About Clearfield Choral Society
Mission: The mission of the Clearfield Choral Society is to promote musical excellence by uniting people who love choral music through inspiring concert performances, education, and community engagement.
Vision: The Clearfield Choral Society will strive to be a premier choral ensemble in Clearfield County and will foster community through artistic and musical excellence, live performance, educational outreach programs, with a focus on artistic interpretation of the highest caliber.
The Clearfield Choral Society, formerly known as the Clearfield Community Chorus, is becoming one of Central Pennsylvania’s leading community choirs. The 50+ voice mixed choir brings in community members of all ages, experiences, and professions, and unites them through the transcendent power of choral singing. This choir was founded in Clearfield in 2015, after a twenty-year hiatus without a community choral group. Since this resurgence, the Clearfield Choral Society revived the tradition of performing masterpieces of the major repertoire in Clearfield County and quickly gained attention after its performance of G. F. Handel’s Messiah in 2018. The choir performs two concerts a season: one in December that is centered on the winter and holiday seasons, and one in the Spring that generally consists, in part, of a complete choral work.
Vision: The Clearfield Choral Society will strive to be a premier choral ensemble in Clearfield County and will foster community through artistic and musical excellence, live performance, educational outreach programs, with a focus on artistic interpretation of the highest caliber.
The Clearfield Choral Society, formerly known as the Clearfield Community Chorus, is becoming one of Central Pennsylvania’s leading community choirs. The 50+ voice mixed choir brings in community members of all ages, experiences, and professions, and unites them through the transcendent power of choral singing. This choir was founded in Clearfield in 2015, after a twenty-year hiatus without a community choral group. Since this resurgence, the Clearfield Choral Society revived the tradition of performing masterpieces of the major repertoire in Clearfield County and quickly gained attention after its performance of G. F. Handel’s Messiah in 2018. The choir performs two concerts a season: one in December that is centered on the winter and holiday seasons, and one in the Spring that generally consists, in part, of a complete choral work.
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Jacob Mandell, Director
Jacob Mandell is an active choral conductor, educator, and clinician. From Curwensville, Pennsylvania, Jacob has degrees from Simpson College, where he received a Masters of Music in Choral Conducting, and Messiah University, where he received his Bachelors of Science in Music Education with a double concentration in voice and saxophone studies. He now serves as the artistic director and conductor of several choirs in central Pennsylvania, including the Clearfield Choral Society, the Orpheus Singers, and the Junior-High, Senior-High, and Select Choirs for the Curwensville Area School District. Jacob also serves as a conducting instructor for the Orthodox Church in America (OCA)'s Department of Liturgical Music. Choirs under Jacob's direction have enjoyed regional and state recognition for their artistry, programming, and community engagement, especially in rural communities. His school choirs have been invited to perform at conferences of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) and at collegiate festivals. He is a frequent guest conductor and clinician for churches, schools, and choral festivals. Jacob is a member of PMEA, the American Choral Director's Association (ACDA) and Chorus America. Outside of his choral work, Jacob enjoys playing with the Grampian and Clearfield Community bands, preparing and eating good food, spending time with his family, friends, and dogs, and working for his church. |
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Catherine Mandell, Assistant Director
Catherine Mandell has been with the Clearfield Choral Society since it’s rejuvenation in 2015. She co-conducted the Christmas concert in 2018, and conducted both the children’s group, High Voltage, and the Clearfield Choral Society for the Christmas cycle in 2019. Since that time, Catherine has moved into the role of Assistant Director, happily handing over primary conducting duties to her son, Jacob, while enjoying her time singing in the alto section and helping out with sectional rehearsals along with her husband Raymond, an active member of the choir’s bass section. Catherine enjoys helping people of all ages discover singing and the power of relaying a message through song, while fostering a culture of confidence and belief in one’s self. She has served as a vocal coach for musicals at CAST as well as Clearfield High School and Front and Centre Productions. Additionally, she has been a private voice teacher, offering young people instruction in vocal technique and performance. Catherine works at Impressia Bank, a division of CNB Bank, where she is a founding member of the Investing in the Arts Committee, an initiative of CNB Bank to invest in and promote the arts in local communities. |
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Sandy Buhler, Accompanist
A beloved member of our community, Sandy has left her musical mark on countless groups. From church choirs to elementary school choirs, and every singer in between, Sandy has been there, supporting, encouraging, and playing piano. Accompanists can be a hidden role sometimes - the piano is by definition not the main focus of a choir performance. However, Sandy is an absolutely crucial piece to our puzzle. Since 2021, she has been a part of every rehearsal and performance, and we couldn't do it without her! |
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Mason Strouse, Manager
Mason Strouse serves as manager and treasurer of the Clearfield Choral Society. Mason was the driving force which led to the rejuvenation of the Clearfield Choral Society in the summer of 2016 after a 25+ year hiatus, when he gathered a group of about a dozen singers to sing simple hymns and choir anthems. He directed the choir in various rehearsal and performance spaces from 2016-2018, during which time he also wrote grants and organized several fundraising campaigns to get the choir up and running. When Mason passed the baton to Catherine Mandell and Jacocb Mandell in 2018, the choir had tripled in size, was officially recognized as an ensemble under the umbrella of the Clearfield Arts Studio Theatre, Inc. (CAST), and secured a permanent rehearsal and performance space at the Presbyterian Church of Clearfield. Mason lives in Clearfield with his wife, Kellie, and amazing children, Jake and Wyatt. He is the Family and Community Partnership Director with CenClear. He also serves as the Director of Music at the Presbyterian Church of Clearfield, Executive Director at the Clearfield Arts Studio Theatre, Inc. (CAST), and as Mayor of Clearfield, PA. |
Steering Committee
Sandy Buhler, Judy Bungo, Brandy Hale, Catherine Mandell, Jacob Mandell, Ray Mandell,
John Sobel, TJ Sproull, Mason Strouse, Susan Williams
Sandy Buhler, Judy Bungo, Brandy Hale, Catherine Mandell, Jacob Mandell, Ray Mandell,
John Sobel, TJ Sproull, Mason Strouse, Susan Williams
