“Together We Sing” – Sharing Our Choral Philosophy

“Together We Sing” – Sharing Our Choral Philosophy

Over the past four decades, Columbia Choirs has provided high-quality music instruction to thousands of singers and shared the art of choral singing with audiences near and far. This past year, the Board of Directors of Columbia Choirs set out to reflect on this strong history and plan for our path forward. At this pivotal moment, it was important for us to clearly define our core philosophy and revise our mission and vision. At the conclusion of this important work, we are pleased to share a new set of core identity statements that will drive our organization forward into the next decade.

Columbia Choirs Identity Statements 

Mission 

To bring together people of all ages and backgrounds to learn through music and experience the joy of choral singing. 

Vision 

A community where choral singing is essential and accessible to all  

Values 

Artistry 

We nurture the development of life-long singing skills 

We perform high-quality music, with a focus on uplifting under-represented voices 

We offer singers a range of memorable performance opportunities 

People 

We honor all individuals for who they are and encourage self-expression through art 

We believe that everyone deserves access to meaningful artistic experiences and educational opportunities 

We achieve group success by centering personal growth and cooperation 

Community 

We create a safe environment for members to thrive 

We foster deep connections between singers of all ages 

We build connections within our community to enrich the world around us 

One of the pieces that we felt needed to be clear in our organizational identity is our renewed focus on choir being an activity that brings people together and forms a community. With this in mind, we are pleased to announce our new Columbia Choirs motto: “Together We Sing”. Along with our mission and vision, this simple phrase speaks to our belief that choir is an important way to bring people together. For generations, singing together has been a way for people to communicate, to unite, and to celebrate. We see this history as core to how we move forward in the choral arts as we strive to make singing together a larger part of our community and society. 

To learn how Columbia Choirs plans to broaden its reach and increase access to choral music in our community, please read Making Choir Accessible to All