Photo by SimplyMary
The Bluff Country Singers’ Spring Concert on April 26, 2026, directed by Elliott Grandall, will feature a variety of songs, instrumental accompanists, and the vibrant voices of many Fillmore County residents. This non-auditioned community choir which has been rehearsing together twice a month since January has a bittersweet tone with the realization that it will be the last concert with the founders of BCS, Elliott and Karen Grandall.
“After Elliott retired from teaching, we thought sharing our love of musical performance together through a soprano, alto, tenor, bass choir would be fun,” commented Karen. Since it was music that drew Pastor Karen and school teacher Elliott together, it seems only natural that they would gather talented artists creating a musical performance assembly.
When Elliott Grandall was living in Lignite, N. Dak., he met a young ELCA Pastor Karen Rossing (one of two female pastors in Western North Dakota Senate) assigned to Noonan. It may not have been as clear to him as it was to “Matchmaker Bernice” who understood they would be making music together for 50 years. “I had been asked to play my horn with an ensemble in a nearby town, when I was attracted to a young woman (using a legato violin stroke) and impressed with Karen’s ease at creating beautiful music,” remembers Elliott. Their life began with a mutual interest and love of music, circling as music often does, through their decades together.
The Grandalls find great joy and satisfaction in teaching, creating, and performing musical compositions. This love of music from the beginning of their relationship is one reason the Bluff Country Singers came into existence in 2015.
“After Elliott successfully directed the Root River Revelers and retired from teaching music with Kingsland School District, we were wanting to do something musical together,” said Karen. “He put the word out through local churches inviting people to start a new SATB choir which became the Bluff Country Singers.”
Elliott relates an interesting story of how Suz Eberle became their first piano accompanist. With the choir never far from his mind, Elliott saw Suz at a local basketball game and realized that she would make a great accompanist. Not one to beat around the bush, during halftime Elliott went over and asked Suz if she would be interested and immediately Suz gave an enthusiastic “YES!” Elliott is grateful for her yes and for all the others who have worked tirelessly to provide instrumental accompaniments. Elliott exclaimed, “I can’t emphasize how fortunate we’ve all been in having incredibly talented, committed, and experienced accompanists in Suz Eberle and Kristie Shorter. I am so grateful to them!
“At our first concert we performed only five anthems including Abba’s “Dancing Queen” with solos sung or played by members,” remarked Elliott. “Often, our concerts are highlighted by solo performances with our son David Grandall, playing Our Savior’s mighty pipe organ. Also, other soloists include: the violin, viola, cello, oboe, flute, xylophone, trumpet, brass group, and piano quartet, plus a bell choir delights us all. Sometimes at Christmas, we sing “Silent Night” by candlelight. As attendance at concerts grew, we eventually needed to add an afternoon performance.”
Through the last few years, the Grandalls would spend hours searching for and selecting music which could be mastered with twice a month practices and would be entertaining to perform for Christmas and spring concerts. Over time the Bluff Country Singers started to build its own library of music which will continue to be built upon.
“We are so grateful for the community of Spring Valley civic, school, and church, which has been a wonderful home for us as we worked teaching, serving as an interim pastor, raising our sons Soren and David, and allowing us to share the magical, even mystical, gift music has been to us. And a special thanks to our ELCA church family for allowing a place for The Bluff Country Singers to practice and perform,” commented Elliott.
Readers won’t want to miss the spring concert, coming up Sunday, April 26 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 805 S Broadway Ave, Spring Valley, Minn., – free of charge and bound to lift spirits!
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