The Ramsay choirs have sung their way into the hearts and memories of concert goers everywhere under notable past directors such as Gregory Durr White, Elizabeth Selman and James Pruitt. The choirs perform a vast array of music that includes the compositions of classical masters, Negro spirituals, contemporary jazz and gospels. Traditional performances of the Ramsay choirs include a Christmas concert, African American History month performances, and the end of the year gospel concert. These performances bring many music lovers to our performances annually. The Ramsay High School Concert Choir, under the direction of Myrna Ria Ross, continues a tradition of choral excellence in performance. The choir has the distinct pleasure of being the only Birmingham City high school to receive consecutive “Superior” ratings at the annual All-City Choral Music Performance and Sight-Singing Evaluations. The Ramsay High School Concert Choir received the “Distinguished Musicianship Award” in recognition of receiving All Superior Ratings during the 2013 Alabama Vocal Association State Choral Performance Assessment at the University of Alabama. They have also received ratings of “Superior” at the Gulf-Coast Choral Festival. Through the years, many Ramsay choir members have been selected to participate in the Alabama All-State Choir. Ramsay choir members have participated in the University of Alabama Honor Choir, the UAB Honor Choir, and The University of Montevallo Honor Choir Festival. The choir has performed at Samford University, Miles College and at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where they were the invited guest of world renown composer, Roland Carter. The choir has received many resolutions from the Birmingham Board of Education for meritorious service. Ramsay choir has performed in many area local churches some of which include Trinity Baptist, Sixteenth Street Baptist, The Cathedral of St. Paul, Southside Presbyterian, St. Luke Baptist, Briarwood Presbyterian, First Baptist Fairfield, Westminster Presbyterian, Rising Star Baptist, Southside Baptist, St. Mary’s Episcopal, Sixth Avenue Baptist, The Guiding Light Church, Lily Grove Baptist, St. James Baptist, More Than Conquerors Faith Church, McElwain Baptist, Soul’s Harbor Deliverance Center, First Baptist Church of East Lake, Woodlawn Methodist, St. Marks C.M.E., New Rising Star Baptist, and Faith Chapel Christian Center. Civic performances and performance venues include The Botanical Gardens, The Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, The Birmingham Art Museum, The Club, MBUSA (Mercedes Benz), The Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Vulcan and The Summit Club, to name a few. Ramsay Choir recently had the honor of performing in New York City with cast members of the Broadway musical, “Hairspray”. This tour CONTINUED on to Washington D. and Hampton, Virginia before returning to Birmingham. During the 2013 school year, the choir was afforded the opportunity to perform for a global audience and received rave reviews from as far away as Brazil! We look forward to more exciting vocal opportunities in the years to come.
