In the spring of 1984, Denver Symphony music director Gaetano Delogu decided it was time to form a symphony chorus. And he knew just the man to lead it: Duain Wolfe, founder of the Colorado Children's Chorale, who also directed choruses in Evergreen and at Central City Opera.

More than 300 auditioned, even though singers would receive no pay. In October 1984, the 140-member DSO Chorus made its debut in Verdi's Requiem.

It's appropriate, then, that the group's silver-anniversary season includes the Verdi. The official celebration occurs March 29 at Boettcher Hall with an afternoon of choral favorites.

Much has changed over the past 25 years, though. The group has grown to more than 200 and was renamed after the creation of the Colorado Symphony.

And yet, some things remain unaffected by the passage of time for the CSO Chorus. Singers still work for free, and Wolfe is still in charge.

He's not the only holdover. Remarkably, 31 singers who were there at the start are still aboard. Five founding members stopped by the Rocky this week to share their memories:

How has your commitment to the chorus affected your personal life?

*Carol: My husband said to me, "I do not understand why you do this." Still, he's very supportive.

*Barbara: At first, my husband was excited about my joining. But that faded away after a while. The way I see it, my kids have learned the importance of true commitment to something you believe in.

*Ken: For me, it's a great way to expose my family to great music.

* Maryanne: I've never regretted it. Right from the start, I told my boss, "This is the way it is." Since we know when our rehearsals are, we can rearrange our schedule. And all along, you do know that if you can't make time for the chorus, there are others out there willing to take your place. The schedule can be physically exhausting, particularly around Christmas. I guess we've all been crazy for 25 years!

Europe beckons

This summer the Colorado Symphony Chorus makes its first visit to Europe, singing Verdi's Requiem. The itinerary:

* National Concert Hall, Budapest, Hungary (July 2)

* St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna (July 4)

* Smetana Opera Festival, Brno, Czech Republic (July 5)

* Smetana Hall, Prague (July 8)

CSO chorus dates

* When and where: anniversary concert led by Duain Wolfe (2:30 p.m. March 29); Verdi's Requiem (April 3 to 5) and Mahler's Resurrection Symphony (June 5 to 7), both led by Jeffrey Kahane; Boettcher Hall

*Information: 303-623-7876

Do you foresee a time when you won't be in the chorus?

* Ken: My mother sang into her 80s. I'd love to be able to do that. If not, I hope I'll have the sense to quit when it's time.

*> Roy: I think most of us know when we can't perform to that high level - when you can't control the vibrato, or when it simply becomes too much of a strain to make rehearsals and performances.

What do you draw from the choral experience?

* Barbara: It goes way beyond merely singing. Chorus members have come during chemo sessions, after losing a child or a spouse. One time, a doctor told me: "I really needed this badly. I had a rough day - I had to give bad news to nearly every patient." (A choral rehearsal) can be a healing place. It feeds your soul.

* Roy: I got a chance to sing in a paid church chorus, but I turned it down. It's such a thrill to perform major works with a big orchestra. There's an emotional release to be able to shout out in an organized way.

* Ken: We're used to doing it for free . . . but there are perks. When we sing in Aspen (at the Music Festival), our lodging is taken care of. And the (CSO) players are always showing us their appreciation.

* Carol: And let's not forget the feeling when the audience cheers us at the end. That's always a thrill.

View from the podium

Colorado Symphony Chorus founder and director Duain Wolfe and associate conductor Mary Louise Burke shared their thoughts on working with the chorus.

Duain Wolfe

When we posted audition notices around town (in 1984), I was surprised at the response - more than 300 showed up. Right from the start, I was relentless about what we were after. We all knew that we wanted to match the orchestra's high quality.

I was nervous about the project. I had a world-on-my-shoulders moment when I realized that the (Denver Symphony) was depending on us. We couldn't fail. But (music director) Gaetano (Delogu) loved us instantly.

The singers have been wonderful. Almost from the start, it became a mission for them. They work so hard.

I was offered the choral directorship with the Chicago Symphony 15 years ago, and I told them that I didn't want to leave the chorus here in Denver. They thought that wouldn't last, but it has - and I have no desire to give either one of them up.

Mary Louise Burke

Their workload has grown tremendously over the years. They'd have maybe three shows in the early days. Now it's up to nine or 10. And production weeks are so busy, but they seem to thrive on it.

In many ways, choral singing is harder than solo singing, because you're learning new material all the time. Pop music in particular is very hard, since it requires dead-on intonation. But I had no trouble getting singers to sign on for the Sondheim and Elton John tribute concerts (April 24 and May 2, respectively).

And let's not forget the challenge of singing in the vastness of Boettcher. I sang with them for two years, and I tell you, it's a miracle when we'd come in at the same time. After we finally move rehearsals to Boettcher (from Trinity Church), it takes a good hour to get them to sing on the beat.

These are amateurs in the truest sense - they have passion for what they do. Professionals can sometimes get jaded, but these folks never do. And I imagine they never will.

Shulgoldm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5296

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