Ranging in experience from dedicated amateur musicians to veteran professionals, MOS is composed of a chorus of over 130 auditioned voices and Kaleidoscope, a chamber ensemble of 40 voices. Based in Roswell since 1992, MOS provides the north metropolitan Atlanta community with choral presentations of artistic excellence and programmatic variety. Engaging, educating, and enriching north-Atlanta singers and audiences with compelling choral experiences that are innovative, multicultural, and multigenerational are hallmarks of the MOS philosophy. One of the most unique aspects of MOS is its commitment to innovative programming that extends beyond classical masterworks and sacred and secular choral music to genres such as folk music, musical theater, jazz standards, opera, rock ‘n’ roll, and hip hop. MOS programs have featured nationally known soloists and guest artists, as well as collaborations with other local arts organizations.
Now in its 37th season, The Michael O’Neal Singers has established a reputation for choral excellence that extends throughout the United States and abroad, as subscription series performances, concert tours, and a growing discography have received acclaim from audience members and music critics alike. The full chorus has produced 22 recordings and has performed in some of the most notable venues in the world, receiving high accolades for artistic merit and crowd-pleasing programming. These venues include Carnegie Hall in New York; the historic St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland; St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey in London; as well as the Parisian landmarks of Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur. International concert tours have included performances in Austria, France, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. In addition, performances by The Michael O’Neal Singers are frequently played on Atlanta’s classical music radio station WABE-90.1 FM and Georgia Public Radio.
Outreach programs are an integral component of the MOS organization. Believing that music is essential to the human spirit, MOS strives to provide choral music experiences beyond the concert hall. Examples of several recent projects include MOS Remembers, which involved compiling and distributing free CDs of well-known and favorite songs performed during MOS live concerts to anyone unable to attend concerts in person, free live-streamed MOS concerts, and the distribution of DVDs of selected MOS concerts to senior living facilities in the greater Atlanta community.
The Michael O’Neal Summer Singers program was established in 2005. Up to 175 non-auditioned singers register for the summer program each season, two-thirds of whom, on average, are non-regular MOS members. This program consists of seven rehearsals throughout the summer months, culminating in a late-July performance. In 2023 MOS established the Choral Scholars Program which provides free participation to the Summer Singers Program to talented high school choral students upon recommendation by their choral directors.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, MOS was a leader in the development and implementation of online choral experiences that included participants from 28 states and eleven countries. MOS ONLINE continues to engage choral singers virtually via YouTube video warmups, vocal technique exercises, rehearsals, performances, and Zoom social interaction.
