It all started over coffee at church 17 years ago. Cuffy Sullivan, the mother of three young daughters, and Roger Moss, an accomplished local singer, lamented the fact that Savannah didn't have an organized choral program for children. They got to work.

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Since then, the Savannah Children's Choir, now Coastal Youth Choirs, has developed a reputation for excellence in the city, county, and beyond. In addition to tours in the US, the Premier Choir has performed in England, Ireland, and France and has also appeared on television in South Korea. The singers have experienced artist residencies with world renowned singers and clinicians.

 

After seventeen years, the mission remains the same – to unite, mentor, and transform the children and youth of greater Savannah and the Low Country into responsible, creative, and confident leaders through excellence in choral performance and music education.
 

Coastal Youth Choirs/Savannah Children’s Choir, Inc. is one of the few organizations in greater Savannah and the Low Country where kids from different schools, different faiths, and different backgrounds can get to know one another and work together. The choirs have attracted youth singers from Liberty, Bryan, Effingham, and Chatham Counties in Georgia and Beaufort, Hampton, and Jasper Counties in South Carolina. Thus, the reason for the name change and branding.
 

Every Monday after school, children ranging in age from 5-18 gather to rehearse, read music, work on their vocal intonation, and develop important life skills. In addition to two weekend retreats each semester, the singers ramp up their rehearsal schedule for special concerts and performances, devoting countless hours to the pursuit of perfection. Singers rehearse in historic downtown Savannah at First Baptist Church Savannah. We are adding Bluffton, South Carolina to the list of rehearsals in September 2023.
 

"It takes quite a commitment," says co-founder, Roger Moss. "They learn the benefit of hard work. I continue to expect great things from these children and youth in greater Savannah and the Low Country.  I couldn't be prouder and more humbled at the same time. We want to expand children's knowledge of American music, from Gullah to Appalachia to jazz, focusing on all of these forms that are distinctly American. It's not just about learning the music. It's about knowing where the music comes from," he said.
 

Moss believes that singing serves as an important way to communicate, to connect with others and to express emotion.  "We were born singing," he said. "Children love to sing and hum and make up songs. This is one thing that's innate and universal in all children."
 

Under the direction of Executive and Artistic Director, Gif Lockley continues to rebuild the program after a turbulent couple of years. In addition to adding rehearsals in Bluffton, the choir will expand the Coastal Youth Choirs Choral Foundations Program.  With a generous grant from the Cultural Arts Commission of the City of Savannah, Gulfstream, and the Plant Riverside Entertainment District we are working each week with Savannah Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) general music teachers and choral educators to build the programs in their schools. 

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The Savannah Children’s Choir, Inc. (DBA) Coastal Youth Choirs is a nonprofit, community supported, choral organization whose mission is to unite, mentor, and transform the children and youth of greater Savannah and the Low Country into responsible, creative, and confident leaders through excellence in choral performance and music education.