About the Orcas Choral Society

The Orcas Choral Society, founded in 1978, celebrated its 30th Anniversary in May 2007. The purpose of the Choral Society is to encourage and enhance the art of choral music on Orcas Island. It provides a structure within which adult community members may sing together a wide variety of choral music at a consistently high level. The Orcas Choral Society is dedicated to perpetuating the love and appreciation of choral music. Through the use of personal, expressive vocal music, Orcas Choral Society enriches the quality of life on Orcas Island for singer and audience member alike.

Roger Sherman, Music Director

Roger Sherman has directed the Orcas Choral Society since 2010. Roger is a multi-disciplined musician, recording engineer and producer who has published several Grammy-nominated recordings of choral music. He studied conducting at Oberlin Conservatory with Daniel Moe, and has sung with choral legends Dale Warland and Peter Hallock, among others. For more than 20 years, he has also been Associate Organist of St. Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle and hosts “The Organ Loft”, a popular radio program about choral and organ music in the Pacific Northwest. Roger is currently serving on the Chorus America Board of Directors.

Cynthia Abolin, Executive Director

Cynthia Abolin has been a choral singer since childhood. She served on the Chorus Board of the Masterwork Chorus of Morristown, NJ and the 152 year old Worcester Chorus in Worcester, MA. Cynthia served as Executive Director of the Assabet Valley Mastersingers in Massachusetts. Cynthia also worked as part of the administration of the Worcester Music Festival (Music Worcester), the longest running music festival in the country (since 1858) and Wolfboro, NH’s Great Waters Music Festival.