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OLT
"HOLIDAY CHORUS"
David Bowermeister
- Director Debbie Dustin -
Accompanist
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To preserve the tradition of the OLT Christmas Pageant, The Ohio
Lyric Theatre Holiday Chorus was organized in 2008. Under the
direction of David Bowermeister, many former OLT Community Chorus members
returned to sing in this Holiday Chorus, joined by a number of new
members. This Holiday Chorus of over one hundred singers rehearses
at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church each Monday evening for eight weeks
prior to the Christmas Pageant. The 2008 OLT Christmas Pageant marks the
first performance of this new chorus.
The Ohio Lyric Theatre Holiday
Chorus has its roots in the former
OLT Community Chorus, began in 1987 when J. Chris Moore, Executive
Director of the Springfield Arts Council, suggested the idea of an outdoor
Christmas Pageant for the community to Ohio Lyric Theatre. Chris gathered
a group of singers together who wanted to sing at this pageant. The group
known as the Ohio Lyric Theatre Community Chorus began. This chorus
maintained 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 were persons from all walks of life singing
in this group. Over the years there were teachers, nurses, secretaries,
business executives, farmers, mothers, retirees – to name only a few.
In addition to the OLT Christmas Pageant, the chorus presented a Spring
Concert in May. For many years, the chorus sang in June for various area
churches’ Sunday services. The chorus sang the “National Anthem” at
several Cincinnati Reds baseball games, performed as part of the Gala
Opening of the Clark State Performing Arts Center, and appeared many times
in the Springfield Summer Arts Festival. To celebrate their tenth
anniversary and OLT’s 35th anniversary in 1997, the chorus performed
Vivaldi’s “GLORIA” in Wittenberg’s Weaver Chapel. In 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 2004. To celebrate the chorus’ 20th anniversary, director Dr.
Gwen Brubaker traveled with a number of Chorus members to New York City to
sing at a mixed choral concert in Carnegie Hall under the direction of
John Rutter.
Unfortunately, after 21 years of singing together, the number of members
participating in the OLT Community Chorus steadily decreased. Continuation
of this group became financially impracticable for OLT, and the Chorus was
disbanded.
Ohio Lyric Theatre is happy to have The Ohio Lyric Theatre Holiday Chorus
singing at our Christmas Pageant.
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For information
about being a part of the HOLIDAY CHORUS, call 937-323-7755.
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