Contact:

Mark S. Railey
President and Founding Artistic Director
843.229-9281
markr@psboychoir.org 

Website current as of...

                 May, 2012

Note: We are growing! Some of our pages are under construction. Thank you for your understanding.

Map to John Calvin

Gallery:

These pictures show some of our members and some activities dating from 2008 to the present.

News:

June 2nd Registration

9:30-11:30 AM
Boys grades 2-6
(7th grades boys with unchanged voices may be registered)


John Calvin Presbyterian Church on the corner of Marsh and 3rd Loop in Florence, SC.

    RSVP for the June 2nd Registration

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Who we are...

The Palmetto State Boychoir is for boys who...
  • are Ages 7 - 13 and love to sing
  • enjoy excellence and a challenge
  • want to be a part of a team!

And is for parents who...
  • believe music education is important
  • want unique performance and travel opportunities for their son
  • value poise, etiquette and discipline
This ensemble sings J.S. Bach's With Songs of Rejoicing (arr. by Hal Hopson). Notice the diversity of the group, clarity of diction, the balance of tone... If you enrolled your son in our program, he could gain the knowledge, skill and confidence to perform in one of our choirs. 

It's time to Join...

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Hi! I'm Nathan. I joined the choir in 2008. Yes, my dad is the director. I would like to invite you to visit our choir during our rehearsal. If you like what you see, you can enroll in our music ed. program. We practice on Saturdays from 9:30 - 11:30 at John Calvin Presbyterian Church in Florence, South Carolina. Soon we will have rehearsals sites open in Aiken, Charleston, and Columbia. Until then, visit us in Florence! Email my dad at markr@psboychoir.org, if you want to visit.

 Concert Choir Schedule:

January 29th, 11:00, Sumter, SC
Saint John United Methodist Church
Sunday Service/Concert
Reception to follow in the Parish Hall

February 17th - 18th, Atlanta, GA
Peachtree United Methodist Church
Georgia Boychoir Festival

Friday, April 20th, 7:00 PM, Hartsville, SC
Saint Bartholomew Episcopal Church
103 Campus Drive, Hartsville SC 29550
Collaborative Concert with
the Hartsville Children's Chorale
Auditions and Reception to follow

Cancelled - April 27th, 7:00 PM, Charleston, SC
The Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul
126 Coming Street, Charleston, SC 29403

April 28th, 7:00 PM, Hartsville, SC
West Hartsville Baptist Church
Carl Orff's Carmina Burana
Collaborative Concert with the Hartsville Children's Chorale, Hartsville High School Chorus and the Hartsville Community Chorus
Accompanied by the Long Bay Symphony

May 13th, 3:30 PM, Florence, SC
Mary Alice Ingram Chapel of the Methodist Manor
Mother's Day Concert
Open to the Public

 August 17th, 7:00 PM, Charleston, SC
The Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul
126 Coming Street, Charleston, SC 29403
Concert open to the public
Reception to follow in the Parish Hall

Congratulations to our Pee Dee Region choristers - 2011

As of December 1st, there are 40 children (27 boys & 13 girls) enrolled in the music education program for the Pee Dee area.  With the 5 additional children in the Hartsville Children's Chorale, the total number of choristers is 45.

Florence
Apprentice Choir

Abria N.
Alexa C.
Brianna D.
Dalonda S.
Drayton H.
Elizabeth Y.
Haley T.
Heather E.
Justin C.
Kayla M.
KeAndre B.
Lakevia M.
Rashaun P.
Riley T.
Savannah E.
Tyrique A.
Warner H.
Makenna H.

Girls Chorus

Kimmy W.
Isaiah B.
Zachary J. 

Children's Chorale

Elizabeth A.
Sarah A.
Sierra M.
Rachael M.
Mary Grace P.

Boys Training Choir

Amir J.
Antonio B.
Bradley W.
Caleb Y.
"C.J." J.
Davente G.
Jacob R.
Jaques M.
Jevian C.
Jonny C.
Matt. J.

Young Men's 
Ensemble

Aaron C.
Caleb R.
Carl B.
Grayson C.
Jared M.
Joshua R.
Montrell B.
Nathan R.
Joshua M.

Why enroll in our music education program?

  • Being able to read music increases the choristers confidence
  • It increases the amount of music you can explore and enjoy
  • It increases the ability to learn and remember music
  • It increases musical literacy.
Think of it this way: Just like being able to read words helps you to get and keep jobs, to read a menu and directions so that life is easier, and not being able to read can be embarrassing... being able to read music helps to you get and enjoy your choral work, to read new music and understand the directions that make being a choir member easier, and not being able to read music can be embarrassing to a chorister. 

How do I know if I need to study music theory?

  • Can you identify intervals, spell chords and construct major and minor scales?
  • Can you identify the key by looking at the key signature?
  • Can you harmonize a melody following the principles of good voice leading?
  • Can you sing a melodic line at sight on solfège syllables?
  • Can you write a melodic line with correct pitches and rhythms after hearing the line three times?
If you answer "no" to any of these, then you are not ready to enroll in college Freshman level theory, much less test out of the first semester.  If you want to test out of the first semester of college music theory, then you need to study.  Only with diligence to their studies can a music student and their parents save money by testing out of Freshman music theory class. Choristers in our program advance to higher level choirs in part by taking a theory test. If you want to achieve the highest level choir, we invite you to enroll in our music education program!

Did you know...

  • You can enroll for the Spring 2012 season now.  Children will be selected for the concert choir when they are ready.
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Jordan Smith, a member of the American Boychoir and a student at the American Boychoir School of Princeton started as a member of the Palmetto State Boychoir in 2010.  
  • Since 2009, the Palmetto State Boychoir has performed over 80 concerts including with the American Boychoir, the Georgia Boychoir, the Hartsville Children’s Chorale, the Hartsville Civic Chorale, and the Florence Men’s Choral Society.  The Members of the Palmetto State Boychoir have performed with the Long Bay Symphony and the Florence Symphony.
  • The current members of the boychoir come from several Pee Dee area communities including Florence, Timmonsville, Effingham, Bishopville, Hartsville, Dovesville, Darlington, and Marian. We branches forming in 4 of 8 regions in the state. Within a few years, we will have branches in every major city in South Carolina.
  • The average age of boychoir members is 12.
  • The current complete concert repertoire includes Howard Blake’s Land of Counterpane, excerpts from Faure’s Requiem and from Orff's Carmina Burana, with other classical, modern, contemporary, and gospel greats.  
  • For the 2010-2011 season, the boys learned the proper diction required for singing in English, Latin, and Chinese. In 2011-2012, the children will learn music in English, Latin, and German.