North Georgia Children's Choir

Bringing the Joy of Singing to Children

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Good News!

There has been no news since 2020, but now we have some news that is truly good news!

Although the recorded early childhood classes developed into a total of 32 lessons, (still available online at ruthpurcell.com – see Ruth’s August 12, 2020 Choir News article), unfortunately NGCC was not able to rally following the pandemic, and Ruth and Michael made the decision to relocate to Toccoa, Georgia.

Early in 2024 we were contacted by Dr. Marie Graham of UNG, who had encouraged us since her arrival at UNG the year before the shutdown. We are very pleased to announce that the baton will now pass to her leadership and that the North Georgia Children’s Choir will experience a resurrection at last under her leadership! Stay tuned for more information about the upcoming Fall 2024 season. You may email Dr. Graham at marie@ngachildrenschorus.org for more information.

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Fall 2020 Update

In the 2019-20 school year, our focus shifted because of the young ages of our enrollees. We did a full semester in the fall, and a ¾ semester until the COVID-19 shut-down in mid-March. 

Using the First Steps in Music curriculum created by Dr. John Feierabend, which has always been the backbone of our training choir program, we added a segment on preliminary choral learning. This hybrid was enthusiastically received by our young singers. After the sudden cessation of lessons, one recorded video was sent out to the singers as a closing class for the term.

At the present time, there are no plans for a fall 2020 session. Instead, there is a video series in development for ages 4-8, using the First Steps in Music curriculum. The summer session, Summer Fun, has completed one cycle and is about to begin a second cohort. The fall video series will be released in October.

For more information about the First Steps in Music video series, please see this short introductory video.

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Fall Session Final Class – Primary Choir… Plus

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All Primary Choir… Plus parents were able to attend the final Open Class Day on Monday, November 11, Veteran’s Day. They participated right along with their super singer sudents on every singing and movement activity, which was my fondest pedagogical hope! Everyone had a great time! At the end of the class, the singers performed songs they had been practicing since September.

Now we turn our attention to the Winter Quarter:
Calling all singers 6+ to young 8’s for more Primary Choir… PLUS! January 27 – March 30, Mondays 4:30- 5:30 p.m.
No audition required.

Calling all singers 2nd-4th grade for the UPBEAT SINGERS! Our concert theme is FRESH VOICES. Rehearsals on Mondays, January 13 – March 30, 4:15 – 5:45 p.m. Please contact Ruth Purcell at 706-482-8031 to schedule a vocal interview!

All new singers should schedule a vocal interview and register on our website by Friday, January 10.

Click here for more details and general information about the program.

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Spring Concert – Somebody’s Callin’ My Name

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On Tuesday, April 30, NGCC gave a beautiful spring concert, our first following three springs with no second term, due to illness and attrition!

This concert, rescheduled because of the death of Ms. Purcell’s mother and entitled SOMEBODY’S CALLIN’ MY NAME, turned out to be a memorial concert. Following the opening numbers, featuring Taylor Stone of UNG on flute and featuring Rebekah Mildenhall on piano, we performed two spirituals. “Little Innocent Lamb” (Ruth Purcell accompanying, Julia Morang directing, Taylor Stone on flute) was offered in memory of Sara Ann Kronrot, a severly disabled girl of fifteen who led a full life, and who, with the help of technology, was a budding visual artist. By the grace of God she was also a soul full of love and joy who will be missed by family, caregivers and friends. The next piece, our concert’s title number, “Hush! Somebody’s Callin’ My Name” was conducted by Ms. Purcell with Gabrielle Willet accompanying, in honor of Julia Grace Pfau (Ruth’s mother), who lived to almost 95 and whose gifts of love, joy, fortitude, persistence, and grace had many decades to develop and flower.

The audience greatly enjoyed the closing numbers by Georgia composer Rick McKee. Singers, family, and audience enjoyed refreshments following the concert.

Stay tuned for information about our next season!