Singers for the Spring ’23 Season
Cynthia Handy Coulson
Soprano 2
Cynthia has been singing with the Opus Chorale for four seasons. She has also sung with the WV Symphony Chorus and Opera Chorus, the Larry Parsons Chorale and West Virginia Choral Arts.
She resides in Charleston with her Husband Dr. Gene Coulson, and three keeshonden.
Cynthia is retired from Putnam County Schools after 30 years of providing music instruction. Prior to moving to West Virginia, she taught music and was a Gifted and Talented drama instructor in Southampton County, Virginia. She is currently teaching piano and voice in her home as well as providing voice coaching for Hurricane High Schools show choirs. She is a proud James Madison University alumna, and she holds a MA from Marshall University. She is also a National Board Certified teacher.
Her hobbies include All Breed (dog) Rescue and Transport and knitting.
Her favorite choral works include the Verdi and Mozart Requiems, but the James Erb arrangement of Shenandoah is a forever favorite.
Ashley Cowder
Tenor I
Ashley “Ash” Cowder is making his Opus debut this season (Spring 2022).
Ash has lived in the Kanawha Valley for over 40 years, most recently living in South Charleston. He has been employed as a legal assistant for many local law firms.
Ash has been involved in many musical groups including America’s Youth in Concert, West Virginia Wesleyan Concert Chorale, London/Loch Lomond Festival Chorale, West Virginia Symphony Chorus, Larry Parsons Chorale, and the Mark Hornbaker Academy singers.
In addition to music, Ash’s hobbies include movies and sports.
His favorite choral works include Carmen Burana, Mozart Requiem, Faure Requiem, Verdi Requiem, Mahler’s 2nd Symphony, Belshazzar’s Feast, The Peaceable Kingdom, The Unicorn the Gorgon and the Manticore.
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Karen Donathan
Alto 2
Karen Donathan has sung with the Opus Chorale since 2009. She also enjoys singing with the Christ Church United Methodist Chancel Choir.
She was born in Effingham, Illinois but grew up in St. Clairsville, Ohio. She has also lived in Nashville, Tennessee and Dalton, Georgia, and most recently Charleston, West Virginia, where she has lived for over 30 years.
Karen is the wife of director David Donathan. They have two adult daughters, Kayla Donathan and Emily Donathan, and a puppy named Melody.
Karen is currently a Technology Systems Specialist/Webmaster for Kanawha County Schools. Previously, she was Computer Science teacher at George Washington High School in Charleston for 25 years. She also taught at Hayes Junior High School in St. Albans for 4 years and Northwest Whitfield High School in Georgia for 2 years. She is also a past employee of the College Board (AP Computer Science Test Development Committee), Shaw Industries in Dalton, GA (programmer) and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN (programmer).
Her hobbies and interests include music, reading, traveling, and spending time with her family. Karen also loves riding roller coasters, and spending as much time as possible at Lakeside, Ohio.
Karen’s favorite choral works include The Armed Man, A Mass for Peace, composed by Karl Jenkins and anything by Kim Andre Arnesen (especially Even When He is Silent) and Ola Gjeilo (especially the Sunrise Mass).
Shirley Drennen
Soprano 1
Shirley Drennen has been singing with the Opus Chorale since 2014. She has also sung with the Marshall Chamber Choir, the West Virginia Symphony Chorus, and the Baton Rouge Symphony Chorus. She is a graduate of Marshall University, where she studied music performance.
She currently resides in beautiful Fayetteville, West Virginia with her husband, Mike, and two children, Jim and Claire. and is employed as the Director of Digital Adoption and Experience at MRC Global.
In addition to her participation in local activities, she enjoys travel, cooking, hiking, biking as well as other outdoor activities. The family often spends weekends with their horses, traveling to barrel racing events.
Her favorite choral works are Leonard Bernstein’s, Chichester Psalms and Arvo Part’s, Magnificat.
Lynn Dyer
Soprano 1
Lynn Dyer earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from West Virginia Institute of Technology. She began singing with Opus in 2015 with the American Premiere of Kim Andre Arnesen’s Requiem. Lynn as also sung with other local choral groups such as womanSong and Mountain Laurel Ensemble.
Lynn is currently teaching elementary music in Kanawha County Schools. Her hobbies include arts and crafts with recycled objects and gardening. Recently, Lynn has begun fulfilling a life-long dream of learning to play the harp. She and her husband, Alan, are members of the Latin, Academy, and University Ballroom Dancing Clubs in Charleston, WV.
