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The Greater Richmond Children’s Choir


The Greater Richmond Children’s Choir is dedicated to bringing together boys and girls from diverse backgrounds to experience the joy of singing and to gain a life-long love for good music through age-appropriate vocal training.
The GRCC strives to nurture the unique gift each child brings, to encourage all to reach for excellence, and ultimately, to create responsible and compassionate citizens of the world.

Formed in September 1997 as an outreach of Virginia Commonwealth University, the Greater Richmond Children’s Choir became its own independent non-profit corporation in 2006. Now in its eleventh season, GRCC includes more than 100 choristers, age 8-18 in five ensembles and rehearses weekly at Grace & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. GRCC currently awards need-based scholarships to almost 25 % of its members and actively recruits children of all economic backgrounds with the goal of increasing the scholarship membership to 50 %.

The Pro Arte Choir of the GRCC was recognized as one of the best choirs in the nation at the 2005 National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Los Angeles, and again at the 2006 ACDA Southern Division Convention. In September 2005, GRCC was the “French Children’s Choir” in ABC’s pilot episode of Commander in Chief starring Geena Davis. In 2002, the Pro Arte Choir won the top prize in the thirteenth annual Concorso Internazionale di Canto Corale when they traveled to Verona, Italy, and Ms.
Erb received the award for Best Conductor. Critically acclaimed GRCC performances with the Richmond Symphony include the Britten War Requiem, Bach St. Matthew Passion, Mendelssohn Elijah and The Lord of the Rings. GRCC has performed at the National Cathedral and Carnegie Hall and has sung with Mannheim Steamroller and the country-rock group Alabama. Last season GRCC performed at the opening ceremonies of both the American Civil War Center and the China-America Festival of Film and Culture. This coming season includes the premiere of a new work by composer Doug Richards, to be performed with the RSO. Also this season, GRCC welcomes two new staff members, Diana Greer and Laura Candler-White, two of the Richmond music community's most active and highly regarded teacher/performers. GRCC's Pro Arte Choir recently recorded a Christmas compact disc to be ready for sale in the fall of 2007. And a tour of China is planned for two of the GRCC choirs in the summer of 2008.

The Artistic Director of GRCC is Hope Armstrong Erb, a frequent performer and dedicated teacher in the Richmond area for thirty years. Her choirs consistently have won awards, festival invitations, and critical acclaim regionally, nationally, and abroad. Ms. Erb also makes appearances as a choral clinician and adjudicator. She has served on the faculties of the University of Richmond, and VCU, and has taught in public and private schools, including the all scholarship St. Andrew’s School in Oregon Hill. A pianist with an active performance schedule, Ms. Erb and former RSO violinist Yoko Kato were recently invited to record works by Mozart, De Falla, and Brahms in honor of area music patrons Edmund and Mary Anne Rennolds. Sales of this recording, which was funded by the Rennolds family, benefit the GRCC.

The Greater Richmond Children's Choir may be reached at 804-201-1894 or grcchoir@gmail.com. The GRCC website is grcchoir.org.