Rachael Hirneisen of Grovetown among students in the Georgia Southern Chorale and Southern Gentlemen who took home top honors in Budapest

2016 Jul 26

The Georgia Southern Chorale and the Southern Gentlemen won in competition at the "Laurea Mundi Budapest" Festival of Choral Music, held in Budapest, Hungary, July 9-13.

The Georgia Southern Chorale, directed by Shannon Jeffreys, D.M.A., won the Grand Prix in the mixed choir category and the spirituals category. David Langley, Ph.D., served as the assistant director.

The Southern Gentlemen, directed by student Colin Harrison, won the open category in pop music and was invited to sing against the Georgia Southern Chorale in the Grand Prix.

The Chorale also participated in a number of workshops and masterclasses at the festival.

The trip to Budapest would not have been possible without the support of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS), CLASS Dean Curtis Ricker, Ph.D., and all of their supporters.

The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is the largest of the eight colleges that make up Georgia Southern University, and it plays a central role in every student's core of knowledge. CLASS, also described as the University's College of the Creative Mind, prepares students to achieve academic excellence, develop their analytical skills, enhance their creativity and embrace their responsibilities as citizens of their communities, their nations and the world. CLASS offers more than 20 undergraduate degrees and several interdisciplinary minors from its 11 departments and five academic centers. CLASS offers eight master's degrees, two graduate certificates and one doctoral degree. For more information, visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu/CLASS.

Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers 125 degree programs serving nearly 20,500 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered and hands-on approach to education. GeorgiaSouthern.edu.