Georgia Boy Choir
The Georgia Boy Choir is an American boys' choir based in Atlanta, Georgia. The choir is widely regarded as one of the premier musical organizations for boys in the United States. Since its founding in 2009 by David White, it has gained a reputation as one of the finest choirs of its kind. The choir has now completed its fourth season under the creative leadership of White, former director of the Atlanta Boy Choir, and the Florida's Singing Sons Boychoir.
History
In its short history, the choir has garnered an impressive international following through YouTube, and the choir's videos have been viewed in more than 170 countries around the world. The choir has commanded respect in the musical community for its challenging repertoire and musical excellence. Its repertoire has spanned from demanding classical and romantic era works by composers such as Antonio Lotti, Haydn, Mozart, and Brahms to more contemporary masterpieces by composers such as John Rutter and Stephen Paulus. The choir has performed in numerous cities and towns across 3 continents and 8 countries. This year, the Georgia Boy Choir made its solo debut at Carnegie Hall in the prestigious main hall, the Stern Auditorium.
Levels of Choirs
The Georgia Boy Choir operates on a five-tier system of musical education for boys as young as five years old through high school. The choirs range from the youngest members in the Apprentice Choir to the oldest members of the Young Men's Ensemble. The pinnacle of the organization is the Concert Choir which performs at numerous venues throughout the year.
First Season
During its inaugural season the choir performed in productions including "Star Wars in Concert", "Carmen" (Street Boys March) and "Amahl and the Night Visitors" by the Georgia State Opera, "Christmas with the Georgia Boy Choir" (Joy to the World), and a summer cultural exchange to the country of China.[1][2] Additionally, the Intermediate Choir participated in the Baltimore Boy Choir Festival.
Georgia Boy Choir Festival
During this first year, the choir also established its own new boy choir festival in Atlanta called The Georgia Boy Choir Festival. The inaugural festival was held on Feb. 9, 2010. Among the choirs that have participated in this festival are the American Boy Choir and the Newark Boys Chorus.
Notable International Performances
The choir's inaugural tour was to China, where it performed for thousands at venues like Beijing University and the Chengdu Concert Hall. During the summer tour of 2011 the Concert Choir traveled to Oxford, England, to be the Choir-in-Residence at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. The 2012 tour was to Scandinavia with performances in Copenhagen, Denmark; Oslo, Norway; Stockholm, Sweden; and Tallinn, Estonia among other places. For 2013 the choir toured to New York and New England where they gave a concert at Carnegie Hall performing John Rutter's "Mass of the Children" and a concert at the West Point Cadet Chapel. In 2014 the choir will be returning to England where they will be the Choir-in-Residence at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
Local Performances
In the fall of 2010 it was announced that the Georgia Boy Choir was named the Ensemble-In-Residence at Peachtree Rd. United Methodist Church. Comcast/Xfinity has also signed on as the official Media Sponsor. The choir has also performed locally for the Atlanta Regional Commission, The Governor of Georgia, The Atlanta Rotary Club, and 104.7 The Fish Radio Station. The choir was also invited to twice perform the National Anthem for Atlanta Thrashers games. During the 2013 NBA Playoffs, the choir sang the National Anthem for the final game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Indiana Pacers.