Mission Statement

The mission of the Sonoma County Choral Society is to promote the performance and enjoyment of choral music in the northern San Francisco Bay Area. Based at Sonoma State University, the Society brings together students, staff, faculty, and members of the surrounding community of all ages to prepare and present outstanding performances of fine choral repertoire, as well as to plan and offer a broad array of educational activities.

The Sonoma County Choral Society focuses its efforts in four areas:

Sponsoring choirs: SCCS serves as an umbrella organization for three ongoing choirs, for an Honor Choir (in collaboration with the Santa Rosa Symphony), and for two special-project ensembles.

Presenting events: SCCS produces a concert series featuring its own choirs and outstanding guest ensembles, as well as workshops and other choral events in the community.

Promoting education: In addition to linking closely with the SSU music curriculum, SCCS sponsors its own educational offerings, helping singers to build strong voices, sensitive ears and sharp minds.

Providing resources: In partnership with SSU and other local organizations, SCCS provides its singers and the community at large with a wide range of resources, including scores, books, recordings, software and information.

Through these activities, the Sonoma County Choral Society works to build a community of musicians and music-lovers of all ages to share the experience of this magnificent music.

Bob Worth

Robert Worth is Professor of Music and Choral Director at Sonoma State University, where he has taught since 1983. At SSU, he directs two choruses: The Sonoma County Bach Choir and the SSU Chamber Singers. Bob is also the founding music director of the Sonoma County Choral Society, a university-community partnership which fosters the performance and appreciation of choral music in the northern Bay Area.

In addition to his work in the field of choral music, Worth has a specialty in Kodály musicianship training, and for ten years ran the ear training program at SSU. He is a composer and arranger of both choral music and jazz, and his vocal jazz arrangements have been performed by many groups throughout California and beyond. He has been deeply involved in the Green Music Center project since its inception, serving as consultant to the architects on such issues as acoustics, choral performance facilities and the Cassin pipe organ.

Worth received his BA in music at SSU in 1980, and earned his MA in musicology at UC Berkeley. He has received numerous community and university honors, including SSU’s Outstanding Professor Award for 1996-97 and Distinguished Alumni Award for 2007-08. After completing numerous collaborative projects with Jeffrey Kahane and the Santa Rosa Symphony, he was named to the position of choral director at the Santa Rosa Symphony in 2002.

Email Address: worth@sonoma.edu