About | Northern California

Our Mission

The mission of Northern California Children’s Chorus is to nurture the human spirit of all children through a choral music program that provides excellent training in vocal technique and musicianship skills, teaches repertoire from diverse cultural and historical periods, and provides a variety of performance opportunities in local, national and international venues.

Meet our Directors

Founder and Artistic Director

Judy Britts

Judy Britts is a music teacher, vocal coach, educator, encourager, conductor, and performance trainer simply translated to, “I teach children to sing”. As founder of the Northern California Children’s Chorus, her goal in creating the chorus was to give children and youth an excellent choral experience from the surrounding area of Sacramento.

As a music performance major at San Jose State University, she studied conducting with Dr. Charlene Archibeque and presented her senior recital in choral conducting with a choir of 60 girls she had worked with the previous summer. Mrs. Britts received her master’s degree in education from CSU, Sacramento. During her career, Mrs. Britts has worked in churches conducting children, youth, and adults, and she taught at private schools in Santa Rosa and Sacramento.

A nationally sought after festival director and music workshop clinician, Ms. Britts has provided workshops for organizations including; American Choral Directors Association, American Guild of Organists, Choral Conductors Guild and Choristers Guild. She has served on the Board of Directors for Choristers Guild as President and taught for several years in the music department at California State University, Sacramento. Most recently she has been appointed as Director of Chanteuse, a semi-professional women’s chamber choir in the Sacramento area.

Primo Voce Director

Sarah Conrad Van Hoy

Ms. Van Hoy joins the Northern California Children’s Chorus teaching staff with 11 years of experience teaching elementary general music and choir in the Western Placer Unified School District. She is passionate about teaching children and participates in regular professional development through Education through Music and the American River Orff Schulwerk Association.

Ms. Van Hoy earned her BA in Music with emphasis in Music Education and Vocal Performance from California State University, Chico. She studied under nationally recognized choral director Dr. Jeffrey Gemmell and participated in national tours with the A Cappella and Chamber Choirs. She has extensive experience as a participant, assistant, and board member with children’s choirs including the Marin Girls’ Chorus, the Children’s Choir of Chico, and the Northern California Children’s Chorus. Most recently she has served as the NCCC board secretary since 2012. She also served as secretary of the American River Orff Schulwerk Association from 2012-2016.

Board of Directors

Past President

Laurie Staunton

Secretary

Katie Goodman

Treasurer

Emily Drennan

Member

John Joyner

Member

Angela Joyner

Member

Luciano Oviedo