Upper School Choral Music

Wolverine Chorus is a nonauditioned choir for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voices. The course is designed to teach and facilitate the application of fundamental musical concepts. These include aural skills, vocal technique, musicianship, critical listening, group dynamics, and how to rehearse and perform a diverse choral repertoire ranging from Western European choral standards to contemporary songs and folk music from various world cultures. Sight-singing ability, while helpful, is not required. The chorus performs in three major concerts per year and participates in festivals, special events, and trips. Extra rehearsals and some work outside of class, while minimal, are required.

Chamber Singers is a highly selective soprano/alto/tenor/bass ensemble drawn from yearly auditions. Its membership of sixteen to twenty students is based upon vocal talent and sight-reading and musicianship skills. Because of its quick pace, sophisticated rehearsal requirements, and additional performing opportunities, Chamber Singers demands a significantly larger amount of outside work than the other choral classes. The advanced repertoire is taken from the full spectrum of choral art. A particular emphasis is placed upon unique twentieth- and twenty-first-century music, as well as medium-sized works by great classical composers. The ensemble participates in community events, three major concerts, and many festivals during the school year. Chamber Singers may tour during spring break. Extra rehearsals are required.

The eight to twelve skilled members selected to enroll in this course are auditioned out of Chamber Singers. Sight singing, vocal versatility, and musical memorization skills are mandatory. Vocal stylization, harmonic balance, scat-singing technique, and vibrato usage are addressed. The HW Jazz Singers repertoire is based primarily upon standard jazz canon, although “pop” and contemporary a cappella styles are also performed. The ensemble participates in community events, three major concerts, one spring festival, and any planned Chamber Singers spring break tour. Extra rehearsals are required.

This course is for an ensemble of treble voices from the tenth through twelfth grades. The class introduces choral techniques such as blend, diction, intonation, voicing, and vowel production. Advanced choral skills, such as multipart singing, stylistic tonal modification, and vibrato, also are addressed. It covers a variety of musical styles from the Renaissance to the twenty-first century, as well as some arrangements of popular a cappella and Broadway music. Sight-singing ability is not required but recommended. Bel Canto performs in three major concerts and select festivals throughout the school year. Extra rehearsals and work outside the classroom are required.