About the North Georgia Children’s Chorus

 

WHAT WE DO

Here is the model for what we have done in past seasons:

UPBEAT SINGERS (ages 8-12) and JUBILANT SONG (ages 12-16)
Music literacy, sightreading, vocal training, and basic musicianship/artistry are presented in a comprehensive program to singers ages 8-16. An eclectic mix of age-appropriate literature in unison,  two, and three parts is selected for each program.

PRIMARY CHOIR (ages 6-8)
To build a strong foundation for music and future choral singing, children ages 6-8 receive training in First Steps in Music, a program providing instruction in singing, musicianship and movement. The older children in this group, who will be moving to Upbeat Singers, will receive additional vocal training.

PERFORMANCE LOCATIONS

We have performed regularly at Gloria Shott Auditorium on the campus of  the University of North Georgia, Dahlonega campus, at Dahlonega Presbyterian Church, and at various locations in Dawsonville and the Gainesville area. This year, our concerts will be held at Dahlonega Presbyterian Church. Driving directions.

MEET THE DIRECTOR

RUTH PURCELL, Founder and Director, earned a B.A. degree in music at George Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee, and Level 2 Orff-Schulwerk certification.  She is a folksinger/songwriter, choral singer, freelance violist and fiddler, and a music educator for over thirty years. She received her teacher certification from NGCSU in 2003 while teaching general music and launching an after-school chorus at Westminster Christian School (now North Georgia Christian School) in Gainesville. After studying two summers with Dr. John Feierabend, she adopted the First Steps in Music and Conversational Solfege programs into her preschool,  primary grades, and elementary music classes.

A former director of two children’s choirs at First Presbyterian Church in Gainesville, Mrs. Purcell maintains an active piano and strings studio. A current member of Chorus America, she is also a former member of the Choristers Guild, an organization dedicated to the support of leaders of children’s choirs in churches and schools. In July of 2012, she graduated from the Choristers Guild Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, a three-year certification program for directors of children’s choirs. She was a member of the Lanier Chamber Singers from 2009 – 2015, and has sung several seasons with the Dawson County Chorale, the UNG Singers and La Bella Voci. Mrs. Purcell is a certified substitute teacher for the Lumpkin County Schools, and an occasional accompanist for Mr. Tee Smith. She is also a fiddle instructor for the Georgia Pick and Bow School in Lumpkin County.