Frank Pooler

Frank Mairich Pooler (March 29, 1926 – January 19, 2013) was an American choirmaster and the director of choral studies at California State University, Long Beach.

for his mastery of contemporary choral repertoire, Pooler served as a guest conductor, clinician, lecturer and adjudicator throughout the continental United States, Canada, Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hawaii, and Alaska.

In 1943, while still a high school student, Pooler founded and directed the first children's choir at First (Norwegian) Lutheran Church.

[1] He worked for a year after that as the music director at the First Baptist Church in Albert Lea, Minnesota, before attending the University of Iowa and earning a master's degree.

Karen later said, "'Merry Christmas Darling' I think, is a little extra special to both of us, because Richard wrote it, and the lyrics were written by the choral director at Long Beach State choir, where we went to school, Frank Pooler.

We just did a benefit at Long Beach State, for a scholarship fund, and we did it with the choir and the whole thing, and we did "Christmas Darling" and he just "glows" every time we do it…..

[citation needed] He earned the St. Olav's Medal from the King of Norway in 1984 for distinguished contributions to Norwegian music in the United States.

"[citation needed] In 2006, he was an Honoree Award recipient at the American Choral Director Association Western Division convention in Salt Lake City, Utah.