According to Willis Dunbar in his book, Kalamazoo and How it Grew and Grew, this Kalamazoo Choral Union began in October, 1916 (there had been two other organizations with the same name). The Union was made up of residents who formed a chorus led by Dr. Harper Maybee from Western State Normal School. Well-known artists were brought to Kalamazoo for performances like Jascha Heifitz and Fritz Kreisler. Every May the Union sponsored the annual May festival, held at the Armory. Typically the Chicago Symphony would perform along with a 300+ member adult choir and a 400+ children’s choir along with individual artists for this two day affair. Part of the program included a performance of a different opera each year. Dunbar states that the Union ended in 1924 but there is no information in either the City Directories or the Coller file that confirm that date.