About the Choir
Our Story
In 1991, the Lanier Singers were formed when Dr. Lee Bratton, then Director of Choral Activities at Brenau University, and Keith Jefcoat, long-time Director of the Brenau Preparatory School and current principal organist at Gainesville First United Methodist Church, created an auditioned mixed choral ensemble for the sole purpose of promoting outstanding choral singing in northeast Georgia. From the beginning, the group focused on performing a cappella literature from the Renaissance period through the Twentieth century.
Over the years, the ensemble has grown from as few as two dozen members in its early days to 38 singers in 2022. The name was changed to The Lanier Chamber Singers in the early 2000’s, and the repertoire has expanded to include major works with orchestral accompaniment. In 2023, LCS will present a world premier of a Requiem mass for chorus and orchestra by composer Michael Trotta that the organization helped commission in 2021.
The Lanier Chamber Singers has had a rich history of significant performances, including appearances at the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, the Georgia state conference of the American Choral Directors Association in 1997, 2001 and 2013, and the ACDA Southern Region conference in 2006 and 2010. LCS also performed at the Emory Community Choral Festival in 2013 and made its debut at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina in 2014.
