On Saturday, February 12th, 2011, six members of the Performance Choir travelled to Alpharetta to participate in the Choristers Guild Youth Festival. Directors Janey Chapman and Ruth Purcell, and our accompanist Hannah Chapman, were there to cheer on our girls as they sang with a 150-voice choir made up of around 15 different youth choirs from all over the southeast. (We were the only commmunity choir; the rest were church choirs.) It was a real treat for them to experience singing SATB literature and to meet some new friends who share their love of singing. It was quite impressive to see and hear what could be accomplished when each of the choirs had prepared ahead of time, and then got together with a competent and highly motivating director (James Wells, Brentwood TN UMC) who brought the music and the singers all together with one mind and one heart. We were so smitten with the pieces that we are trying to borrow a few tenors and basses from Lumpkin County High School to join us on our spring concerts so we can perform a couple of the compositions!

Although delayed a week because of the snow and ice during the week of January 10th, we are ready to start rehearsals on Tuesday, January 17th!

Our concert date at North Georgia College is Saturday, April 30th, 2011 at 2:00 p.m., featuring a varied program from wistful to whimsical – “On Wind, On Wing.” The Bowen Arts Center concert is scheduled for Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.

NGCC will join forces with the North Georgia Youth Chorale in a concert at Concord Baptist Church, Cumming, on Sunday, May 1st at 4:00 p.m. We are looking forward to this opportunity!

The third annual mini-tour to Highlands, North Carolina is scheduled for the weekend of May 13-14.

The singers all gathered at The Holbrook in Gainesville on Tuesday, Nov. 16. We sang for about a dozen residents and several choir parents. What a great space to sing in! Everyone was very enthusiastic, singers and audience alike! Ladye Grace, the activities director, was very moved by the performance and moved us with her gracious words about the effect that the fresh voices of the children had on those who hear them. Amen!

There was milk and cookies for the singers, a mini-rehearsal to run through the two Christmas pieces to be done with the orchestra, then it was time to go to Smoky Springs. Dinner was in progress, and we sat down to a nice meal. Our performance there also went quite well and we all left a little before 8:00 p.m.

On Saturday, Nov. 20, the singers gathered at Shott Auditorium. We warmed up, checked a few “spots” and adjusted tempos, and figured out how we would stand in three rows instead of two. Lots of grandparents came to the program, several from out of town. Everything went smoothly and the singers sounded wonderful! The program was very well received.

Good heavens, 21 singers plus mothers and grandmothers completely filled the lobby of Dahlonega Baptist Church! After the initial confusion, we separated to our designated areas, where both groups had an excellent first rehearsal.

So much preparation and prayer went into the shift we have just made. It seems that our formation period is at an end, and we have entered into the period of growth. Since May when we made the decision to split the choir, it seemed almost nothing but attrition happened, but in the month of August, 5 new middle to high school singers and 9 new elementary singers joined the ranks, making it possible to actually accomplish what we set out to accomplish. Nevertheless, it seemed  miraculous to me that everything went exactly as planned!