The Marshall Community Chorus is in its 35th season of providing

 free choral music concerts to the residents of Marshall and Saline County, Missouri.

Founded in 1988 as part of the celebratory events for Marshall's Sesquicentennial Celebration, the choir gave its first performance as part of Religious Heritage Day. The singers at that first performance came from the many churches in our community and were directed
by Marie Boedeker. Following the celebration, many of the singers
expressed a desire to continue a community-wide chorus to compliment the already existing Marshall Municipal Band and Marshall Philharmonic Orchestra. Thus was born the Marshall Community Chorus, which sang a full concert season beginning in 1989.
 

Marie Boedeker would continue to direct the choir for the next twelve years until her retirement in 1999. She was followed by Ron Sayer, who directed the choir for thirteen years until he left to chair the music department at State Fair Community College. During that time, the repertoire of the choir expanded in scope and complexity and choir
membership grew to include members from outside Saline County. Sayer was succeeded by James Woodland and then Ann Lewis. COVID took its toll on the choirs' performance season just as it did on every performing ensemble in the country. The choir was silent for what would have been its 32nd season and had to cut short its 31st season when the country when into a health emergency that spring.
 

In the fall of 2021, taking COVID precautions as recommended by the Center for Disease Control and the leading national performing arts organizations and determined to bring music back to the community, the Marshall Community Chorus came back to life, singing a complete concert season, masks and all. This time, Ron Sayer was back at the helm of the choir, and while numbers were fewer, the same level
of performance returned and audiences were not disappointed as the
choir gave six performances in 2021-2022..

The repertoire of the chorus includes both secular and sacred music, from classical, traditional, and contemporary traditions. The chorus presents at least four concerts a year; a fall concert, two holiday concerts, and a spring concert. The choir often collaborates with the Marshall Philharmonic and other community choirs in our region as well.

The present chorus is made up of over forty singers representing diverse backgrounds. You will find high school and college students
singing alongside retired seniors, professionals, and people from all walks of life who meet weekly to cultivate their talent and bring to life the dots and scribbles on every piece of music.
 

Performances of the chorus remain free and open to the public thanks to the generous support of the City of Marshall and the Marshall Band Fund, as well as donations from people like yourself who think it is important for the arts to have a place in our community.