...a twenty-voice ensemble with wide-ranging and adventurous repertoire, based in Columbus, Ohio.
Singers
Soprano
Jane Chavers
Kathryn Ehle
Regan Oaks
Tenor
Alto
Joyce Brandt
Angela Kuder Hulligan
Dawn Leach
Janna MarshallBaritone/Bass
Joyce Brandt (alto) Joyce received her Bachelor of Music Education from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio and her Master's degree from Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan. She is currently an elementary music teacher in the Hilliard Schools and has taught for 20 years. Joyce has performed in numerous musicals with community theatre and is very active with her church choir. She is married and has two grown sons and a daughter-in-law. back to top
David Carpenter (tenor) David is a retired medical editor for the Departments of Radiation Oncology and Neurosurgery at the Arthur James Cancer Hospital, although over the course of a very varied career, he has also had many other occupations. He has sung with many different Ohio choirs, including the Gallery Choir of First Congregational Church, the Capital University Community Chorus, Chorus Columbus State, the Lancaster Chorale, the Columbus Chamber Singers, Broad Street Presbyterian Church Choir, and the Village Waits. David actually founded the Magpie Consort, in 1998, and both he and his wife Karen (who died in July, 2010) sang with the group for a number of years before Karen became ill. We are delighted to welcome him back for our 2010 - 2011 season. David lives in Clintonville with his dog John L Lewis. back to top
Dane Chavers (tenor/baritone) Dane grew up in Cleveland and graduated from Hiram College in Economics. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the Ohio State University in 1981, and has worked for Franklin County as a criminal defense attorney in the felony unit since 1983. Dane has sung in a wide range of choruses in high school, college, church and community. He is also a great sportsman and an avid reader. Retired from the practice of law in 2010, Dane married fellow Magpie Jane in the summer of 2010. He is now teaching high school students in Columbus Public Schools. back to top
Jane Chavers (soprano) Jane is newly retired from a 26 year career in elementary general music teaching in the Hilliard City Schools. She earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from The Ohio State University. Jane has sung with Opera Columbus, the choir at First Congregational Church in Columbus and various other chorals groups around Columbus. Jane was even one of the original Victorian Christmas Carolers at the Columbus Zoo. Jane is newly married to fellow Magpie, Dane. Currently she is involved in the music of early America performing music and puppet shows around the country as Jane's Tales and Tunes. back to top.
Ed Crockett (bass/baritone) joined the Magpies in September 2008. A native of Cincinnati, Ed attended The Ohio State University where he was a tuba major in the school of music and a member of TBDBITL - The Ohio State University Marching Band - where he had the honor of dotting the 'i' in Script Ohio (4 times, but who's counting?). Ed has continued his tuba adventures as a member of the Scioto Valley Brass and Percussion Company, The Grove City Community Winds, and the Greater Columbus Community Orchestra. Without his tuba, Ed has performed with the Columbus Symphony Chorus, Opera Columbus, Cantari Singers of Columbus, the Lancaster Chorale and the Grove City Chamber Singers. Ed is a web developer at Leader Technologies Incorporated in Lewis Center, and he and his wife, Karen, are the staff photographers for The Ohio State University Marching Band. back to top
David Ehle (bass) David is currently a data manager for the Education Management Information System (EMIS) at the Ohio Department of Education. He previously spent 15 years working in gifted education, including 10 years working with the Gifted Education Resource Institute at Purdue University. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master’s degree in education from Purdue.David performed over 300 times with the Purdue Men’s Varsity Glee Club during his undergraduate days- and after that run, his vacation from formal singing lasted until he joined the Magpie’s in early 2002! His return to the joy of music-making brought many blessings- including meeting his wife in the Magpies. In the limited free time left after spending time with his son and newly arrived daughter, he enjoys computers, hiking, and gourmet cooking and baking. back to top
Kathryn Ehle (soprano) Kathryn studied piano and voice at Hiram College, graduating with majors in music education and elementary education. She holds a Master’s in Education from The Ohio State University. Kathryn has directed choirs at the Elementary and Middle School levels, and she currently enjoys incorporating music into her 4th grade classroom in Hilliard. Previous choral experiences include the Blossom Festival Chorus and The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, performing with conductors such as Robert Shaw, Leonard Slatkin, & Sir Simon Rattle. Her COC experiences included singing at Carnegie Hall and recording a Grammy Award-winning CD. Kathryn met her husband, David Ehle, in the Magpies! David and Kathryn have a son Zachary, and a daughter Jessa, as well as two pampered cats, Gracie and Zoë. back to top
