Allied Arts

On the heels of a successful and beautiful Christmas concert, Canterbury Choral Society certainly deserves a standing ovation on our blog. We hope you enjoy getting to know the group via the questions below...and we hope you buy tickets to see them at their next performance in April.

Name and Title: Jason Edward Grife, Development Manager
Organization Name: Canterbury Choral Society
Organization Phone Number and Web Site: 405-232-SING (7464) www.canterburyokc.com

Give us the gist of your organization, Twitter-style (that means 140 characters or less). Canterbury is the premier choral arts organization of Oklahoma, providing performance and education opportunities for over 40 years.

What does your organization bring to Central Oklahoma?
Canterbury connects our community through music by providing experiences to lift the spirit. Whether it is our large masterwork concerts, guest artists, the tradition of Canterbury Christmas, or our Canterbury Youth Choruses education programming, we offer a chance for everyone to be a part of the music.

As one of the largest volunteer choruses in the United States, Canterbury has had the distinction of working with such famous artists as Kelli O’Hara and Leona Mitchell, premiering works by Dominick Argento and Stephen Paulus, and being the host chorus for the Oklahoma City Centennial Celebration and American Choral Directors Association National Conference in 2009.

Canterbury knows collaboration is key for the future of all arts organization and is proud to work closely with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and other various performance groups, as well as being an active member of Allied Arts.

List a few things that your organization is looking forward to in the coming year.
We are looking forward to hosting renowned opera singer Sarah Coburn, collaborating with the Oklahoma Philharmonic on Beethoven’s 9th, the annual Canterbury Youth Choruses Summer Camp, and our 2010-2011 season opener, Mendelssohn’s Elijah

How can people get involved with your organization? Currently, we have nearly 140 volunteer singers in the Adult Chorus and over 60 students in our Canterbury Youth Choruses. Auditions are held each fall for both the adult and children’s programming.

For ticket information, or to find out other ways you can support this unique choral arts organization, visit www.canterburyokc.com or call 405-232-SING (7464).

Name your favorite piece of art or art performance.
Canterbury has had the opportunity to perform music ranging from madrigals to large choral masterworks and famous opera choruses to Broadway classics. With such a diverse pallet of music, it is hard to just pick one.

Some favorites include Orff’s Carmina Burana, Beethoven’s 9th, Bach’s Mass in B minor, and Dona nobis pacem by Vaughn Williams.

Which artist would you most like to meet?
J.S. Bach. After successfully conquering and touring in the Spring of 2009 with his Mass in B minor, the chorus has come to love and respect him as a composer.