Her favorite choral work is Handel’s Messiah, which she begins each Christmas Season singing with the Clendenin Community Chorus. Lynn says she “loves singing the Scriptures!”
Rich Ford
Tenor 2
Rich Ford has sung with the Opus Chorale since 2009. Rich has a long singing history including singing with many church choirs, high school and college choirs, Masterworks, the National Chamber Singers in Bethesda, Maryland (where he was a founding member), the NIH Chamber Singers (also in Bethesda), the Towne Singers and Wayne Knepper Singers in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and Cantori Montani here in West Virginia.
A native of rural northwest Pennsylvania, Rich now lives in South Charleston with his wife Cecilia. He has resided in West Virginia for 20 years.
Rich his currently an Associate Professor of Biology at West Virginia State University. His specialization is the “micro molecular stuff”. He currently teacher Virology and Biotech Program pedagogy classes at State.
His hobbies and interests include singing, being outdoors, hanging out with friends over food and drink, and more music.
His favorite choral works include Stanford’s Beati Quorum Via, Berlioz’s The Shepherds’ Farewell, Poulenc’s Christmas Motets, The First Noel, and so many more!
Rich states, “what a joy and privilege to sing with Opus! I’ve worked and studied under David Donathan longer than any previous director, and he’s one of the best I’ve seen!”
Beverly Haskell
Alto 1
Beverly is a native of South Carolina and has also lived in Florida. She is married to Conrad Haskell (bass), and they currently live in South Charleston, West Virginia. They have three children.
Beverly is a graduate of Winthrop College (now University) with a double major in music education and piano performance. She taught public school music for two years, and private piano lessons for 25+ years.
Beverly enjoys reading, and she and Conrad love to travel, Of course, her main interest is choral singing, She has sung in the Charleston Civic Chorus for 44 years, and also sang with the Larry Parsons Chorale.
Among her favorite choral works are the Brahms Requiem and the Durufle Requiem.
Conrad Haskell
Bass
Conrad is originally from Tampa, Florida and currently resides in South Charleston, West Virginia. He is married to Beverly Williams Haskell (alto). They have three children.
Conrad is a chemical engineer, retired from The Dow Chemical Company/Union Carbide.
His hobbies and interests include traveling, recording trips in HD video, editing, and producing HD movies. And of course, Conrad loves singing, past and present! He has participated in church choirs, a cappella chamber choirs, choruses, and chorales. Conrad is also a season subscriber to the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Charleston Chamber Music Society.
Among Conrad’s favorite choral works are the Requiems of Johannes Brahms an Maurice Durufle, and the Requiem for the Living by Dan Forrest. His favorite masses are by Frank Martin, Francis Poulenc, and Ralph Vaughn Williams. His favorite glorias are by Antonio Vivaldi, Francis Poulenc, and John Rutter. He also enjoys the Vesper (All-Night Vigil) by Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Roger Hunter
Bass
Roger is in his second season singing with Opus. He also sings with the West Virginia Symphony Chorus. He loves music and began singing in church at age 3, then with various church and school choirs, including the West Virginia All-State Chorus. He also played trumpet in school bands and ensembles, developing a lifelong love of jazz.
Roger has enjoyed returning to choral singing after getting away from it while raising a family, coaching youth basketball, working on various community and nonprofit projects/boards, and practicing law with Bowles Rice LLP.
He also plays bass guitar (and occasionally performs) with several musical pals, and enjoys an extensive collection of classical, opera, choral, jazz and other recordings.
Roger has two children, Elizabeth and J.T., and two grandchildren, Ellis and Sofia. Roger and his wife Pam Cutright love live music and the arts, spending time with family and friends, cooking, enjoying the outdoors with their Airedale Harley, and traveling. They’re very excited about the return to live performances.
Roger’s favorite choral works include Faure’s, Mozart’s and Verdi’s Requiems, and also Bach’s choral masterpieces.
Joseph Janisch
Tenor 2
Joseph “Joe” Janisch has been singing with opus since the Fall of 2015. He has also sung with St. Mark’s UMC Chancel Choir, The Ohio State University Chorale and Men’s Glee Club, Bowling Green State University Collegiate Chorale and Men’s Chorus, and the Ashland College Choir.
Joe lives in the South Hills area of Charleston with his wife Julie and their two cats, Scout and Skitter.
