MUSIC
Martin County High School’s OPUS consists of 52 singers. The group has appeared at places such as St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York and is headed to
San Francisco this spring.
This nationally acclaimed group has been bringing outstanding
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The work of OPUS
vocal music to the Treasure Coast since 1981
BY WILLI MILLER
PHOTOS BY GREG GARDNER
As a name for a singing group, Opus would seem
an obvious choice, but at Martin County High
School, this word is much more than a name.
There, OPUS is an acronym for Outstanding
People United to Sing, an acclaimed choral group
that has put the school on the map of vocal achievement.
In its early days, the choir, developed by the late Ronnie
Staley, was known as the OPUS Showcase Ensemble. In 1983,
Ronald L. Corbin, a Florida A&M graduate who had been
handed Staley’s baton, changed the name to simply OPUS.
Since his first year at the school, Corbin has increased the
cadre of singers from 25 to 52, evenly distributed among
grade levels. However, the voice distribution has changed
over the years. “We have only 13 guys this year. Before the
two other schools in Martin County opened, I might have
had 30 or 40.”
The singers, who meet for 90 minutes daily while school is
in session, have seen their hard work pay off both in awards
and in sold-out performances. OPUS consistently earns firstplace
and superior designations in vocal competitions.
At the end of last season, state Senate President Ken Pruitt
cited OPUS in a proclamation for its accomplishments since
1981 and congratulated the members for achievements in
national and international competitions. One of those noteworthy
events was the Heritage Festival, where the chorus
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