Correspondence with Up with People, 1969-1972
Folder 9: General Correspondence
Folder 9a: Letter in German, undated.
Publications/Newsletters/Clippings
Folder 10: Sing Out Louisville newsletters, 1969- c.1985
Folder 11: Up with People Perspective newsletter, 1970
Folder 12: Up With People News newsletter, 1971-1974
Folder 13: People to People Newsletter (of Let’s Go San Diego, San Diego, Ca.), 1971-1972
Folder 14: The People’s Express newsletter (Kent, Oh.), 1977, 1982-1983
Folder 15: People’s International Lifestyle newsletter (Hutchinson, Ks.), 1982-1984
Folder 16: Sing-Out Tri-City Express newsletter (Jeffersonville, In.), undated
Folder 16a: Sing Out Louisville and Up with People clippings
Organizational Material
Folder 17: Organization history
Folder 18: Operating Practices and Policies, Leadership roles and responsibilities
Folder 18a: Sing Out Louisville business cards
Folder 19: Sing Out Louisville and Up with People advertising and publicity material, c. 1970-1985
Folder 19a: Photographs
Folder 20: Awards and Recognition
Folder 21: Membership information and blank applications
Folder 22: Group rosters, 1969-c.1985
Folder 23: Completed membership applications and commitment forms
Folder 24: Membership dues list, 1981-1982
Folder 25: Membership dues folder, 1983-1984
Folder 26: Rehearsal absentee lists, undated
Folder 27: Group contact information, c. 1980
Folder 28: Parent rosters
Folder 29: Parent rosters by occupation
Folder 30: Information for parents
Box 2
Performance and Event Planning
Folder 31: Performance and event schedules
Folder 32: Programs (folder 1 of 2), 1969-1972
Folder 33: Programs (folder 2 of 2), 1972-c.1980
Folder 34: Performance and event planning (folder 1 of 2)
Folder 35: Performance and event planning (folder 2 of 2)
Folder 36: Costumes
Folder 37: Sheet music and song lyrics
Folder 38: Anniversary show planning, 1970
Folder 39: Second anniversary show and program, 1971
Folder 40: “Of You We Sing” show, 1972
Folder 41: Tenth Anniversary Show, 1979
Folder 42: Camp Cedarmore trip planning, 1979
Folder 43: Banquet planning, 1979
Folder 44: Banquet planning, 1982-1985
Folder 45: “Love is in the Air” show planning, 1983
Folder 46: Trip and show in Paducah, Ky. planning, 1983
Folder 47: Trip and show in Nashville, Tn. planning, undated
Folder 48: Trip and show in Danville, Ky. planning, undated
Folder 49: Christmas benefit, 1983
Folder 50: Orientation and dedication ceremony planning, 1983-1985
Folder 51: Orientation speech by Ann Dorzback, undated
Folder 52: Sing Kentuckiana senior night program, 1981
Regional Conferences and Sing Out Groups
Folder 53: Sing Out Indiana East (Richmond, In.) and Sing Out Washington (Washington, In.) conference information, 1970
Folder 54: Try Your Heart Out Conference, Sing Out Lubbock (Lubbock, Tx), 1971
Folder 55: Something Different Conference, Sing Out Austin (Austin, Tx.), 1971
Folder 56: Ohio Valley Action Council Conference, Sing Out Troy (Troy, Oh.), 1972
Folder 57: People’s International Inc. conference show, 1981
Folder 58: Day of Sharing conference, We the People (Kent, Oh.), 1981
Folder 59: Sing Kentuckiana summer conference schedule and letter to Ann Dorzback, 1983
Folder 60: Friendship Ambassador Inc. Cultural Exchange program with Romania, 1979
Box 3
Folder 61: Sing Out Florissant Valley (Florissant, Mo.) performance program
Folder 62: SEAC (Southeast Action Council?) meeting agenda and correspondence, 1971
Folder 63: Southwestern Sing Out Association Constitution, undated
Folder 64: From Dream to Reality: A Handbook for Sing Outs, 1973
Folder 65: Offer of assistance to revitalize Sing Outs, undated
Up with People material
Folder 66: Organization information and correspondence with Irene Dorzback
Folder 67: Mackinac College printed address to students by Dr. S. Douglas Cornell, and correspondence from Dr. S. Douglas Cornell to Irene Dorzback
Folder 68: National Cast C tour in Louisville, Ky. schedule, 1976
Folder 69: National Cast B tour in Louisville, Ky. schedule and host family information, 1983
Finances
Folder 70: Fundraising
Folder 71: Finances, 1971
Folder 72: Finances, 1972
Folder 73: Finances, 1973
Folder 74: Finances, 1974
Folder 74a: Finances, 1975
Folder 75: Finances, 1976-1980
Folder 75a: Finances, 1981-1983
Miscellaneous
Folder 76: Girl Scouts/ Fairlawn-Radburn Leaders Association material, c. 1965
Folder 77: Richard Nixon in Louisville Flyer, 1970
Folder 78: “Why they attack the GI Coffeehouse at Muldraugh” flyer, c. 1970
Folder 79: Miscellaneous material
3×5 Song and Contact Cards
Folder 80: 3×5 song cards (separated from contact cards)
Box 81 (stored in Box 3): 3×5 contact cards
Subject Headings
Choirs (Music)
Concert programs.
Moral re-armament.
Musical groups.
Music – Societies, etc.
Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994.
Students – Kentucky – Louisville.
Up with People (Organization)
Vietnam War, 1961-1975.
Vocal groups.
Youth – Societies and clubs.
