Capri Glee! Choir sings about joy and love in these divided times

The Capri Glee! Choir closed its ninth year on Nov. 12 with a performance to a near-capacity crowd at the theater. Gospel artist Tonia Hughes, center, accompanied the choir for a song. 

Photos and text by David Pierini, Editor 

Polarizing politics has turned an indivisible nation into warring tribes. 

But a group of people of all ages and backgrounds who came together over six Tuesday evenings at the Capri Theater this fall created a wave more powerful than red or blue. 

They sang songs about joy, love, and hope. 

The Capri Glee! Adult Community Choir shows what is possible when people elect to sing together. 

The community choir, led by J.D. Steele, will celebrate its 10th season in the spring. About 100 singers closed the fall session on Nov. 15 with a performance reverberating down West Broadway Avenue. 

The choir is reminiscent of the neighborhood sing-alongs that were popular in Minneapolis parks during the First World War. The sing-alongs started out as a way to bond over patriotic songs, but they grew into competitions between parks and neighborhoods that attracted thousands of people. 

After the Second World War, the country saw a change in behavior. According to the ground-breaking book Bowling Alone by political scientist Robert D. Putnam, Americans became increasingly disconnected from family, friends, neighbors, and social structures. 

Putnam illustrated the disconnect by citing declining participation in bowling leagues. His research saw similar declines in other social groups, from churches to the PTA. Suburban sprawl, the popularity of television, and the rise of two-income households offered some clues. 

In later years, he believed the growing discord over politics is connected to a lack of civil engagement. 

However, fellowship appears alive and well among the singers of the Glee! Choir, which meets for two seasons, spring and fall. 

Michele Kessler says rhythm invades her body when she sings. 

The choir comprises gifted vocalists and people who have never sung a note. The tone-deaf are welcome to join. There are no auditions or requirements to read sheet music. 

“I used to play in this band in high school during the 60s and my bandmates would never let me have the microphone,” said Stephen Ivancic, a bass/baritone in the choir, who said the best part of singing in the choir is its leader. “The way J.D. leads…He’s definitely got the energy. If it was somebody else, you couldn’t pull this off with this many adults.” 

Steele can sing the full range, from soprano to bass, and once he figures out a singer’s voice type, he directs them to match the sound he produces. He assures them that repetition makes the notes sound sweeter. 

Many of the choir members have no music experience. Once he figures out a singer’s range, J.D. Steele has them make the same sound he makes.

“I have fun with people who were told they would never sing,” he said. “I just want them to have the joy of being in a group of people who are happily singing and moving together. Don’t worry. If you’re with 100 people, you can blend in.” 

Some of the songs they sang include “Love Train”, “I’ve Got Joy”, and a song from the Winans with this lyric: “Together we stand, divided we fall. Let’s build a bridge, tear down this wall.” 

Barbara Panser smiled at Steele as he directed the alto section of the choir during the performance. 

Joy and love were tangible in the warm greetings and lingering hugs at the beginning and end of each rehearsal. Many swayed back and forth during rehearsals as a song’s message took hold. Those who needed more room moved to the front row to dance as they sang. 

“I always tell people that the Glee stays with you,” said choir member Anne Schelin. “It’s not just for the night. You feel good throughout the week. It feels good to sing, and it’s fun to be with people who just want to have fun.” 

Steele’s buoyant spirit infuses his singers with joyful energy. At a recent rehearsal, he told his singers they were making him sweat and joked that his deodorant said, “Bye!” midway through rehearsal. 

Steele also felt heaviness in the room as the election approached. Without making a political speech, he acknowledged anxiety over the potential outcome. He said the people who would fill the seats for the show were likely feeling some of the same emotions. Singing from their hearts could be a balm for what worries them. 

Steele turned the microphone over to Ananda Bates, who had a solo for the song “Joy “in the performance. 

“Last week was a tough week to sing, but boy, we sang with conviction,” Steele told his singers before their performance. “You sang like the world was on fire. I’m so honored to be singing with you guys. I can’t even tell you. I'm Just honored that we get to spread joy with each other. This makes me feel really happy.” 

The Steele name is music royalty that holds a unique part of the Minneapolis Sound. 

J.D. and his siblings, Jearlyn, Fred, Jevetta and Billy, have performed together for 40 years. They’ve sung on Broadway, Carnegie Hall, and stages from London to Brazil and Moscow. 

He met a young Prince in a basement rehearsal and worked with him on recording sessions at Paisley Park Studios for several years. 

While the Capri Glee! Choir was the headliner, and Steele brought in two other choirs he directed, Mill City Singers and the McPhail Community Youth Choir, to perform. 

J.D., a singer, songwriter, producer, and choral director, was the choir director for the original 1983 production of The Gospel at Colonus, which featured his brothers and sisters. Five years later, the musical made it to Broadway. 

The Steeles sang with Mavis Staples on the song “Melody Cool” on Prince’s Graffiti Bridge album and opened for him on tour in 1993. That same year, the Steeles released their debut album, “Heaven Help Us”, on which Prince wrote the song “Well Done”. 

Fred’s distinct vocals has been heard at prestigious venues around the Twin Cities, including the Dakota, where he has sung with his sister Jearlyn. Fred plays keyboards and performs vocal leads in the Glee! Choir and helps J.D. with his other two choirs, the Mill City Singers and the MacPhail Community Youth Choir. 

J.D. Steele shows no signs of slowing down. He prepared all three choirs for the Capri performance on Nov. 12. During this time, a dance troupe and musical group staged performances featuring music Steele wrote. He will soon go on tour with jazz bassist Christian McBride. 

“What we say is, as long as you love to sing, we’re not worried about you being perfect,” longtime choir member Rosanna Hudgins said. 

“I get to work in all of these different worlds,” Steele said. “I’m just so filled with gratitude because I get to do what I love every day. I get hired to do these different things, and I have these wonderful community choirs.” 

In the Capri’s community room, the singers of all three choirs sit and wait for instruction from Steele. A Glee! member raises her hand and asks, “What songs are we going to sing?” 

Steele has taught them more songs than they would perform. He paused and said, “I have a list.” 

As the Mill City singers and the MacPhail choir performed, the Glee members watched their performances on a screen and sang along at the top of their lungs. 

Years of performance have taught Steele how to connect with a crowd and get them to join in. 

When it is time to perform, Steele finds a way to get all 100 or so singers to fit on the small Capri stage. He deliberately puts people up front who naturally move with the music. 

At stage right is Michele Kessler, who has sung with the choir four times. Her wiry frame seems ideal for making the music a visual experience. Her arms punch the air, her body bends with the notes, and her mouth makes an elongated O in song. 

“J.D. likes my dancing,” she said. “I’m actually kind of shy, but as a kid, I always had a lot of energy. Rhythm just invades my body.” 

When asked if being in the choir had improved her singing, Kessler said she hadn’t given it much thought. Singing ability, after all, is not the point. 

Steele picked a lively tune from Brazilian composer Sergio Mendes to end the performance. The audience stood, and the choir left their rows to dance. Steele danced in a circle with two of his singers, and audience members danced. 

No one discussed the next four years. People filed out of the Capri with arms around each other and smiles on their faces. 

Steele couldn’t walk off stage without dancing with choir members as the last song closed the show.