ABOUT THE CHOIR
The Upstate Men’s Choir was started in March of 2018 by our conductor, Loren Pinkerman. Prior to forming the Upstate Men’s Choir, he formed men’s choirs in West Point, Nebraska and LaGrange, Georgia. His “Sons of Lafayette” choir in LaGrange was the only U.S. choir participating in the Cornwall International Male Voice Choral Festival in Cornwall, England in 2011.
Judy Pearson, our accompanist, is retired from the Spartanburg school system. She and Mr. Pinkerman volunteer their time to provide leadership for the choir.
The Upstate Men’s Choir is open to men in Upstate South Carolina who enjoy singing. Members of the choir come from communities all over the Upstate including Clemson, Clinton, Greenville, Greer, Inman, Landrum, Lyman, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Spartanburg and Taylors.
We sing a wide variety of choral literature for male voices. In 2018, we sang a concert commemorating the signing of the Armistice ending WW1, “Lest We Forget.” We sang a benefit concert for Upstate Warrior Solution, an organization serving veterans and their families. We also sang a benefit for the restoration of the iconic Trinity Church in Abbeville. The choir frequently sings for luncheons at churches and retirement centers, in addition to full concert appearances. If you are interested in having the choir sing for a luncheon or other program for your organization, please contact our conductor.
We are seeking to grow the choir and you can help up do that by identifying men who might enjoy singing with us. You may contact any officer of the Upstate Men’s Choir or the conductor, Loren Pinkerman, with the name and contact information of potential members. Mr. Pinkerman can be reached by email or by cell phone at (706) 302-1871.
LEADERSHIP
Loren Pinkerman founded the Upstate Men’s Choir in March of 2018.
Mr. Pinkerman’s background includes degrees from Westmar College, Colorado State University, and Indiana University. He has taught choral music at both the secondary and university levels. At Colorado State University he conducted the CSU Men’s Choir.
The Upstate Men’s Choir Marks the third men’s choir founded by Mr. Pinkerman. His Sons of Lafayette Men’s Choir performed at the Cornwall International Male Voice Choral Festival in Cornwall England in 2011. Other conducting experience has included two European tours with the Mid-America Chorus and conducting the Grand Island City Singers. He attended the Rene Clausen Choral School at Concordia College and also an international choral conductor’s workshop in Varna, Bulgaria. Mr. Pinkerman’s career has spanned secondary & higher education, business, and librarianship. He served as Library Director at Erskine College and LaGrange College. His business experience included engineering systems sales with 3M Company.
Loren Pinkerman and his wife, Pat, reside in Simpsonville, South Carolina. They recently celebrated their 56th anniversary. Pat and Loren have four children and six grandchildren. They enjoy gardening, history, genealogy, music, and travel.
Judy Pearson has served as the accompanist for the Upstate Men’s Choir since its founding. Dr. Pearson retired from service with the Spartanburg school system. She and her husband, Jim, live in Greer. Judy is a member of First Presbyterian Church in Greer where she sings in the choir. Judy and Jim have two daughters and four grandchildren living in Charlotte.
Judy holds a BA in Music from Alfred University, an MA in Psychology from Peabody College, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Georgia. She served as a school psychologist in Greenville and Spartanburg District 6 schools for 30 plus years. Her interests include reading, gardening, OLLI at Furman University, singing in the church choir, and serving as an elder at First Presbyterian in Greer.
The members of the Upstate Men’s Choir are grateful to Judy for volunteering her time and talent to accompany us.
WHERE OUR MEMBERS LIVE
