The Austin County Civic Chorale will enter its 35th season at the end of August.

The chorale was established in August of 1985. Director, Janet Allphin, who had experienced singing in a volunteer city chorale in high school, had the dream of creating a similar group in Austin County. With the local history of the Saengerfest and the Richard Lorenz Singers, there was bound to be some interest in community singing, she imagined.

So, in August of 1985, a group of about 15 singers began to rehearse music for their first performance. Peggy Justiss was enlisted to become the chorale's first piano accompanist. Their first concert was held at First Baptist Church’s gymnasium in Bellville in June 1986. Since then the chorale has performed 73 formal performances with over 200 singers. Many types of choral music have been performed at that time.

The chorale is looking for interested singers to join it in its first performance of this season on Nov. 10, a patriotic one, including Randall Thompson’s “Testament of Freedom.” The concert will be held at the Cat Spring Agricultural hall. Rehearsals begin on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. at the Sens Activity Center, 200 Briar Ridge Dr., in Bellville. No audition is necessary. Call 979-877-5643 for more information.