Choral Studies at Shorter 

Choral opportunities at Shorter College include the Shorter Chorale and the Shorter Chorus which are open to all students.  The Chorale is an auditioned ensemble of 40-45 singers who perform at the college, in local churches, throughout the Southeast, and on tours abroad once every three years. 

the Choral Programs 

The Shorter Chorale, founded in 1968, is widely regarded as one of the finest collegiate choral ensembles in the southeastern United States.  The 2004-2005 season featured a tour of the great cathedrals and churches of England with performances in Coventry Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral, Christ Church, Oxford and Great St. Mary’s in Cambridge. In 2005, the first broadcast of the Shorter Chorale was heard on National Public Radio.

Previously, the Chorale has toured extensively throughout Europe and Russia, earning resounding critical acclaim. The Chorale has been featured at the Georgia convention of the American Choral Directors Association, Georgia Music Educators In-Service Conferences, as well as the Georgia National Association of Teachers of Singing convention.  This exceptional choir continues its tradition of excellence with many guest appearances throughout the United States.

the Chorale

The Shorter Chorale performs frequently during the year.  In addition to the annual Fall and Spring concerts, the Chorale performs at the Feaste of Caroles and the Northwest Georgia Choral Festival, for various school functions, in churches throughout the southeast, and on a yearly tour. 

Repertoire is based predominantly on classical works of all eras, but also includes spirituals and jazz standards.  Recent major works performed include Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore. K.339,  the Poulenc Gloria, and the Mozart Requiem. 

The spring concert of 2007 will feature the Chichester Psalms of Leonard Bernstein. 

Click here to see the Shorter Chorale perform.

Enjoy the Shorter Chorale on CD!

Celebrate the Christmas season with the sounds of the Shorter Chorale – and help Chorale members defray the cost of their spring tour to Italy. The CD, A Savior from on High, includes 19 tracks.

“This is the first Shorter Chorale recording to be nationally released,” said Dr. Martha Shaw (’80), who conducts the Chorale. “The recording features the current Chorale and several alumni including Patrick Harvey (’05), Jamie Barton (’04), Lenora Green (’06), Nick Almand (’06) and Joe Knighton (’04).”

“The cost of producing the CDs has already been covered,” Dr. Shaw said, “so every penny from the sales goes to students’ accounts for the Chorale tour.”

The CD features new works that the group has not performed in concert as well as traditional favorites of the Chorale. “It tells the story of the Nativity including selections about Mary, the star, the shepherds, the wise men, and even the flight into Egypt,” Dr. Shaw said. “Also included are holiday favorites such as Sleigh Ride and Jingle Bells.”

The CD was developed by ACA Digital Recording with Fyodor Cherniavsky as producer and Fred Horton as recording engineer.  

***Click here to download an order form. Please send completed forms to:

Jean Knighton
Shorter College
Campus Box 163
315 Shorter Avenue
Rome, GA 30165

 
The Shorter Chorus

The Shorter Chorus is a large mixed ensemble that is open to any talented student at Shorter College who enjoys singing. Students are admitted to and placed in the ensemble by a simple voice-test process. The Chorus performs a variety of traditional repertoire in many languages and from all style periods. The Chorus performs twice each semester and joins forces with the Shorter Chorale for special events. The highest standards of choral excellence, performance practice, and professionalism are encouraged and expected. In the 2006–2007 concert season, the Shorter Chorus performed in six languages from all stylistic periods, and performed the World Premiere of a new spiritual by composer Paul Carey (b.1954).

Click here to hear the Shorter Chorus.
Click here to see the Shorter Chorus perform.
Click here for the 2007-2008 Season.

Please contact Dr. Matthew Hoch at mhoch@shorter.edu for more information about the Shorter Chorus.

 Feaste of Caroles  

The Feaste of Caroles is the annual Christmas concert presented by the Shorter Chorale and Chorus and an invited guest choir.  It is held on the weekend prior to Thanksgiving, due to the academic calendar, but is welcomed by the community as the early bird herald of the season.  Selections include classical and traditional songs of the holidays.  The 2007 Feaste of Caroles will be held on Saturday, November 17.

Northwest Georgia Choral festival (NWGCF)

Click here for information about this year's Choral Festival, October 22, 2007

The Northwest Georgia Choral Festival is held on a Monday near the end of October.  It features a High School Festival Choir conducted by the Director of Choral Activities, Dr. Martha Shaw, and a Treble Festival Choir of 4-6th graders conducted by a guest clinician. The 2006 Treble Choir was conducted by Rick McKee.

Last year, Shorter welcomed 350 high school and 150 treble choir singers from across the state for an all-day workshop and concert.  Performances by the Shorter Chorale, Somethin’ Else (the school’s a capella male ensemble), and a guest choir from Woodland High School joined the festival choirs in an evening concert for almost 1000 parents, teachers and guests.