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 2001, and the repertoire has expanded to include Broadway show tunes and popular songs, 20th century and modern choral masterworks, and major classical literature with orchestral accompaniment. In 2023, LCS presented a world premiere of a requiem mass for chorus and orchestra by American composer Michael John Trotta that the organization helped commission.
The Lanier Chamber Singers has enjoyed a rich history of significant performances, including appearances at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, 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 the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina in 2014.
