093_SR0271

 
                                     LRB093 13434 RAH 18752 r

 1                          SENATE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The members  of  the  Senate  of  the  State  of
 3    Illinois  learned  with  regret  of  the  death  of  Sten  G.
 4    Halfvarson on  September 1, 2003; and

 5        WHEREAS,  Born  in  Wilkinsburg,  Pennsylvania to Swedish
 6    immigrant parents, Mr. Halfvarson moved with  his  family  to
 7    Chicago  in  1929; at Senn High School, the composer-director
 8    Noble Cain took Mr. Halfvarson and his baritone  voice  under
 9    his  tutelage;  he  sang with Cain's Chicago A Cappella Choir
10    from 1929 to 1936 and performed in  concerts,  radio  and  on
11    tours; and

12        WHEREAS, For two years Mr. Halfvarson attended North Park
13    College   before  finishing  his  education  at  Northwestern
14    University with a degree in music education; in 1937 he began
15    his teaching career in Menominee, Michigan, but the following
16    year he began his long association with West High  School  in
17    Aurora as the choral director until 1979; and

18        WHEREAS,  Mr. Halfvarson's career was interrupted when he
19    served as a B-17 gunnery instructor  in  the  U.S.  Army  Air
20    Forces  from 1942 to 1945; after World War II, he returned to
21    Aurora and  in  1946  married  Lucille  Robertson,  a  choral
22    director he met at a conference; and

23        WHEREAS,  Mr.  Halfvarson's  Christmas concerts were more
24    than simply singing traditional songs; he used his talents to
25    write  musical  links   between   the   songs,   creating   a
26    concert-long  musical  medley; his talents were often coveted
27    by other schools and choirs; over the years, he  was  on  the
28    faculty  of  music  camps  at  nine  universities  around the
29    country, and was invited to be choral director at  more  than
30    50  festivals  in  the  Midwest;  in  1968,  he  directed the
31    Illinois All-State Choir, which sang at the World  Conference
32    in Dijon, France; and
 
                            -2-      LRB093 13434 RAH 18752 r
 1        WHEREAS,  In  1960,  Mr.  Halfvarson  formed  the  Aurora
 2    Festival  Chorus  and  for  15 years, the chorus performed in
 3    city parks, high schools and at the  Paramount  Arts  Center;
 4    for 42 years, Mr. Halfvarson was the director of music at the
 5    New England Congregational Church before retiring in 1994; he
 6    was  also  the past president of the Illinois Music Education
 7    Association; and

 8        WHEREAS, Throughout  his  career,  Mr.  Halfvarson  wrote
 9    numerous  pieces  for use by his choirs; at the urging of his
10    children,  he  submitted  several  of  his  works  to   music
11    publishers;  in 2002, his talents were recognized by Alliance
12    Publications Inc. out of Fish  Creek,  Wisconsin,  which  has
13    recently   released   the   Sten  Halfvarson  Choral  Series,
14    including a collection of five songs for Christmas; and

15        WHEREAS, The passing  of  Sten  G.  Halfvarson  has  been
16    deeply  felt  by  all  who knew and loved him, especially his
17    wife of 57 years, Lucille; his daughters,  Linea  Halfvarson,
18    Laura  Jump,  and Mary Covelli; his son, Eric Halfvarson; his
19    grandchildren; and his great-grandson; and

20        WHEREAS, As a choral director for  more  than  50  years,
21    Sten  G.  Halfvarson  did  more  than  teach the mechanics of
22    music; he instilled and fostered in his students  the  beauty
23    of  a  piece  and  in  the  process gave them a foundation of
24    musicianship and a freedom of creativity; therefore, be it

25        RESOLVED, BY  THE  SENATE  OF  THE  NINETY-THIRD  GENERAL
26    ASSEMBLY  OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing
27    of Sten G. Halfvarson and extend our deepest sympathy to  his
28    family, friends, and community; and be it further

29        RESOLVED,  That  a  suitable  copy  of this resolution be
30    presented  to  the  family  of  Sten  G.  Halfvarson  as   an
31    expression of our sincerest condolences.