He is an Associate Professor of Music and the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Charleston. Dr. Janisch received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Ohio State University, a Master of Music degree from Bowling Green State University, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Ashland (Ohio) University.
Joe’s favorite hobbies are travel and cooking.
His favorite choral works include the Verdi Requiem, Randall Thompson’s The Peaceable Kingdom, Eleanor Daley’s Requiem, and Mendelssohn’s Festgesang: An die Kunstler.
Julie Janisch
Soprano 2
Julie Janisch was born in Ohio, where she lived until 1999 when her husband, Joe, accepted a position at the University of Charleston.
Julie recently retired as Director of Music at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Charleston. She completed a Doctorate in Worship Studies in 2013.
Julie’s hobbies include anything to do with fabric and her current obsession is quilting.
Her favorite choral work is The Peaceable Kingdom, by Randall Thompson.
Bobby Jenks
Baritone
Mr. William Robert (“Bobby”) Jenks is a native of McDowell County, West Virginia where he graduated from Iaeger High School. He is a graduate of Concord College (now University) with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education for grades K-12. While at Concord, Mr. Jenks studied trombone and jazz from Mr. Randy Budd. He received his Master of Arts in Music (trombone performance), from Marshall University, and studied with Dr. Michael Stroeher. Mr. Jenks is currently a Doctoral student at Liberty University. He has taught in North Carolina, Virginia, and has spent most of his teaching career in West Virginia.
He has been a guest conductor and clinician for All-County band(s), Jazz ensemble(s), and Honor Band(s). He has also judged several marching festivals, Solo and Ensemble Festivals, as well as Regional Band Adjudication Festivals around our state.
His Concert Bands and Jazz Ensembles have received Superior both regionally and nationally. His marching bands have won several Grand Championships. Mr. Jenks’ students have been members of the West Virginia All-State Band, as well as All-County, performed for Solo and Ensemble (WVMEA Solo and Ensemble), WV Youth Symphony, National Youth Symphony Orchestra, and many other additional activities.
He is a member of the National Association for Music Education and the International Trombone Association. Mr. Jenks is an active member of the Phi Beta Mu Bandmasters Fraternity (current President of the Tau Chapter) and coordinates the band director clinic for WV band directors sponsored by (WV Bandmasters Association and Phi Beta Mu). He has been very active with the West Virginia Bandmasters Association, having served as the Secretary/Treasurer, as well as the Region 4 Band Festival Chair. He is currently serving as the graded music list chair for the WV Bandmasters Association, and the President for the West Virginia Music Educators Association.
Mr. Jenks is the Conductor of the Youth Winds for the West Virginia Youth Symphony. Bobby plays trombone in The Brass 5, Lead Trombone (and personnel director) for The Jewel City Jazz Orchestra, trombonist for the Laundau Murphy Jr. band, and is a substitute trombonist for the River Cities Orchestra, and Huntington Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with multi– Grammy Award winner – Gregory Porter. He leads the Christ Church Brass and is a member of the Chancel Choir and Chancel Ringers at Christ Church United Methodist. He sings Baritone with the West Virginia “Opus Chorale”. Mr. Jenks is a wrestling official through the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission in the Kanawha Southern Board, and previously coached wrestling for several years.
He and his wife Emily, along with their twins, reside in Hurricane. Mr. Jenks is in his 26th year as a music educator. He currently band director at George Washington High School in Kanawha County WV.
Angela Jones
Alto 2
Angela Jones has been singing Alto 2 with the Opus Chorale since 2012. Though born in Merrillville, Indiana, she has lived in Charleston for most of her life.
In the past, Angela was a member of the womanSong Chorale, Charleston Civic Chorus, Charleston Metro Band, and WV Youth Symphony. In addition to Opus, Angela currently sings with the WV Symphony Chorus, Harmony ReChoired a capella chorus, and is a flutist for various other events.
Angela is a member of St. Marks United Methodist, where she is active with United Methodist Women, Choir, and Altar Guild. She is employed by the West Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church as an administrative assistant and the Ethnic Local Church Concerns Coordinator.
Outside of church, work, and music commitments, Angela enjoys reading, supporting other local arts and music events, and spending time with friends.
Her favorite choral works include the Faure and Mozart Requiems and Randall Thompson’s Twelve Canticles.
