about marin girls chorus:
our story
At Marin Girls Chorus, we seek to aid in the nourishment of the whole child–the whole person–by empowering voices through music and song. Ensemble singing and the tradition and discipline of choral singing instills strength, confidence, collaboration, empathy, critical thinking and artistry.
Calendar
Spring 2024:
Monday, 1/22/2024 – Classes start!
Saturday, 2/3/2024 — All-Chorus Rehearsal
Wednesday, 3/6/2024 — Concert Division sings the National Anthem at the Warriors game
Saturday/Sunday, 3/16-3/17/2024 — Concert Division+Brava overnight retreat at CYO Occidental
Saturday, 5/11/2024 — All-Chorus Rehearsal
Wednesday, 5/15/2024 — Concert dress rehearsal
Sunday, 5/19/2024 — All-Chorus Spring Concert, Angelico Hall, Dominican University
Spring Concert tickets on sale now!
Come hear the beautiful music we’ve been working so hard on this year.
Dress
Summer 2024:
SummerChor! grades 5-12 — May 23-June 22 with some performances in early July
SummerSings! K-4 Day Camp — July 8-12, 15-19, and 22-26
Singer’s Workshop! grades 5-12 — July 29 - August 2
Marin Girls Chorus Dress Code
Class Uniforms by Level
All Levels- Informal CONCERT Dress
All students’ informal uniform consists of a purple shirt provided by Marin Girls Chorus that can be worn over jeans, pants or dark skirt. Hair should be pulled away from face.
MGc FORMAL CONCERT UNIFORMs
Entrada
Entrada does not have a formal uniform. Students are expected to wear a purple chorus shirt (provided by chorus) with black pants and flat shoes. Hair should be away from face.
TRAINING DIVISION
Gaudiosa
Knee length navy blue dress provided by chorus or navy blue shirt and pants.
Brava
Formal dress consists of a black knee-length dress to be worn with black flats. Hair should be pulled back from the face.
CONCERT DIVISION
Davanti
Formal dress consists of the black dress hemmed one inch above the ground to be worn with black flats. Hair should be pulled back from the face.
Fortissima
Formal dress consists of the black dress hemmed one inch above the ground to be worn with black flats. Hair should be pulled back from the face. Fortissima also wears a jewel pin.
Board of Directors and Staff
Board of Directors:
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sally Aaron, President, MGC Parent
Kristen Bond, Community Member
Jane Chaplain, Former MGC Parent
Renée Foster, MGC Parent
Ethan Geary, MGC Parent
Anne Moffet Ciranni, MGC Parent
Eric Silverman, MGC Parent
Kirra Steel, Community Member
Lynn Stewart, MD, MGC Parent
ADVISORY BOARD
Amanda Hahn, Former MGC Staff
Laurel Roberts-Meese, MGC Alumna
Martha Wall, MGC Founder
Cole Thomason-Redus
Artistic Director
A two-time GRAMMY Award Winning choral artist, Mr. Cole is a 5th-generation San Franciscan with twenty-four years of experience teaching music to young minds. He began singing at the age of seven in the San Francisco Boys Chorus and went on to serve as their Assistant Conductor, in addition to numerous other positions with organizations such as Chanticleer, Ragazzi Boys Chorus, San Francisco Arts Education Project and Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts.
As a choral composer, his works have been enjoyed internationally, including performances by Cantus and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus. Additionally, Cole held a seven-year tenure as Curator of Classical Music at iTunes and APPLE MUSIC and was one of five classical musicologists employed by Pandora Media Inc. as part of the Music Genome Project. He is currently also on staff at the National Children’s Chorus and develops educational content and programming for the Department of Diversity, Equity and Community at San Francisco Opera.
Check out Cole's website, including recordings of his compositions, here.
Denise Wharmby
Training Division Director
Denise is delighted to be invited for a return season of teaching with Marin Girls Chorus, leading Entrada, Gaudiosa, and Brava classes. With her clear soprano voice and slightly British accent, Denise has been called the ‘Mary Poppins’ of Marin by families in past years.
Denise has first hand experience of the value of early music training and where it can lead. She began as a chorister herself at the age of seven. At the age of twelve, she toured to England and Wales for international choral competitions and her choir was offered the rare opportunity to sing a concert in Westminster Abbey, London. This early training provided a solid musical foundation, built upon and taken to top tier levels through her teen years into adulthood, which ultimately resulted in a significant career as a professional performer of musical theatre, classical vocal repertoire (she loves to sing opera) and as a teacher.
Denise was a consultant and song writer for ‘Music Makers’, a BBC television program for schools in the UK. She has taught grade levels K-12 in Marin schools and was music director of high school musicals at San Domenico for twelve consecutive years. She has penned words and music for a growing collection of original songs for children. Denise’s effervescent style and smile create a happy, music loving, welcoming learning environment where girls can flourish musically, have fun and sing beautifully together.
