Early Performances 

 

GFC’s inaugural concert season featured the Christmas portions of Handel’s Messiah, accompanied by a small orchestra, with performances across Cobb County churches. The Chorus performed at diverse venues, such as the Atlanta Festival of Trees, Atlanta Rotary Club, Atlanta Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, the Galleria, Salvation Army, the Fox Theater during the 1996 Olympics. 

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In the early 1990s, the Chorus launched “Carols by Candlelight” concerts in Georgia and Tennessee, eventually establishing a beloved tradition throughout the Atlanta area. The Chorus began a schedule of three to five concerts each year, offering audiences a range of inspirational performances. From 1990 to 2002, the chorus regularly collaborated with the Cobb Symphony under Steven Byess, performing choral works including Messiah and Gilbert & Sullivan’s operetta Gondoliers.

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Expanding Horizons

 

In 1990, the Chorus began a tradition of taking concert tours periodically, traveling to destinations in Europe such as England, Scotland, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, and Germany, as well as locations closer to home in Alaska and Texas. They have had the privilege of singing in revered venues like Westminster Abbey, Royal Albert Hall, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Copenhagen Cathedral, and St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Most recently, the chorus traveled to Italy for the 2024 Tuscany International Choral Festival.

 

As the Chorus’s membership and popularity grew, the name was changed to the Georgia Festival Chorus in 1998 to reflect a broader audience. The GFC has produced ten CDs and partnered with Johnny Hall of One Voice Mission in 2016 to record soundtracks for the One Voice Hymnal project.

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New Leadership

 

In 2019, Frank Boggs retired as Director Emeritus, and David Scott stepped into the role of Artistic Director. Scott has been involved with the chorus since its inception, initially as Assistant Director and later as Associate Director. Under his leadership, the Georgia Festival Chorus has expanded its activities beyond just live concert performances, embracing new ways to engage with audiences.

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Growing Outreach

 

To keep sharing music with our audiences during the pandemic in 2020, the Georgia Festival Chorus launched the Musical Advent Calendar project. This initiative featured some of Georgia’s favorite musicians and our GFC choristers performing holiday hymns and carols throughout the Advent season. Due to the enthusiastic and warm response from audiences, the Calendar has become an annual tradition! Each year, we produce Christmas Advent videos, released daily from December 1 through December 24. These videos can be found on YouTube, Facebook, and the Chorus' website here.

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In the fall of 2022, the Chorus established Voice of Joy, a community outreach group of GFC volunteers who regularly visit senior living and rehab facilities to entertain and engage residents with Christmas carols, hymns and sacred choral music throughout the year.

 

In 2023, the Georgia Festival Chorus (GFC) partnered with Georgia State University to provide educational opportunities for aspiring choral directors. Second-year master's students from the University's School of Music now work with our professional team and chorus to hone their skills.

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Loving Mission

 

Today, the Georgia Festival Chorus delivers five to seven choral concerts each season, offering a powerful experience through sacred and spiritual music. Our goal is to create a warm and inviting atmosphere where audiences, both familiar and new, can connect with the music and the divine!