Choral singing unifies new immigrants: Founding and first years of Singing Society Korotan

Abstract

Author describes in the introductory section his trans-Atlantic voyage, arrival in the USA, initial difficulties with finding employment, and his settlement among the new immigrants in Cleveland, Ohio. The idea for a choral group came out of desire and necessity to provide for the new immigrants a focused environment in the new land. Thus, a singing society offered many newcomers an opportunity to continue Slovene choral and cultural traditions in an ethnically rich metropolitan area. The main themes of this article are the founding, annual concerts, and other performances of the Singing Society Korotan in the years 1951 to 1962. In addition, the author provides insights into Korotan’s contributions to the multinational festivities, TV appearances, and performances on the Voice of America. This article about Korotan activities and successes, from the author’s perspective, offers indirectly also a look at the cultural life of the Cleveland Slovene community during this period.