Brian Franz (bass) Brian grew up in Xenia, Ohio where he began studying music on violin and piano at an early age. Progressing to college, Brian earned a B.A. in Music from the Ohio State University where he became involved in the Medieval and Renaissance Performers Guild. He performs regularly with the Westerville Symphony Orchestra and Minstrelry. He sang with the Cantari Chamber Choir in Dayton, and played violin with various ensembles in the Dayton area. Brian's musical endeavors are supported by a job with Columbus Metropolitan Library, though he hopes to some day support his library habits through musical endeavors. back to top
Jason Grossman (tenor) Jason grew up in Westerville and graduated from Westerville North High School in 2000. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Case Western Reserve University in 2004 and his Juris Doctor degree from Boston University in 2007. Jason has been singing in a variety of choirs since 1990, including the Notables show choir at Westerville North, the Otterbein Kinderchor, with which he performed at Carnegie Hall in 1995, and the Central College Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir, in which he is currently a member. back to top
Scott Henderson (tenor) Scott is an anesthesiologist with Midwest Physician Anesthesia Services, Inc., practicing at Riverside Methodist Hospital, where he is Section Head of Obstetrical Anesthesia. His interest in vocal music began as a member of the choir of North Park University in Chicago, IL. Currently he is a member of the choir at Central College Presbyterian Church in Westerville and recently sang with the First Congregational Church Choral Society (Timothy Smith, dir.) for the "Bach Birthday Bash". Scott lives in Gahanna with his wife Elicia and son Tim, who is a High School student at Columbus Academy. Daughter Megan is a college student at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. back to top
Angela Kuder Hulligan (soprano) Angela gained both Bachelors and Masters degrees in music (voice) – and a further Masters in Opera Theatre Direction - from the Cleveland Institute of Music. She is also a registered nurse and a qualified paralegal. Her hobbies include photography, gardening, languages and movies – and she is also an avid book collector. back to top
Dawn Leach (alto) Dawn was a vocal music major at the Youth Performing Arts School in Louisville, Kentucky. She has a BSN from Mt. Carmel College of Nursing. She also has a BA in Spanish from Hiram College, where she studied music on scholarship. She has performed with the Choral Arts Society of Cleveland, Voices of Kentuckiana, The Sissy Show, and the Columbus Women's Chorus. Dawn is a home health nurse. back to top
Janna Marshall (alto) Janna is Director of e-Commerce for Red Roof Inns headquartered in Columbus. With an MBA from Harvard Business School, Janna has balanced several senior management level positions in the direct marketing industry with a lifelong love of music. She has sung with auditioned choirs in Madison and Stevens Point, WI; Omaha; and with the Cincinnati May Festival Chorus; but her favorite gig was as lead singer with the “Fortune 500's", a student rock band at Harvard. She enjoys solo as well as ensemble performing and has extensive experience in musical theater. Janna lives in Worthington with her husband Mack, a professional saxophonist; their teenaged son and daughter; and cats Mozart, Riley, and Chance. back to top
Regan Oaks (soprano) Regan is a teacher with Columbus City Schools, having been with the district for over 20 years. Subjects taught include Language Arts, reading, band and choir and she is currently on leave from her position of gifted and talented specialist. She loves reading, music, travel (anyone want to go to India?), films (especially ones with subtitles), and spending time with her dogs. She has volunteered with Goodwill for 19 years and last year was recognized and rewarded for her years of service . Along with being a Magpie, Regan has sung with The Capital University Choral Union, Columbus Chamber Singers, Broad Street Methodist Choir, and is an adjunct choir member of St. Francis of Assisi’s church (Thanks Phil!). back to top
Doug Slusher (bass) Doug is a graduate of Westminster Choir College and The Ohio State University, holding degrees in music. He is Minister of Music Emeritus at Indianola Presbyterian Church, Columbus where he directed for 35 years. Doug has sung with the Westminster Choirs, the Cantari Singers of Columbus, the Columbus Madrigal Singers and the Columbus Bach Ensemble. He taught voice and directed choirs at Heidelberg College as a sabbatical replacement. He also taught voice at OSU as a graduate teaching assistant and later at Denison University as adjunct faculty. Doug is now an Academic Advisor for Arts and Sciences at OSU and teaches voice (a little) privately. Hobbies are reading history and working on family tree. He lives with wife Pat, daughter Katie and cats Jake and Sophie. One son, Nathan, escaped to D.C. back to top