Canterbury Voices Inc

OUR MISSION IS TO TRANSFORM LIVES, EDUCATE THE FUTURE AND INSPIRE COMMUNITIES THROUGH GREAT CHORAL MUSIC. CANTERBURY'S VISION IS TO CONTINUALLY OFFER ARTISTIC AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY EACH YEAR TO THE BROADEST AND MOST DIVERSE AUDIENCE POSSIBLE IN THE CENTRAL OKLAHOMA REGION.

CONCERTS- CANTERBURY VOICES IS A 125-MEMBER VOLUNTEER ADULT CHORUS, PERFORMING IN THE CIVIC CENTER MUSIC HALL. OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY THE OKLAHOMA CITY PHILHARMONIC, CANTERBURY'S GOAL IS TO PRESENT INNOVATIVE, ARTISTIC AND DIVERSE CHORAL MUSIC TO A BROAD AUDIENCE WHILE BUILDING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. EVERY OTHER YEAR, THE ADULT CHORUS TRAVELS INTERNATIONALLY AND HAS PERFORMED IN CHINA, FRANCE, AND MOST RECENTLY IRELAND. CANTERBURY HAS A SMALL ENSEMBLE OF 16 ADULT SINGERS, CANTERBURY TO GO, THAT PERFORMS IN THE COMMUNITY FOR PRIVATE EVENTS, CORPORATE EVENTS,PARTIES, ETC.

EDUCATION - CANTERBURY VOICES ALSO OFFERS CHILDREN IN GRADES 2-12 A CHORAL MUSIC EDUCATION THROUGH THE CANTERBURY YOUTH VOICES PROGRAM. CANTERBURY YOUTH VOICES (CYV) IS CURRICULAR AND PERFORMANCE BASED,PERFORMING AT VARIOUS VENUES LIKE OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY, CHESAPEAKE ARENA SINGING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM FOR THUNDER GAMES, AND ALONGSIDE CANTERBURY'S ADULT CHORUS AT CIVIC CENTER MUSIC HALL. CYV IS TUITION BASED AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE AND OFFERS NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS. MORE THAN 100 CYV SINGERS HAVE BEEN INVITED TO TRAVEL TO NORMANDY, FRANCE IN 2020 TO COMMERMORATE THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY.

MEMBER SERVICES - EACH YEAR, CANTERBURY PROVIDES SERVICES TO ITS MEMBERS. WHEN ADULT SINGERS TAKE A TRIP, CANTERBURY IS MANY TIMES REQUIRED TO PAY THE TRAVEL AGENT DIRECTLY, SO THE CHOIR MEMBERS PAY CANTERBURY TO REIMBURSE THE EXPENSE. WHEN CANTERBURY YOUTH VOICES SINGS AT AN OKC THUNDER BASKETBALL GAME, THE THUNDER REQUIRES THAT THE ORGANIZATION BUY A SET NUMBER OF TICKETS AT A GROUP DISCOUNT. MEMBER FAMILIES CAN PURCHASE THESE TICKETS FROM CANTERBURY TO SUPPORT THE GROUP. ADULT AND YOUTH MEMBERS ARE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THEIR UNIFORMS. CANTERBURY ORDERS THE UNIFORMS FOR A GROUP DISCOUNT, AND MEMBERS REIMBURSE THIS EXPENSE. CANTERBURY ORDERS PONSETTIAS AS DCOR FOR THE CHRISTMAS CONCERT. CHOIR MEMBERS ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE THESE POINSETTIAS TO OFFSET ORGANIZATIONAL EXPENSE.

