The Savannah Philharmonic Chorus is an auditioned chorus of volunteer singers led by Chorus Master Paul Thornock. The chorus performs with the Savannah Philharmonic presenting major choral/orchestral works as well as popular music at events like Phil the Park.
The chorus’ repertoire of major works includes Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Creation, Mozart’s Mass in C minor and Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Poulenc’s Gloria, and Verdi’s Requiem. They also perform smaller works by composers such as Copland (Old American Songs), Jessica French, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Stephanie Martin, and Sibelius.
In the 2024-25 Season the chorus will perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, several of Sibelius’ orchestrated songs including the beloved Finlandia, and a concert of spirituals and gospel music with guest conductor Jason Max Ferdinand.
Being a member of the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus reflects a sincere desire to participate in the creation of great music, and implies a commitment to to sing a full complement of concerts that is dictated by the season’s schedule. Chorus members generally have previous experience singing or playing a musical instrument and come to us from a wide variety of professions and neighborhoods of Savannah. The chorus rehearses Tuesday evenings in Midtown Savannah, August through May. If you have further questions regarding the chorus, please contact Sharon Mays, Artistic Manager.
Savannah Philharmonic Chorus Staff
Paul Thornock Chorus Master
Dr. Paul Thornock is Director of Music and Organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia, where he conducts the semi-professional Cathedral Choir, the fully professional Choral Scholars, and acts as Artistic Director for the Friends of Cathedral Music concert series.
Before coming to Savannah, Dr. Thornock was the director of music at St. Joseph Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio and St. James Cathedral in Seattle. He has also taught at the University of Puget Sound, Capital University, and Trinity Lutheran Seminary. He holds degrees from the University of Puget Sound (BM), the University of Notre Dame (MM), and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (DMA).
Cameron Fuhrman Chorus Pianist
Dr. Cameron Fuhrman is a pianist, teacher, and musical academic. Born in rural Central Oregon, she began taking piano lessons at age five and teaching them at age eleven. She has given solo, collaborative, and concerto performances across the United States and has received numerous awards for her teaching and research.
As a solo pianist, Cameron performs across the country in a variety of venues, ranging from traditional concert halls to art museums to school assemblies. She also appears regularly as a collaborative pianist, performing with singers and instrumentalists for concerts, competitions, and community outreach opportunities.
Active as a teacher, Cameron maintains a private piano studio and has served as an instructor of theory and aural skills at Eastman School of Music, Georgia Southern University, and Hillsdale College. Pedagogical interests drive much of her research; her current on-going projects range from a 25-video YouTube series on the use of theoretical analysis as an aid to performance, to an exploration of cross-cultural learning styles in the American collegiate music classroom. She is president of the Savannah Music Teachers Association.
Cameron completed a DMA in Piano Performance and Literature under the tutelage of Natalya Antonova, with a minor in Chamber Music, at the Eastman School of Music in 2020. She also holds an MA in Theory Pedagogy and an MM in Piano Performance and Literature from Eastman. She earned a BA in Music from Hillsdale College. Cameron is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda and was a P.E.O. Scholar for the 2019-2020 school year.
Sharon Mays Artistic Manager
Sharon Mays serves as the Artistic Manager for the Savannah Philharmonic. Additionally, she is a Choral Scholar at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist and a Conductor of the Schola for the Latin Mass at Sacred Heart. Prior to these roles, she taught Latin and directed the choral program at The Habersham School.
Sharon received her Bachelor of Music in Sacred Music from Samford University and her Master of Music in Choral Studies from the University of Cambridge.
SOPRANO
Lori Bailey
Kelly Bell
Bonnie Brault
Cailey D’Aguillo
Christina D’Aguillo
Rebecca Davis
Jody Krepel DeLiguori
Ellen Etheridge
Amanda Fite
Malia Hilleary
Brandy Hopkins
Angela Hopper-Lee
Katy Keyes
Samantha Liang
Meredith Liu
Kara Mobley
Avril Niemann
Laura Orsi
Terilyn Palanca
Olivia Pescatore
Sue Prior
Lauren Ricciardelli
Kat Scandura
Rebecca Sentman
Leah Stubbs
Sarah Westcott
ALTO
Nayaraq Armstrong
Flo Bryant
Diane Davis
Marion Edens
Gretchen Ernest
Susan Ganas
Karen Girardeau
Emi Higashiyama
Annette Howell
Barbara Jenks
Mimi Krupp
Jennifer Johnson
Diane McCabe
Crystal Nichols
Terri Norburg
Tara Oviedo
Juliet Pearl
Renee Portell
Geraldine Pufahl
Amanda Royek
Heather Schraeder
Dawn Stanford
TENOR
Jasper Abeid
Brian Dennison
David Edwards
Dennis Fields
Bill Gardner
Alex Hecinski
Jordan Hillis
Paulette Hosti
Tony Lembeck
David Lotz
Kathleen McGuire
Vikram Perry
James Sentman
Brian Smalls
Darren Weaver
BASS
Roberto Avila III
John Bryan
Curt Bryant
Richard Cheong
John Gass
Andrew Gibson
Bob Greenberg
Stephen Guarino
William Hagan
Kai Jorgensen
Jacob Marks
Brian O’Leary
Paul Parco
Will Peebles
Mark Robinson
Michael Saias
James Shields
Harmon Shinall
Timothy Teeter
James Vandeveer
Michael Walsh
Gary Weddel
For more information, contact our Artistic Manager Sharon Mays.