Marin Girls Chorus Celebrates 35th Anniversary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contact: Jocelyn Corbett, Business Director, Marin Girls Chorus ([email protected]) 415-827-7335

Marin Girls Chorus Announces Start of Spring 2023 Season with 35th Anniversary Celebration

Marin County non-profit expands commitment to empowerment of youth through musical achievement and creating community through singing

SAN RAFAEL, CA, January 27, 2023- Marin Girls Chorus, a Marin County non-profit delivering musical education and performance opportunities for girls K-12, announced today the start of a year long celebration of 35 years of youth choral singing in Marin. The non-profit plans to celebrate with events throughout the county starting with a celebration for Marin Girls Chorus alumni at the Falkirk Cultural Center in San Rafael on February 2nd.

Over the past 35 years, over 2,000 girls from across Marin County have come together in song and performed with the award-winning Marin Girls Chorus. Started with just 17 girls in 1988 by local entrepreneur and musical advocate Martha Wall, Marin Girls Chorus has grown from a small non-profit focused on elementary school singing to a respected multi-age choral music program that builds community and empowers girls through the power of song and performance.

“Marin Girls Chorus has a positive and lasting impact on the singers who come through the program,” said Sally Aaron, board president of Marin Girls Chorus. “Our program is unique because girls can join our program with no experience or incredibly deep experience. We meet girls where they are in their singing experience and help them grow and excel to establish a lifelong love of music.”

Following the alumni event at Falkirk, the Marin Girls Chorus will be performing music across Marin this spring, celebrating the theme “Rainbows in Marin” across a number of venues including singing the National Anthem for the Warriors at Chase Center, Marin Countrymart, Aldersly Retirement Community and culminating in a final performance at Mount Tamalpais United Methodist Church in Mill Valley on May 20.

“Marin County has an incredibly special and beloved landscape that is exciting to celebrate in song,” said Cole Thomason-Redus, Artistic Director for Marin Girls Chorus, explaining the theme for the 2023 Spring Season for Marin Girls Chorus. “I am excited for the opportunities that our communities will have to celebrate the beauty of Marin with our performers throughout the season. For over three decades, Marin Girls Chorus has been inspiring and empowering the voices of tomorrow through song. I look forward to furthering that mission for the next many years.” (A full calendar of performances can be found here).

In honor of all of the past achievements and singers, the Marin Girls Chorus will be hosting a 35th anniversary celebration on February 2, 2023 from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Falkirk Cultural Center in San Rafael. The event will showcase the organization’s 35 year history as Marin’s largest nonprofit youth chorus. Guests will enjoy memorabilia displays and the evening will feature a performance by the premier performance ensemble, the Descants. Descant is the most advanced ensemble and features classical pieces sung acapella. The event is open to alumni, donors and general music lovers alike. In recognition of the community-oriented nature of Marin Girls Chorus, Nugget Market is generously sponsoring food for the event.

Following COVID 19, which was a challenging moment for all performing arts organizations, the Marin Girls Chorus remained resilient through a strong bond across the singers. In 2022, the senior division of the chorus performed at Carnegie Hall after a 3 year delay. Looking ahead in the next 3 years, Marin Girls Chorus is creating a plan for expansion to deliver more youth programming and choral singing across Marin County. The organization is looking to build a new Advisory Board to gather community input and continue advocating for youth singing and creativity in the county. For community members interested in supporting youth music in Marin, please contact Jocelyn Corbett at [email protected] or visit marinchorus.org.