About Us
About Clarence Smith Community Chorus
Entering our 50th season (est. 1976), the Clarence Smith Community Chorus (CSCC) shares with the greater Toledo area a unique series of cultural offerings.
The Chorus specializes in the performance of Negro spirituals and is dedicated to their preservation, as well as the performance of works by African American composers. The 35-member chorus also maintains a liberal helping of standard classical music in its repertoire. CSCC members come from all walks of life, unified by their mutual love of great music.
The CSCC Mission Statement
The Clarence Smith Community Chorus is committed to presenting high-quality choral literature across a broad range of styles and traditions; preserving the distinguished legacy of the Negro spiritual through exemplary performance; elevating the works of African American composers; enriching the cultural life of the community; and providing a meaningful contribution to musical and cultural education for all.
Our Performances & Partnerships
This award-winning ensemble has performed numerous times on radio and television, including TV broadcasts of its Christmas concerts over the past several years. During its long history, CSCC has been featured with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, at the University of Michigan’s “Music of Black Americans Symposium,” with the Toledo Jazz Orchestra, The Toledo Museum of Art, Lourdes College Series, and nearly every major musical organization in the Toledo Area.
Community Impact & Recognition
The CSCC has embraced its civic role with participation in countless building and bridge dedications, community festivals, church programs, and city events.
The CSCC is a past recipient of the Community Impact Award and the prestigious Community Achievement in the Arts Award from the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo. In 2007, the CSCC was presented with the Longevity Award at the Glass City Gospel Music Awards ceremony.
The Director
CLARENCE R. SMITH, JR., M.M., Founder/Director
Clarence R. Smith, Jr., is a distinguished leader whose influence is deeply woven into the cultural fabric of Toledo and the broader region. Over the course of a multifaceted career, he has devoted himself to advancing the arts through performance, education, civic leadership, and cultural advocacy.
Mr. Smith has served on numerous committees, commissions, and task forces, supporting governmental and nonprofit arts organizations at both local and state levels. His musical leadership spans professional productions, dinner theater, community ensembles, and large-scale choral collaborations. He is especially recognized for his impactful tenure as choir director at Scott High School, where he mentored and inspired generations of young musicians.
As a respected music consultant, Mr. Smith has provided guidance to organizations throughout Ohio, drawing upon his extensive experience as a conductor and arts administrator. His work has led to performances for distinguished public figures, including former U.S. Vice Presidents Walter Mondale and George Bush, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and Broadway star Nell Carter.
His civic engagement extends beyond the podium. Mr. Smith has served in leadership roles with several prominent institutions, including the boards of Live Arts Toledo (formerly the Toledo Area Performing Arts Association), the Public Broadcasting Foundation of Northwest Ohio (WGTE), where he served as board chairperson, and the Toledo Zoo. Among his recognitions, he is the very proud recipient of the St. Katherine Drexel Award. Additionally, he has worked as a school administration and diversity consultant.
Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Miami University, a Master of Music in Conducting from Bowling Green State University, and a Specialist Degree in Administration from the University of Toledo.
The Clarence Smith Community Chorus
The Chorus specializes in the performance of Negro spirituals.
Now in its 50th season, the Clarence Smith Community Chorus (CSCC) stands as one of Toledo’s enduring cultural treasures. Founded in 1976, the Chorus has enriched the artistic life of northwest Ohio through performances distinguished by musical depth, expressive power, and artistic integrity.
The ensemble presents a varied repertoire drawn from the classical choral tradition while maintaining a special commitment to the performance and preservation of the spiritual—one of America’s most profound musical legacies, rooted in the faith, resilience, and lived experience of African Americans. Through this artistic focus, CSCC offers programming that honors cultural heritage while presenting choral music of substance, beauty, and inspiration. Each season, the Chorus presents two major concert programs that attract audiences numbering in the hundreds and also accepts invitations for guest appearances at civic and cultural events throughout the greater Toledo region.
Comprised of forty-five dedicated singers from diverse professions and backgrounds, the Chorus is united by a shared commitment to choral excellence. CSCC has appeared on radio and television and, over the decades, has collaborated with many of the region’s leading musical organizations, including the Toledo Symphony Orchestra. The Chorus has also featured distinguished school and professional musicians and ensembles in its performances. Together, these collaborations reflect CSCC’s longstanding dedication to artistic excellence and its meaningful contribution to the cultural vitality of the region.
CSCC has commissioned works and includes collaborations with the following: conductor, educator, performer Dr. Brandon Waddles; acclaimed composer Stacey Gibbs; former jazz great and professor, Mr. Stanley Cowel; Mr. Charles Lloyd, Jr., former professor at Southern University; and Dr. Dave Jex, former professor at the University of Toledo.
CSCC’s artistic and civic contributions have received notable recognition, including the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo’s Community Impact Award and the Community Achievement in the Arts Award. On January 15, 1990, the City of Toledo further affirmed the Chorus’s cultural significance by proclaiming that date “Clarence Smith Community Chorus Day.”
As the longest-standing performing arts organization founded within Toledo’s African American community, CSCC continues to serve the region through appearances at civic observances, churches, festivals, universities, schools, and interfaith gatherings. Five decades of musical leadership and community engagement, the Clarence Smith Community Chorus remains steadfast in its mission to uplift audiences, inspire singers, and preserve a treasured musical heritage for generations to come.