Gretchen Hopkins
Business Director
A wholehearted believer in MGC’s mission of bringing musical education to children, Gretchen studied cello and voice in college and has experience singing in professional and community choruses. She has also led choir, drama, and other arts-focused groups for children. Prior to taking on the role of business director, Gretchen worked as a journalist, publications director, and editor. Her daughter sings with MGC’s concert division.
Martha Wall
Founder
Martha Wall, Founder of Marin Girls Chorus, has taught and directed music in Marin County since 1980. A native Californian, Ms. Wall received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from University of California at Berkeley, where she studied conducting with Michael Senturia. She received her Masters in Music Education from Holy Names College in Oakland, with emphasis on the Kodály approach to children's music education.
For over fifteen years Ms. Wall was Associate Director for Consort Chorale, a Marin County adult choral ensemble in which she also sings, and she was Director of Music for First Presbyterian Church, San Anselmo for seven years. She currently sings with the Marin Symphony Chorus. Martha retired as MGC's Artistic Director in 2013 although she still loves teaching private piano lessons, and keeps her private studio filled with students.
Frequently • Asked • Questions
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Any girl who can carry a tune, match pitch and has a clear, undamaged voice in grades K-12 may join the Marin Girls Chorus. Six levels of instruction are available and provide appropriate musical training for all ages and abilities. Anyone who identifies as a girl can join. Boys who are interested in choral training are invited to join the San Francisco Boys Chorus, which has a weekly rehearsal site in San Rafael.
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YES! We are happy to arrange one trial class for new students before you fully commit (space permitting). Please note these must be arranged in advance with approval from our Business Director. Please contact our admin if your singer needs a trial class.
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The simple answer is no. However, sacred music constitutes a significant part of the classical choral repertoire, especially from periods before the 20th century, so it is impossible to have a comprehensive repertoire without it. We include music from a wide variety of sources and traditions, but Marin Girls Chorus does not ask its singers to believe in anything other than the power of music.
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We teach music from a wide variety of cultural and historical sources, including classical music from the Renaissance forward, current repertoire written expressly for children's choirs, as well as songs from musicals and operas, light jazz, and folk music from many different countries. Sacred or secular, each piece is carefully selected to build a repertoire that embraces the rich body of music from the past, present, and around the globe.
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We charge tuition on a semester basis. Additional costs include tickets to our chorus-wide concert at the end of each semester. All attendees are required to purchase tickets to these shows. Singers in the Concert Division have costs associated with tours and festivals.
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In addition to offering payment plans, tuition assistance for singers is available to help with tuition costs. Eligibility is based on guidelines set forth by the County of Marin, which take the cost of living in this area into consideration. Applications for tuition assistance are available on Activity Hero during the registration process.
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Singers in Entrada or the Training Division commit and are charged by semester. Concert Division students are asked to make a yearlong commitment but are charged by semester.
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There are no auditions or vocal asessements required to join Entrada. Students wishing to join the Training or Concert Division must have an informal vocal placement with our Artistic Director or Training Director. These placements are held to place students at the appropriate level. We encourage any interested singer to arrange for a vocal placement, as we provide many opportunities for beginners throughout our program.
Policies
Please read through our polices for photography, registration, and more.
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MGC reserves the right to use a singer's likeness in a photograph, video or other digital media on our website, Facebook page, brochure or other publications.
MGC reserves the right to edit, alter, copy, exhibit, publish or distribute these photos for any lawful purpose.
MGC will never post the singer's name, age or city of origin without explicit written permission from a parent or guardian.
Rights to inspect or approve finished product wherein a singer's likeness appears are waived.
Rights to royalties or other compensation arising or related to the use of the singer's likeness are waived.
Parents, legal guardians and responsible adults hold MGC harmless from all claims, demands and causes of action in relation to this photo release.
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All students must register through ActivityHero through provided links. There is no refund, discount, or pro-rating for missed classes.
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Refunds for Summer Camp: Before May 15: full tuition refund, less $40 administrative fee. Between May 15 and June 7: 50% tuition refund. No refunds after June 7. Refunds for Spring 2024: Full refund minus $40 administration before classes start. 50% refund between 1/22/24 and 2/05/24. No refunds after 2/05/24.
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Attendance is critical to the success of chorus. Students are permitted to miss no more than three classes per semester without written approval from the Artistic Director. We do everything possible to schedule our performances months in advance. This is to ensure that all chorus members and families plan for and can attend all scheduled performances. Attendance at all dress rehearsals and performances is mandatory. Chorus members may be exempted from a performance or dress rehearsal for illness, significant church or school events like graduations and bat/bar mitzvahs or confirmations, and important family events. Members who wish to be excused from attending a concert or dress rehearsal are expected to inform their teacher as far in advance as possible. Examples of performances are: Holiday concert, Outreach concerts, Spring Graduation concert, etc. A student may not miss a dress rehearsal for any reason other than those stated above, or she may not be allowed to participate in the associated performance.
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Chorus retreats and tour fees are not funded by the chorus unless explicitly stated, and participating singers are charged separate fees to cover these events. Chorus families are responsible for purchasing event tickets for any concerts they wish to attend.