Ohio Lyric Theatre
Ohio Lyric Theatre Community Chorus has been in existence since the fall of 1987. The group began when J. Chris Moore, Executive Director of the Springfield Arts Council, suggested the idea of a Christmas Pageant for the community to Ohio Lyric Theatre. Chris gathered a group of singers together who wanted to sing at this pageant. And thus, the group began. Now, nineteen years, several directors and quite a number of singers later, the Community Chorus is still singing – at this time under the direction of Dr. Gwen Brubaker who joined the chorus as director seven years ago.
The chorus maintains a varied repertoire of music ranging from classical numbers, to flag-waving renditions of patriotic songs, to sacred and spiritual music, to Broadway show tunes. There are persons from all walks of life singing in this group, including teachers, nurses, secretaries, business executives, farmers, mothers, retirees – to name only a few – with one common bond keeping them together – the love of singing.
The OLT Community Chorus has a varied performance schedule throughout the September – June season. In addition to the OLT Christmas Pageant, the chorus presents a Spring Concert each May. The chorus sings each Sunday in June for various area churches’ Sunday services. In addition, the chorus has sung the “National Anthem” at several Cincinnati Reds baseball games. They performed as part of the Gala Opening of the Clark State Performing Arts Center. To celebrate their tenth anniversary and OLT’s 35th anniversary, the chorus performed Vivaldi’s “GLORIA” in concert in March 1997 in Wittenberg’s Weaver Chapel. In October, 2000, the chorus performed Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and performed Carmina Burana with the Symphony at their 60th Anniversary concert in May, 2004. The chorus has performed many times at the Springfield Summer Arts Festival.
The Chorus has approximately sixty members, who rehearse each Monday evening of the chorus season at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church. Membership is by audition. Proud to provide participants and audiences with quality choral experience, Ohio Lyric Theatre Community Chorus is delighted to be a cultural representative of the Springfield and Clark County community.
