Shawnee Peace & Praise logo

COMMUNITY CHOIR

Welcome to our temporary home on the web! Until we can build our own website, we’re using our Director’s studio site.

ABOUT US

  • Shawnee Peace & Praise is an ecumenical Christian community choir that seeks to build vibrant community and promote well-being and peace through our shared love of music and desire to praise God through singing. We perform an eclectic mix of sacred and inspiring secular music at concerts, local venues, and competitions.

  • We seek to contribute in a meaningful way to the common good in our local community, and to bridge political and religious differences through the shared language of music.

  • We embrace the teachings of Jesus to love God and to love one another, extending grace and kindness to one another and to the community.  Beyond this, we have no creed, respecting one another’s unique spiritual journey. There is no requirement for church attendance or affiliation.

    We welcome all people who love music, and we celebrate our differences, knowing there is strength in diversity united by a common aim: sharing God’s love through music.

    We support our community through our performances, seeking to inspire and encourage. We also wish to raise awareness and help support issues related to children’s health and safety, children’s music education, and respiratory health.

    Most of our music is rooted in the Christian tradition, but we also take inspiration where we find it, which sometimes includes music from other faith traditions and secular selections.

    Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. -Psalm 100

  • Dr. Rian Ada Hunter is our founder and Artistic Director. She is a singer, voice teacher, and has a great deal of experience leading worship and in music ministry. She holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Educational Studies (a branch of philosophy) from the University of Oklahoma, specializing in spirituality & education and religious liberty. She is a certified spiritual director and also has a Masters in Religion from Oklahoma City University and a BA in philosophy and theology from St. Gregory’s.

    Dr. Michael Dean is our accompanist. Dr. Dean is an accomplished pianist who taught for many years at Oklahoma Baptist University and now runs a private piano studio in Shawnee.

  • Members are expected to pay for their own sheet music. Please budget about $45-$50 for each half-season (Fall/Christmas & Spring/Early Summer).

    Members must also furnish their own performance attire which is usually something most people already have in their wardrobe and varies from concert to concert. We do not wear robes or formal attire.

  • All adults living or working in or near Shawnee are welcome to join our choir. We do not have formal auditions—just section placements, but no singers will be turned away. Beginners are just as welcome as experienced singers.

    All members are expected to sign our membership agreement which specifies member expectations (everything from attendance to behavior at rehearsals, etc.).

  • We rehearse at First Christian Church in Shawnee (1625 N Broadway). It is a very welcoming church and is generously offering us rehearsal space at no charge. We rehearse in Fellowship Hall, which is a large space on the bottom floor with easy access to parking and restroom facilities.

  • We have an eclectic repertoire. We sing gospel, contemporary Christian, an occasional secular piece, and a dash of traditional from time to time. Our director is a classically trained singer, but her own repertoire widely varies to include classical, opera, broadway & musical theatre, jazz, standards and country, and she carries that variety into our choral selections.

    In terms of energy, while some of our pieces are reflective, the majority of them are upbeat.

  • Not everyone who loves community music sings! We want this project to include everyone who believes in our mission. We welcome people who want to help us organize, promote the choir, and recruit members. Whatever your skills, we surely have a place for you! And, if you have experience with sound engineering, photography, videography, audio/video recording, graphic design, and lighting, we would love your help.

    We also need instrumentalists to join us! We’re currently seeking guitarists (including bass), and a cellist.

We are still accepting new members!

REHEARSALS are on TUESDAYS @ 6:45pm

Before signing up, please read through our policies to make sure we seem like a good fit for you.

Policies

  1. Attendance: There is no hard attendance policy yet, but please know that anytime you miss a rehearsal, your loss is felt. As we grow in size, it will be easier to recover from absences, but for now your absence impacts the choir, so please only miss if it’s unavoidable. If you are going to be absent, please email or text the director.

  2. Sheet Music: You are required to pay for your own music. Plan to budget about $45-$50 per half- season (Fall/Christmas & Spring/EarlySummer). Payment is due before you receive the music.

  3. Dress Code: Avoid revealing clothing—no plunging necklines, no short skirts or very short shorts, no “slit to the hip, and no sleeveless tops (we move a lot and our neighbors do not need to be concerned with how recently we applied deodorant!). Casual dress is fine (t-shirts/flip flops), but dress modestly. Don’t wear heavy perfume or cologne.

  4. Our Main Commitment: Kindness! By being part of this group, we agree to treat one another with kindness and civility.

  5. Politics: Absolutely no political discussions. No political clothing or any other campaign gear—this extends to politically-based slogans on t-shirts, hats, etc.

  6. Proselytizing: While most of us are undoubtedly Christians (with potentially a few seekers), we all have our own particular religious commitments and spiritual path. Support one another, but don’t pry into another person’s faith life.

  7. Weapons are not allowed in the church.

And, also…

  1. No talking while another section is rehearsing. It’s not as quiet as you might think it is, so please don’t.

  2. Do not, under any circumstances, instruct your fellow members on how to sing or point out areas they need to correct or improve. This is the director’s job. Rest assured, she hears everything. If she doesn’t correct an error it’s intentional.

  3. Phones/tablets should be set aside and silenced. If you must take a call, please go out into the lobby.

If we seem like a good fit for you, please use the form below to sign up! Our director will be in touch. She will need to hear you sing in order to place you in the appropriate section, but this is not a traditional audition and won’t be done in front of the rest of the choir. She usually schedules this for just before rehearsals.

If you have questions, feel free to contact us by email (shawneepraise@gmail.com) or call or text our director, Dr. Hunter (405-443-8985).

TO JOIN, PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW!