Mission : 

The mission of the Albany Chorale is to establish, conduct and maintain a choral music society to entertain and to educate the public. Its further mission is to offer new or less familiar works, as well as old favorites, and to make this music available and affordable to all members of the community.

History :

Organized choral music in Albany, Georgia began in 1929 with the Albany Choral Club. The first concert was a joint venture between the club in Albany and members of the Music Department at Andrew College in Cuthbert. Nearly 2000 music lovers heard the first concert of the Albany Choral Club. The club hoped to organize other clubs in surrounding towns with the idea of joining forces for a spring festival. The clubs would work on the same program and would set aside several days each spring for a festival to be held in Albany.

The Depression brought an end to the Festival, and there was a long silence for choral music in Albany. In 1946 a Men's Chorus was organized, and in 1952 a Women's Chorus was organized. The two groups joined in 1961 to form the first Albany Community Chorus.

Shortly after the opening of the Albany Junior College (now Darton College) in 1966, an invitation was issued to all area church choirs to come together for a presentation of Handel's "Messiah" to be performed in December, 1966. Chorus members asked Larry Dorminey (AJC Faculty) to be their director. The chorus has remained in continuous existence since then. In its early years, the chorus was a group of singers from the community directed by volunteers, singing music familiar to its audience. In 1991, the chorus voted to change its name to the Albany Chorale, and with that name change came a more mature outlook on the cultural needs of the community.

Since 1991 the Chorale has established a uniform performance attire, hired a permanent artistic director, gained non-profit status, and appointed a community-based advisory council.

In 1994, the Chorale made a singing tour of Eastern Europe. Back home, in Southwest Georgia, the Chorale has sung in Baconton, Cuthbert, Colquitt, Dawson, Donalsonville, Leesburg, and Parrott as well as many venues in Albany.