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 In May, 2009 the OK City Chorus was blessed to have one of our own, Mary Rhea, step into the role of director, ready to take the chorus to new heights. Mary’s journey to OK City had many twists and turns, starting with her first exposure to barbershop music in the Sooner High School choir (Bartlesville, OK). Noel Kaiser, a fantastic choir director, had the girls sing a barbershop arrangement of “Ma, He’s Makin’ Eyes at Me” in their spring show. She loved the harmony, but didn’t know that there was such a thing as Sweet Adelines. Imagine that! She lived only 50 miles from Tulsa, the international headquarters of Sweet Adelines International.
While in college at the University of Oklahoma, Mary was once again drawn to barbershop music. She organized the girls in her dorm to sing a Mitch Miller four part harmony arrangement of “By the Light of the Silvery Moon” for the campus Gong Show. She didn’t even know they were singing barbershop music!
Mary watched a Phil Donahue show in the 1980’s which featured men’s and women’s barbershop quartet champions. It was then that she knew that Sweet Adelines was just what she was looking for, but it wasn’t until she moved to Ohio that she found a chorus. Mary and her husband moved to a small town outside of Dayton, OH, partly because she saw a sign for a Sweet Adeline meeting. Little did she know that the chorus she’d found was the current International Champion Chorus, Gem City.
Because Mary’s husband, Russ, was in the Navy, they moved often. When it came time to decide on the next duty station, a top priority for Mary was, “What Sweet Adeline chorus is nearby?” The advantage of moving was the opportunity to learn from many masters (Jean Barford, Betty Pettibon, Carole Kirkpatrick, Janet Ashford, and Jim Massey) and to develop friendships with people all over the world.
Since Russ is now retired from the Navy, they are here in Oklahoma for good.
Mary’s passion for excellence flows to every part of her life: directing the OK City Chorus, singing as Baritone of 2010 International Champions, Zing!, judging for Sweet Adelines, working as a physical therapist, golfing, gardening, and cheering on the Oklahoma Sooners. OK City Chorus is delighted to have Mary at the helm!
OK City’s section leaders are indispensible in the fine tuning of the OK City Chorus:
Marcia Massey – Tenor Section Leader, Certified Director, Judge Emeritus (Expression Category), International Faculty
Paula Scott – Lead Section Leader, Certified Director, past Regional Director of Musical Activities
Judy Peterson – Bass Section Leader, Certified Director, past Regional Director of Musical Activities
Nancy Nortz –Baritone Section Leader, Directors’ Certification Program, Regional Marketing Coordinator, past Regional Young Women in Harmony Chair, Ark Angel Award Recipient
OK City’s Choreography Team, lead by Donna Smith and Nancy Nortz, puts the chorus ahead of the curve in designing unique, show-stopping choreography.
ABOUT MARY
Sweet Adelines International:
Certified Director
Approved Candidate Judge - Sound Category
Baritone of 2010 International Champions, Zing!
Region 25:
Education Steering Committee
Quartet Retreat Co-chair
Coach
Ark Angel Award recipient
Chorus History:
Gem City, Dayton OH - Region 4 (1986-89, 1992-94)
Greater Harrisburg, Harrisburg PA – Region 19 (1989-92)
P-Heart of Hessen, Wiesbaden, Germany - founder (1995-97)
Pacific Sound, Bellevue WA – Region 13 (1997-99)
Pride of Baltimore, Baltimore MD – Region 19 (1999-2001)
OK City Chorus – Region 25 (2001-present)
Quartet History:
Finesse – Gem City
Special Delivery – Greater Harrisburg
Artistry – Gem City (International Top 20)
Freestyle – Pacific Sound (3rd place regional)
Kismet – Region 25 (Regional Champions x 4)
Zing! – Regions 7 & 25 (International finalists)
Education:
BS in Physical Therapy – University of Oklahoma
MA in Gerontology – Webster College
Personal:
Husband – Russ
Kids – Michael and Kirsten
Dogs – Hannah and Toby
Cat - Mac
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