The Choir
Coastal Voices is a mixed community chorus of almost sixty singers, performing an eclectic blend of choral music. We have auditions twice a year - in August and January - and prospective members must be at least 18 years of age to join us. We strive to include a wide variety of talents and ability levels. We are a positive and uplifting choral community that thrives on teamwork and grows closer with each season. Our singers rehearse weekly and work hard to cultivate and improve their musical performance skills.
Our repertoire is diverse; it may be classical or popular, sacred, or secular and range from Beethoven and Fauré to contemporary composers such as Eric Whitacre and Morten Lauridsen. We often include folk, jazz, and Broadway tunes in our concerts. We sing in English, Spanish, Latin, German and Swahili, along with other languages, and seek to celebrate the world-wide nature of choral music. More than anything our singers hope to bring joy to our audiences!
Our home base is the Performing Arts Center in Newport. We draw in members from all over Lincoln County: from Lincoln City and Otis to Yachats, plus Siletz and Toledo. We are a nonprofit managed by a volunteer board of directors. Our singers also contribute to the group in many ways small and large that mark a successful organization.
Originally known as Central Coast Chorale, our group was created in the late 1990s under the direction of Dr. Mary Lee Scoville. After the pandemic we came back with fresh energy and rebranded ourselves in 2023 as Coastal Voices.
We currently present two concert series a year, with performances that cover all of Lincoln County at venues in Yachats, Newport, and Lincoln City. In addition to special guests who are invited to perform with us, we have partnered in past seasons with the Newport Symphony Orchestra, the Corvallis Repertory Singers, and the Willamette Master Chorus in Salem.
Coastal Voices is directed by Rhodd F. Caldwell and his assistant Raleigh Bartholomew, and accompanied by Milo Graamans. You can read more about them on our Artistic Staff page. Rhodd also directs and sings with our smaller ensemble, SoundWaves. You can learn more about SoundWaves on their page.
“Our goal is to create a sustainable and inclusive organization that celebrates, promotes, and develops the choral arts.”
“Simple Gifts,” by Aaron Copland, arr. by David L. Brunner
“Turn the World Around,” by Harry Belafonte and Robert Freedman
“Baba Yetu,” by Christopher Tin
“Lux Aurumque,” by Eric Whitacre
“ The Rhythm of Life,” (from Sweet Charity) by Dorothy Fields and Cy Coleman; arr. Roger Emerson
“Serenata Para la Tierra de Uno (A Serenade to One’s Homeland),” by Maria Elena Walsh
“Changamano (“Join Together” in Swahili),” by Sally K. Albrecht and Jay Althouse