Cascade Chorale: James W. Knox, Director
For information about the Winter and Spring schedules, contact 383-7511 or 383-7512 or email jwknox@cocc.edu or visit the Fine Arts the events page.
Ticket Information
A History of the Cascade Chorale
The Cascade Chorale is a community chorus based in Bend, Oregon. It has approximately 110 members from all walks of life, and is part of the music department at Central Oregon Community College.
When the College was founded in 1949, its first president, Dr. Donald Pence, saw to it that the school had a choir from the very start. For several years it performed on an irregular basis. In 1967 a community chorus that met on a more regular basis was established, and came to be known as the Central Oregon Concert Chorus. From 1978-1995 the chorus was directed by Forrest Daniel. Under his leadership, it gave annual performances of Handel’s Messiah in addition to its regular concerts , and took two trips to Europe. In 1988 the choir went to Germany, and in 1992 it returned to Germany, singing in Belgium as well. During those years the choir hosted three different choirs from Europe that were touring the United States, as well as a choir from Canada.
In 1995, Dr. Clyde Thompson became director of the choir. During the summer of 1996, they traveled to Alberta, Canada on a concert tour. In 1997 the name of the group was changed to Cascade Chorale, in honor of the Cascade Mountain range that lies just a half-hour from the College. Under Dr. Thompson’s direction, the membership of the choir had doubled in size. They give three formal concerts each year, performing repertoire from all styles and periods of choral music.
Beginning fall 2004, James W. Knox will direct the Cascade Chorale. For more information, please contact James W. Knox at Central Oregon Community College, (541) 383-7512, or jwknox@cocc.edu