Community choir recaps 1992-2002
On Holy Saturday, 1992, Snyder was confirmed as the new music director of the All-Ohio Youth Choir. After the death of that choir’s founder, Glenville Thomas, Snyder was chosen from more than 60 applicants. Thus began a new chapter for the Coshocton Community Choir as 105 members from the 1992 All-Ohio Youth Choir converged in Coshocton in February 1993, for a weekend reunion and a joint concert with the community choir. That tradition would continue for 20 years. (Submitted)
The Coshocton Community Choir, founded by and conducted by Charles R. Snyder is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season. A celebration concert will be held on Sunday, April 24, at 3 p.m. at Coshocton High School’s McKinley Auditorium. Here’s a look back at the early years of the choir – the third decade.
“Members of the Community Choir were excited to sing anthems we commissioned for the 1991 Christmas concert: Hal Hopson’s ‘Christmas Fanfare and Processional’, and Michael Burkhardt’s setting of ‘Arise, Behold the Light’,” Snyder said.
While some of its members had played for previous concerts, The Roscoe Brass made its official debut at the 1991 Christmas concerts. The quintet has become integral in the choir’s concerts and outreach, and several also sing in the choir.
By 1991, the children’s choir had grown from 33 to 70 singers. Teachers Jeff Gill and Diana Marlatt were lifelines as they took care of many behind the scenes items including the children’s choir shirts and getting the children’s choir members to and from the stage during performances.
In the letter Norman and Helen Wright wrote for the community choir’s 1992 annual fund, they shared: “Since it began as a choral dream in 1971, the 100-voice choir (grown from the original 35) has become one of the cultural focuses of our community and state. To our knowledge, the choir is unique: we do not know of another community choir of this size, ability, and versatility, and who rehearse with such regularity and dedication – two hours each Sunday evening for eight months of the year.”
On Holy Saturday, 1992, Snyder was confirmed as the new music director of the All-Ohio Youth Choir. After the death of that choir’s founder, Glenville Thomas, Snyder was chosen from more than 60 applicants. Thus began a new chapter for the Coshocton Community Choir as 105 members from the 1992 All-Ohio Youth Choir converged in Coshocton in February 1993, for a weekend reunion and a joint concert with the community choir. That tradition would continue for 20 years.
Artist Tom Kulewicz designed his first spring choir logo for the 1993 concert, and he continues to design concert logos to this day for the community choir. Those who come to the choir’s 50th anniversary concert on April 24 at will see a display of all the covers he’s designed for the choir.
For the second half of the 1994 Christmas concert, “Star of Wonder,” the choir presented the Christmas one-act opera, “Amahl and the Night Visitors.” The ambitious undertaking involved 31 singing shepherds, three high school dancers, six cast members, and 12 instrumentalists. The whole choir sang the farewell. Jeff Gill was the dramatic and production director.
Selling Texas Manor Fruitcakes became a Coshocton Community Choir major fundraiser for a number of years, and the tasty fruitcakes were delivered before Thanksgiving each year.
In 1997, the American Boychoir made another visit to Coshocton as part of the Dogwood Festival of the Arts. The concert was held at The Coshocton Presbyterian Church, and 37 members of the community choir, and 30 members of the Coshocton Children’s Choir also participated. Pianist Dickie Barrick, and Don Kason, Paul Ring, and Steve Hildreth – members of The Roscoe Brass – also participated. After the concert, fifth grader Ryan McPeek from Coshocton successfully auditioned for the group.
On Dec. 5, 1997, Paul J. Christiansen, legendary 20th century choral titan, and founder and director of the Concordia Choir, died just hours before his choir’s annual Christmas Concert. “Because Paul J. Christiansen and his choir had made such an impact on me and the Coshocton Community Choir, we dedicated our spring 1998 concert to him and his legacy,” Snyder said.
The community choir sang a group of masterworks that he had edited, a set of his original compositions, a set of arrangements he completed of hymns and spirituals and concluded with a group of works he composed or arranged for the Coshocton Community Choir. In addition to the two spring concerts in Coshocton, the community choir also took the tribute spring concert to Zion Lutheran Church in Wooster.
In 1999, the community choir’s audition tape to sing for the Ohio Choral Directors Association was selected, and the choir got to sing for their summer conference at Cleveland State University.
Also in 1999, two members of the Coshocton Children’s Choir, Josh Chaney and John Pollock, successfully auditioned for the National Honor Boychoir that rehearsed and performed for the American Choral Directors Association in Chicago. The 250-voice choir was drawn from all parts of the country.
“In 2001, the choir was invited to sing on the prestigious concert series in Hoover Auditorium at Lakeside on Lake Erie,” Snyder said. “What an honor that was for us.”
If you are a choir alumni and haven’t yet received information about the 50th anniversary celebration, call the choir’s office at 740-623-0554. Find more information about the Coshocton Community Choir and their upcoming concert on Sunday, April 24, at www.CoshoctonCommunityChoir.org.
Category: Arts & Entertainment