Leigh Lynch
Alto 2
Leigh has been singing with the Opus Choral since 2017. She grew up in a musical family singing at First Presbyterian Church in Charleston, WV where her father was the director of music.
Charleston is where she calls home with her son, Ian. She is a licensed massage therapist and now works as an interior design consultant. In 2022 she received her BA in Graphic Design from WVSU.
Leigh was a trumpet player in the GWHS band and performed in high school musicals. Occasionally, she sings with local church choirs and at Davidson College Presbyterian Church in NC where her sister is a musical director.
Her hobbies include painting, graphic design, and live music. She loves being outdoors and exploring the natural beauty of West Virginia.
Leigh’s favorite choral work is Ola Gjeilo’s “Dark and Luminous Night”.
Lindsay Marchio
Soprano 2
Lindsay Marchio returned to her hometown of Charleston five years ago after living in Ohio and Massachusetts for several years. She is currently Deputy General Counsel for the West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office.
She holds English and vocal performance degrees from the College of Wooster (Ohio), interned for the Ohio Light Opera for two years, and worked at Playhouse Square while attending and graduating from the Cleveland-Marshall Collège of Law. After graduating, she worked at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. While in Massachusetts, she worked as an attorney and sang in the Chatham Chorale.
Lindsay is involved in various Charleston and state music organizations and currently sings with the Opus Chorale as well as the West Virginia Symphony Chorus. She serves as Elder at First Presbyterian Church, Charleston, West Virginia, and is involved musically at the church, assisting with hymn singing anthems, and solos through out the liturgical year.
In her spare time, she enjoys singing, musical theater, running, traveling, reading, podcasts, and spending time with family and her cat, Agnes Bella.
Tom Marchio
Tenor 2
Tom Marchio, a Charleston native, is a graduate of Morris Harvey College/University of Charleston and studied voice at the New England Conservatory of Music. He has always worked in the insurance business and recently retired from the West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency.
As a high school student appearing in Oh Kay with the Charleston Light Opera Guild, Tom developed a keen interest in community theater and is now a veteran of over 40 Guild productions. Memorable roles include the Rabbi in Fiddler on The Roof, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Herbie in Gyspy, Benny Southstreet in Guys and Dolls, Joe Boyd in Damn Yankees, Daddy Warbucks in Annie, the Barber in Man of La Mancha, and Senator Wingwoah in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. He has also appeared in Brigadoon, 1776, and Sound of Music.
Tom has performed on stage with Children’s Theatre, West Virginia Opera Theater, and Kanawha Players and served as president of the board of both the Charleston Light Opera Guild and Kanawha Players.
In addition to singing in The Opus Chorale, he is currently a member of the West Virginia Symphony Chorus and sang for several years with the Charleston Civic Chorus. He is also a member of the First Presbyterian Church Choir and continues to actively sing in churches around the region.
One of Tom’s favorite choral works is Handel’s Messiah having sung the tenor solos for the West Virginia Symphony, the University of Charleston, and the Yale University Handel Society in New Haven, Connecticut.
In addition to daughter, Lindsay, who sings in Opus, Tom and his wife, Sara, have a son, Joe, who is a choral conductor and pipe organist in Chatham, Massachusetts. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his three grandchildren.
Sandra McQuain
Alto 1
Sandra McQuain has sung with the Opus Chorale since its inception. Also a member of the West Virginia Symphony Chorus and Christ Church United Methodist Chancel Choir, she previously sang with Cantori Montani and the West Virginia Symphony Opera Chorus. Favorite choral works include Brahms Requiem, Karl Jenkins The Armed Man A Mass for Peace, and Bizet’s opera Carmen.
A native West Virginian and West Virginia University graduate, Sandra spent five years in Virginia, returning to Morgantown to work in the state education system after having earned a doctorate at Virginia Tech. She moved to Charleston in 1990, where she worked for the West Virginia Department of Education in special education administration until she retired in 2014.
Sandra’s favorite pastimes, in addition to singing, include travel, skiing, wildlife and scenic photography, biking and walking.
Bob Morris
Baritone
Bob Morris currently lives in the South Charleston area. He is originally from Calhoun County, WV.
Bob works as the office supervisor of the Motor Carrier Section of the WV Public Service Commission.
His hobbies include food preparation, reading, and walking. His other interests include history, and information on Alpha-1 anti-trypsin deficiency.
Bob’s favorite chorale works include anything by Bach, and Kenneth Leighton’s, Sequence for All Saints.