MOLALLA, Ore. — Tim Friesen has been teaching choral music at Molalla High School for most of his 30 year career.
He's built something special there and at the middle school as well, including a singing Christmas tree tradition.
Friesen started it 25 years ago The group includes nearly 300 singers in various choirs, fFrom the schools and community, even an alumni choir that keeps coming back!
But as Friesen is set to retire, it's likely this will be the last season of the popular production.
This year on the stage, "A Spirited Christmas Carol".
Ten years ago Friesen and a fellow teacher and friend added original stories based on past plays.
"I think the appeal is this unique mixture of unique community feel music but still quality and this story line that you don’t know what’s gonna happen next," said Friesen.
It's a lot of work, but the payoff isgood. Community members and people from all over come to see.
It all starts in the choir room, with Friesen's pursuit of perfection.
"In music if you get ten wrong notes out of 100, that’s 90 percent. But boy those ten notes are really gonna hurt the audience’s ears, so you’ve got to shoot for perfection if you can," said the choir director, who admits it makes him a high energy guy.
"The kids would say I’m pretty intense, I have a very intense personality. And so I am strict, but they know I love them."
And they love him back.
Senior Tim James is already a professional singer songwriter, at least in part due to Friesen.
"You know he’s just a blessing to the community and to this school, just all around. And I’ve gotten to work with him at church and here and he’s just a mentor. He’s a role model for all of us," said James.
There are beautiful voices. And there is joy in the choir room, and on the school stage. But it's bittersweet this season.
The longtime choral leader is retiring. It's highly unlikely the Singing Christmas Tree tradition will continue in 2020. Friesen will miss the singing. But he'll miss making connections the most.
A spirited Christmas Carol runs Thursday through Saturday, with two shows on Saturday. Get your tickets in advance.
"I love playing them a song and they say oh we can’t wait to sing that, but to know that when they walk out that they know I care abut them and they care about me. I know it sounds really really stereotypical but the family atmosphere in here is the thing that I will probably miss the most."