FOR 50 YEARS, CANTERBURY VOICES' MISSION HAS BEEN TO TRANSFORM LIVES, EDUCATE THE FUTURE, AND INSPIRE COMMUNITIES THROUGH GREAT CHORAL MUSIC. CANTERBURY WAS ESTABLISHED IN MAY OF 1969 BY MYLES CRISS AND 60 VOLUNTEER SINGERS. CRISS' GOAL WAS TO ESTABLISH A PREMIER CLASSICAL CHORUS IN THE OKLAHOMA CITY COMMUNITY. TODAY, CANTERBURY HAS 165 VOLUNTEER ADULT CHORUS MEMBERS AND IS THE PREMIER CHORUS IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA-PERFORMING FOR THE GOVERNOR'S INAUGURATION, OKLAHOMA'S CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION, AND HAS TOURED TO FRANCE, CHINA, IRELAND, AND AUSTRIA. CANTERBURY ALSO OFFERS CHILDREN IN GRADES 2-12 A DIVERSE CHORAL MUSIC EDUCATION WITH THE CANTERBURY YOUTH VOICES EDUCATION PROGRAM AND ANNUAL SUMMER CAMP, CAMP CANTERBURY. CANTERBURY'S ADULT CHORAL PROGRAMMING INCLUDES THREE MASTERWORKS CONCERTS PER FISCAL YEAR AT THE CIVIC CENTER IN DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY. CANTERBURY PARTNERS WITH OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN THE GREATER OKLAHOMA CITY METRO AREA INCLUDING THE OKLAHOMA CITY PHILHARMONIC, OKLAHOMA CITY BALLET, LYRIC THEATRE OF OKLAHOMA, AND THE OKLAHOMA CITY JAZZ ORCHESTRA. IN 2018, CANTERBURY COMMEMORATED A SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY ON NOVEMBER 11. MARKING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMISTICE DAY, CANTERBURY PRESENTED A RARELY-PERFORMED WORK, BENJAMIN BRITTEN'S WAR REQUIEM. THE WORK IS VERY COMPLEX, AND INCLUDED MORE THAN 300 MUSICIANS ON THE STAGE, INCLUDING A LARGE ORCHESTRA, NEARLY 200 CHORISTERS INCLUDING SOME FROM OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY, OUR CANTERBURY YOUTH VOICES CHILDREN'S CHOIR, AND THREE SOLOISTS. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE ORIGINAL ANIMATED VISUAL ELEMENTS CREATED BY LOCAL ARTISTS THAT WERE PROJECTED DURING THE CONCERT. THE TRADITIONAL CANTERBURY CHRISTMAS CONCERT IN DECEMBER FEATURED THE FAVORITES OF HOLIDAY MUSIC, A TRADITIONAL CAROL SING-A-LONG WITH THE AUDIENCE AND THE CHARMING SOUNDS OF CANTERBURY YOUTH VOICES. PATRONS WERE INVITED FOR A HOLIDAY RECEPTION AFTER THE CONCERT. THE FINAL SPRING CONCERT ON APRIL 13, 2019, ESPECIALLY COMMEMORATED CANTERBURY'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY WITH AN AUDIENCE FAVORITE, CARMINA BURANA, WITH A LARGE ORCHESTRA. EACH CONCERT BROUGHT IN MORE THAN 1,000 PATRONS AT THE CIVIC CENTER MUSIC HALL IN DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY. THIS WAS AN AMBITIOUS SEASON LINE-UP TO COMMEMORATE IMPORTANT ANNIVERSARIES. THE CANTERBURY YOUTH VOICES (CYV) IS A PREMIER CHILDREN'S CHORUS IN THE OKLAHOMA CITY METROPOLITAN AREA, PROVIDING CHILDREN IN GRADES 2-12 AN ADVANCED CHORAL MUSIC EDUCATION FOR 23 YEARS. CYV IS THE MOST AFFORDABLE YOUTH CHORUS IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA, WITH AN ANNUAL TUITION PRICE OF 225, WHICH DOESN'T FULLY COVER PROGRAM COSTS. THE BOARD IS PROUD OF THE COMMUNITY NEED THAT THIS PROGRAM MEETS, AND HAS CHALLENGED ITSELF AND THE STAFF TO SECURE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE. CANTERBURY SERVES 204 CHILDREN OF ALL ETHNICITIES AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS WHO LOVE TO SING AND PROVIDES 24 NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS FUNDED BY GENEROUS DONORS. IN 2020, 101 CYV STUDENTS WILL TRAVEL TO NORMANDY, FRANCE TO SING AT THE 76TH ANNUAL D-DAY COMMEMORATION CEREMONIES AS THE "OFFICIAL VOCAL MUSIC UNIT". THIS IS A TREMENDOUS HONOR, AND SPECIAL FUNDRAISING EFFORTS AND FAMILY PAYMENTS WERE INITIATED IN 2018 TO PREPARE FOR THIS TRIP, WHICH WILL CONTINUE INTO 2020.