By Bryan Black
GSO Chorus Director
The sound of an orchestra combined with symphonic chorus is a unique artistic partnership that has delighted audiences and inspired composers across the centuries. Over the past seventy-five years, the GSO has partnered with various local school, church, and community groups to present beloved choral and orchestral masterworks. After such a collaborative performance of Brahms’ Requiem, conductor Michael Alexander approached Bryan Black with the idea of establishing the GSO’s own chorus to attract exceptional amateur singers and broaden the orchestra’s repertoire. Since its launch in 2007, the chorus has grown rapidly, evolving in both artistry and size to number over 100 voices. The chorus’s recent tour to the UK and Ireland in partnership with the Uzee Brown Society of Choraliers exemplifies this evolution, showcasing the GSO Chorus’s ability to unite diverse singers, collaborate across cultures, and create transformative musical experiences both locally and internationally.
Chorus member Bliss Peterson described the anticipation before the tour, noting a mix of excitement and trepidation—the two ensembles were limited to only a handful of combined rehearsals, and members did not know each other well. Yet at the final rehearsal before departure, she sensed “the birth of an energy that would define the entire experience.” Over delicious food at the last group potluck lunch, she reflected, “I knew we were going to have fun; I did not yet understand the transformation that was about to occur.” From the first moments abroad, the ensemble, together with supportive spouses and friends, merged musically and emotionally into a unified whole, all sharing “the singular goal of using our music to spread a message of unity, inclusion, and peace wherever we went.” By the end of the trip, many echoed Bliss’s feeling: “I’ve never been so exhausted and so happy at the same time.”
Beth Collier, another chorus member, highlighted the connection between performers and audiences. In Wales at Llandaff Cathedral, she spoke with a local couple who explained that many concert attendees came “because this is our neighborhood,” welcoming the chorus as guests. In Dublin, the Cuore Chamber Choir’s reactions during GSOC’s performance of Dr. Brown’s arrangements of African American spirituals were unforgettable: “Their eyes lit up, their bodies swayed, and some had expressions of amazement on their faces. It felt like our choruses were exchanging very special gifts that evening.” For Bliss, these moments carried deep personal meaning as a Black American. Performing Dr. Brown’s We Shall Overcome abroad, she recalled: “To see these audiences from the UK and Ireland singing along with us… sometimes with tears in their eyes, is an experience I will never forget.”
The tour was remarkable both on and off stage. Bliss noted the goodwill among nearly 100 people traveling together in two enormous buses: “It seemed unusual to have spent 10 days trying to move 100 people around the UK and for there to be truly no issues…no complaining, no cliqueyness, no drama. Just a lot of love, new friendships formed, and memories to last a lifetime.” Beth reflected on the professional inspiration the tour provided: “In our combined rehearsals, we explored new strategies for sound production and diction under the direction of Dr. Brown and Dr. Black…performing in historic spaces with acoustics that revealed many more layers of the performance.” Bliss added that the bonds formed allowed the ensemble to delight not only in performing together but also in cheering each other on as separate ensembles presented their pieces in concert.
Although the tour’s ending was bittersweet, the deep connections have endured and set the stage for a landmark occasion next year: the GSO Chorus and Uzee Brown Society of Choraliers will reunite at the Woodruff Arts Center for Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony under Maestro Timothy Verville.
The combined 2025 Tour celebrated the joy of singing together, the bonds forged through shared purpose, and the profound impact of music beyond the stage. As the GSO celebrates 75 years—and nearly two decades of the GSO Chorus—the tour embodied the shared legacy of excellence, inclusivity, and community. Together, the orchestra and chorus demonstrate that music, in the hands of dedicated singers and visionary leadership, is both a gift to audiences and a powerful bridge across cultures, generations, and communities.
Come hear the chorus in concert this weekend, March 22 at 3:00 PM—visit georgiasymphony.org for details.
