Oklahoma City Civic Music Association celebrates its 50th anniversary

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Mar 4, 2004 by Janice Francis-Smith

Though started as an alternative showcase for fine arts performances, the Oklahoma City Civic Music Association has become the longest-running arts organization in the city. The association celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Cities of high culture usually have more than one place to go for great music, said Mae Ruth Swanson, who has worked with the association since its inception.

In the early '50s, the Oklahoma City Symphony was the only musical outlet for the city, she said. Many of those heavily involved with the symphony worked to create the Civic Music Association, designed to present fine arts performances in a slightly different format.

The Symphony and its successor, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, usually present music in full orchestration, performed by a large company. On the other hand, the association presents soloists, chamber groups, choral ensembles and dance troupes.

Venues for the association's performances are intended to be less formal than a traditional concert hall. For the 2003-04 Distinguished Artists Series, performances were held at the Kirkpatrick Auditorium at Oklahoma City University and in the sanctuary of Crossings Community Church. Other venue providers include Southern Nazarene University, Oklahoma Christian University and First Presbyterian Church.

The association is also open to more than one genre of music. Musical guests have included opera star Leona Mitchell, New Orleans jazz pianist Ronnie Kole and guitarist Edgar Cruz.

Great music deserves to be enjoyed directly and communally, reads the association's Web site. It is not surprising that aficionados of the recorded musical literature are most enamored of imperfect, unedited recordings of live performances & Great music knows no definitive performance. It must be visited and revisited by audiences and artists dedicated to its restoration.

Most of the finest music has been composed for soloists and small groups, continues the introduction to Civic Music published on the Web site. The association will also arrange for performers to speak about their musical selection or performance during a lunch or dinner before the concert. That is part of the educational mission of our organization, said Swanson.

Rather than concentrating on selling tickets to individual shows, the association seeks to sell memberships for the year. Two more concerts are scheduled for the current season. Violinist Joshua Bell is scheduled to perform March 28 at Crossings Community Church, and pianist Richard Goode will perform April 18 at OCU.