Breanna Braun — Staff Writer 

Thirty years ago, in 1994, Ben Kornelis was crowned the Dordt University concert choir Toidmaster, an important role bestowed upon the tallest member of the concert choir to distribute ‘curiously strong mints’ to its members before concerts. What started off as a joke to keep the choir’s breath minty fresh has now turned into a tradition that has lasted 30 years.   

The current Toidmaster, sophomore bass two Bennett Krommendyk, got a chance to talk with a former Toidmaster over the choir’s tour of the Pacific Northwest. Through this interaction, the choir learned more about the iconic, decades-long tradition. 

“Brian Dick, one of the former Toidmasters had to memorize all the Altoid ingredients and had to list them all before every concert,” Krommendyk said.   

“I was a people pleaser, and it was a joy to serve my choir,” Dick said.  

During Dick’s reign as Toidmaster, his choir often pranked him with Altoid-themed gifts. When Krommendyk met Dick after a concert in Lynden, Wash., Dick showed him a crown the choir made for him out of Altoid tins. He gave the relic to Krommendyk so it could be passed down to future Toidmasters. 

Being the Toidmaster also makes you a little bit of a choir celebrity, which can be a blessing and a curse for some. 

 Jordan Severson, Toidmaster from 2015-2018, fully embraced the role, seeing it as a way to get to know the rest of the choir. 

“It was a great way to meet everyone else in the concert choir since they all would come to me before each performance,” Severson said.  

Current senior Bryce Enger was the Toidmaster from his sophomore year up until last semester. Krommendyk replaced him after he left to study off campus.  

“People were always coming up to me before concerts, which was fun, but that was also kind of the worst part,” Enger said.  

Besides making them memorize ingredients and giving crowns of honor, concert choir members would also give out loving nicknames to their Toidmaster. 

“I was given a few, one of them was toidaolescent,” Dick said.  

With so many concert choir members and concerts over tour, Altoids were occasionally in short supply. Krommendyk went through twelve tins of Altoids over the 12-day spring break tour. Dick also said keeping a steady supply was important. 

“Running short of Altoids was a problem. You always had to make sure you had enough,” Dick said. 

According to Severson, it was the Toidmaster’s responsibility to make sure they were adequately stocked with enough mint and a variety of flavors. Now, the choir is in charge of providing the Toidmaster with mints, often from gas stations and grocery stores the choir visits on the way to their destination. Krommendyk’s favorite flavor, wintergreen, was a popular option among the choir.  

“The Toidmaster always had the peppermint flavor along with a couple of alternatives just in case like wintergreen and spearmint,” Severson said.  

For choir members with parched throats, the Toidmaster is there to provide.