San Francisco Girls Chorus

San Francisco Girls Chorus is a choir founded in 1978 by Elizabeth Appling. The choir is a non-profit organization. It is divided into six levels with more than 300 members. The artistic director is Susan McMane.

Chorus School

The Chorus School of SFGC is made up of four levels:

• Level I The first level teaches girls basic music theory skills and basic singing technique. This level sings in unison and sometimes two parts.
• Level II In the second level, girls delve into slightly more challenging theory and music. In this level, girls begin to learn choreography to accompany one of their pieces. This level sings in two parts, sometimes three.
• Level III In the third level, girls get into even more difficult theory and music. The girls usually sing in three parts.
• Level IV In the fourth level, girls continue their study of theory and sing in four parts, sometimes three. The girls have a strenuous Christmas performance season and then go on to sing many more concerts than in the other three levels throughout the rest of the school year. At the end of the season, girls must pass an exam before being considered for graduation from the chorus school. If graduated, girls may either audition for the Chorus' premier ensemble, return to level IV, or leave the Chorus.
  The Level IV Ensemble is a smaller, select group of girls within Level IV. Girls who wish to join must audition during the chorus' Summer Music camp. The Ensemble has occasional extra practices, and more before their performances. Most of their performances are around Christmas and in the Spring. They memorize a few more songs, and sometimes extra verses to songs the rest of the chorus learns. In November 2005, the Ensemble sang with the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Adult Chorus, and Pacific Boychoir at Davies Symphony Hall in Carl Orff's Carmina Burana

Chorissima and Virtuose

Chorissima

Chorissima is the touring and recording ensemble of the Chorus. Practices and performances in the Chorus School serve to prepare girls for Chorissima and for their singing future. Over the decades, this highest level group has travelled on tours to Germany, England, Italy, Japan, the Baltics, China, and other countries. In summer 2005, Chorissima was featured in the World Choral Symposium in Kyoto, Japan. Once members of Chorissima turn sixteen, or finish their sophomore year in high school, they laureate. Laureation is the process of becoming an alum of the chorus. One must be an alum to be in Virtuose.

Virtuose

Virtuose is a small a capella ensemble, and is the last group that a chorister may audition to join. The group tends to perform smaller gigs and concerts, although it is featured in all the Christmas concerts in which Chorissima is featured, and some other concerts with Chorissima as well. Virtuose consists of about twenty members every season.

Recordings

• I Never Saw Another Butterfly
• A San Francisco Christmas
• Crossroads
• Music from the Venitian Ospedali
• Christmas

External links

• Official website