On Saturday, November 9, 2013, NGCC joined the throngs of shoppers and visitors in the Fellowship Hall at Dahlonega Baptist Church. At 11:30 we sang through the Christmas portion of our program. Because of the venue, it was hard for us to hear ourselves and hard for the audience to hear us, but folks were doing their best to listen as they walked around and looked at all the wonderful crafts and Christmas gifts. It was a good experience for us to sing in public for the first time this season.
Press Release
The NORTH GEORGIA CHILDREN’S CHORUS will present REJOICE!, a program of fall and Christmas music. Following an appearance at Dahlonega Baptist Church on November 9, the chorus will perform on Friday, Nov. 15 at Gloria Shott Auditorium on the Dahlonega campus of UNG at 7:00 p.m., and again in Gainesville at First Presbyterian Church, 800 South Enota Drive, at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 17. The final performance will take place in Dawsonville at Grace Presbyterian Church at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 24.
The program includes works by J.S. Bach, Giovanni Pergolesi, and Aaron Copland. The Christmas portion of the concert will feature music from Italy, France, Latin America, Germany, Rumania, and the USA.
NGCC will also perform during Old Fashioned Christmas on Friday evening, December 6 at 5:00 p.m.
The North Georgia Children’s Chorus was founded in the fall of 2007 by Ruth Purcell and Janey Chapman, who continue as the group’s directors. Hannah Chapman is the accompanist. This concert also features Caitlin Singleton, a UNG student, playing flute along with Ms. Chapman on two pieces. The singers come from local public and private schools as well as home schools.
All performances are free and open to the public. A love offering for our scholarship fund is welcome!
Road Show, Spring 2013
April 11, 2013: Inspired by watching countless “Flash mob” events on YouTube, we decided to get in on the action at a humble local level! Thanks to the tireless efforts of chorus parents Ivy Spraker and Nicole Turney, a number of restaurants and shops were contacted. Taking a segment of our Hymns from the Heart program and putting together a small string band, we performed 15 minute mini-concerts at Moe’s restaurant, Walmart in Dahlonega, and out on the Square in front of Paul Thomas Chocolates. Still coming up- two Chik-Fil-A restaurants, in Dahlonega and Dawsonville, an appearance at Bear on the Square, and a guest appearance as the warm-up act for the Mountain Music and Medicine Show.
Chik-Fil-a was our host at both the Dahlonega and Dawsonville locations. Many thanks for free ice cream “tips” in Dahlonega and discounted meals in Dawsonville! CFA, you are awesome!
Singing at Bear on the Square was a first! We had a full house despite the competition of the many outdoor activities on a gorgeous spring day, and the singers did a wonderful job. The energy was high! We sang our entire 40-minute program at the festival. At the Mountain Music & Medicine Show, we performed our Road Show to an enthusiastic audience before the live broadcast, and enjoyed being in the lights onstage at the historic Holly Theater!
Press Release: Local Musician Receives Choristers Guild Institute Certification
Ruth Purcell, founding director of the North Georgia Children’s Chorus, has recently received Certification by the Choristers Guild Institute. Mrs. Purcell was one of 15 choral musicians serving churches throughout the United States and Canada who received certification at the Institute in 2012.
The Choristers Guild Institute is a three-stage certification program for directors of young singers, Grades K-8, in a Christian church or school setting. Participants are recommended by their pastor, principal, or director of music. The three-summer Institute, totaling 180 hours, offers a rigorous curriculum and schedule including seminars, workshops, and master classes in four areas of emphasis: Worship and Young Singers; Pedagogical Skills and Content Knowledge for a Successful Choir Program; Administration and Organization of an Effective Music Ministry; and Personal Musicianship and Leadership Skills with focus on conducting and voice. Certification in the three-summer program also requires outside reading and completion of short and long-term assignments each Institute Year. Participants are under a faculty mentor throughout the three-year period.
The 2012 Institute core faculty included nationally recognized leaders in the area of church and choral music education including Dr. Therees Hibbard, University of Nebraska; Dr. C. Michael Hawn, Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University; Dr. Kenney Potter, Wingate University, and Helen Kemp, Professor Emerita of Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ. Numerous other sessions were led by highly experienced and qualified instructors. The Helen Kemp Lecture, during the Institute, featured Sue Ellen Page of Princeton, NJ. The Choristers Guild Institute was held on the beautiful campus of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.
Mrs. Purcell had this to say about her experience at the Choristers Guild Institute. “Each successive summer was better than the one before. I was amazed at how comprehensive the curriculum was, and was inspired by the dedication and passion of every single faculty member. New learning in many other areas, such as organizing a choral program and working with volunteers, was an added benefit of the program. Best of all was the opportunity to sing together with so many wonderful, dedicated musicians.”
Certification opens doors to continuing education opportunities in future years at the Institute’s Advanced Seminar for Alumnae.