Oshkosh Chamber Singers
About Us
Our History
The Oshkosh Chamber Singers was founded to provide the Oshkosh area with quality performances of significant choral music and to increase the cultural and educational quality of life of the community.
The group was formed in 1985 when the choirs from the Algoma Boulevard United Methodist Church and the First Congregational Church combined to perform Bach's St. John's Passion. Several of the musicians involved wanted to continue to perform works that were beyond the capabilities of any single church choir. In its thirty-plus years, OCS has performed a wide range of serious choral literature, both religious and secular. In 1990, the group performed its first holiday service of "A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols" at Trinity Episcopal Church. This has become an annual event, at which community leaders are asked to participate as readers. Beginning in 1984, two performances were given on the same day, and the concert has been recorded for broadcast on public radio.
Our Leadership
In 2016, Herb Berendsen was named Music Director of the Oshkosh Chamber Singers. (Read more about Herb.)
Dr. Carl Chapman – D.M.A., M.M., B.M.E, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh – served as Music Director of the Oshkosh Chamber Singers for 30 years, from its founding in 1985 through 2015. (Read more about Carl.)
Marianne Chaudoir served as accompanist for the Oshkosh Chamber Singers from its founding in 1985 through 2018, and was guest conductor for several of our concerts.
Highlights From Previous Seasons
2022/2023: Haydn's The Creation, and world premier of a commissioned work, The First Day of Spring by Zach Moore
2021/2022: Trotta's Te Deum; and Forrest's LUX
2018/2019: Handel's Messiah with the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra; and "Darkness Into Light"
2017/2018: Quintana's Mass from Two Worlds; and "Our Voice: Music of Contemporary Midwest Composers"
2016/2017: Vivaldi's Gloria
2015/2016: "Music for Hope and Healing"
2014/2015: Mozart's Requiem in D Minor and "Let the River Run"
2013/2014: Mozart's Vesperae Solennes de Confessore and Bach’s Magnificat in D
2011/2012: Rutter's Gloria and Brahms' Requiem
2010/2011: Orff's Carmina Burana and "Director's Choice 25th Anniversary Concert"
2009/2010: Handel's Dettingen Te Deum
2008/2009: Haydn's Part Songs, and Mass No. 14 in B flat major "Harmoniemesse"
2007/2008: Mozart's Great Mass in C Minor and Rutter's Mass of the Children
2006/2007: Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle
2005/2006: Mozart's Vesperae Solennes de Confessore and the Mass in C major "Coronation Mass"
2004/2005: Bach's B Minor Mass
2003/2004: Rutter's Requiem and Fauré's Requiem, and "Sing With Us" with special guest Nick Page
2002/2003: Verdi's Requiem (with the Waukesha Choral Union, the UW Platteville Chamber Choir and the UW Oshkosh Chamber Choir)
2001/2002: Honegger's King David
2000/2001: Brahms' Requiem
1999/2000: Bach's Passion According to St. John
1998/1999: Schubert's Mass in C, Mozart's Exultate Jubilate and Vesperae Solennes De Confessore, and Mahler's Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection) (with the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra and UW Oshkosh Choirs)
1996/1997: Handel's Israel in Egypt
1995/1996: Duruflé's Requiem and Walton's Bleshazzar's Feast (with the Green Bay Chamber Choir, the Lakeshore Chorale of Sheboygan, and the Green Bay Symphony)
1994/1995: Beethoven's Mass in C (with the Lakeshore Chorale of Sheboygan), and debut of The Oshkosh Youth Choir
1993/1994: Schubert's Mass in G (with choirs from Winneconne High School and Oshkosh West High School) and Orff's Carmina Burana (with the UW Oshkosh Concert Choir and the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra)
1992/1993: Fauré's Requiem and Haydn's Creation
1991/1992: Mozart's Requiem; and "A Celebration of 100 years of Jewish Life in the Fox Valley" with the world premier of a commissioned work, Kohelet by Bonia Shur
1990/1991: Mozart's Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Rutter's Gloria (with the Lakeshore Chorale of Sheboygan), and our first performance of "A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols"
1989/1990: Vivaldi's Gloria and Handel's Messiah
1988/1989: Monteverdi's Magnificat, and Rutter's Requiem (with the Lakeshore Chorale of Sheboygan)
1987/1988: Bach's Magnificat in D Major, and works by British composers as a benefit for Wisconsin Public Radio
1986/1987: Bach's Jesu, meine Freude and Britten's Festival Te Deum
1985: Bach's St. John's Passion
