Welcome to the Skaneateles High School Concert Choir Web Page.  Please feel free to browse and take note of the many activities we have scheduled for the year on our performance calendar.

    The Skaneateles High School Concert Choir is made up of 90 students in grades 9 through 12.
The concert choir performs 3 concerts each year. The concerts include A  Winter-Holiday
Concert, a combined District  Choral Night and An Evening of Choral Music  as our final concert in June.

Students may participate in several select groups which include:  The SCS Madrigal Choir, The SCS Women's Chamber Choir, The Men of the Lake, The Women of the Lake, and several male & female barbershop quartets.


      Special activities include:

            November Musical "Seussical"

            Theatre Trips to New York & Toronto

            All-County Chorus

            Skaneateles Dickens Christmas

            Syracuse Symphony Holiday Pops Concert

            NYSSMA Solo Festival

           

Related Links:

     Onondaga County Music Educators Association

     Music Educators National Conference

     NYSSMA
     (New York State School Music Association)

     Syracuse Symphony Orchestra

COURSE INFORMATION:

    Mixed Chorus / Woman's Chorus Meets for one period every other day.
    A weekly voice lesson is a required part of the course.

Voice Lessons: 

Students are placed on a rotating voice lesson schedule that draws them from different classes throughout each marking period. The lessons move through 5 different periods so that students should only miss any given class once each marking period.

Grading Policy:
Chorus is a performance-oriented course.  Therefore, participation is major part of the grading procedure. 
1.   Attendance and Full Participation during chorus rehearsals is required.
2. Attendance and full participation in Voice Lessons is Required.
  Each Lesson counts as 5 points for each marking period. (25 points total)
3. There are 4 required concerts throughout the year.  Attendance is mandatory for 
  each concert. 

Honors Chorus:

Honors chorus is available for all students.  Please contact Mr. Kringer if you have any questions.
(Honors Chorus raises the value of the chorus grade in the weighting system used by the district for ranking.)
Requirements:
Participation in a select ensemble for the entire year.
Participation in All-County Auditions and in the NYSSMA solo festival.

The SCS Madrigal Choir              The Women's Chamber Choir            The Fall Musical (Seussical)
All-County Chorus                        All-County Jazz Festival                     NYSSMA Solo Festival
Women's Choir                              Men's Choir                                       Quartets/Trios
Theatre Night Out                         Annual Theatre Trip                            Performance Trip ('06, '08)

Grading Policy
1. Participation and Attendance in Chorus rehearsals as well as lessons and concerts. (70%)
2. Knowledge (Basic Theory, Solfeggio, sight-reading skills, Anatomy, etc.) (20%)
3. Ability  (10%)

Lesson Policy:
1. Everyone is required to take one lesson each week as required part of the curriculum.
2. If you miss a lesson for any reason, it must be made up by the end of the marking period. 
3. Lessons count towards 25% 0f the participation and attendance grade.

Classroom Procedure:
1. Chorus rehearsals begin on time.  Please be on the risers when the bell rings
2. Please do not talk during chorus rehearsals.
3. Be respectful to everyone at all times while in the chorus room. (or anywhere else)

Expectations:
Sing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
1) Sing accurately, with good breath control, posture, enunciation, energy, and vocal placement, alone and in small and large ensembles.
2) Sing a variety of choral literature with expression and technical accuracy, at a difficulty level of 4 on a scale of 1-6, including songs from memory.
3) Sing music representing diverse genres and cultures, with appropriate expression.
4)  Sing music written in 4 or more parts, with and without accompaniment.
5)  Demonstrate well-developed ensemble skills.

Read and notate music.
1) Demonstrate ability to read vocal score of up to four staves by describing how the elements of music are used.
2)  Read at sight simple melodies in treble and bass clefs at a difficulty level of 2 or 3 on a scale of 1-6.
3)  Identify and define standard notation symbols for pitch, rhythm, dynamics, tempo, articulation, and expression.

Develop individual competency in an ensemble setting.
Develop vocal techniques:  pitch matching, interval study, scales, diction, enunciation, and breath control
Perform in scheduled concerts, festivals, and other musical events.
Explore a variety of repertoire including examples from each music period:  Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary.
Understand relationship between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
Compare how characteristics of various arts are used in similar and distinctive ways in world cultures.
Describe distinctive characteristics of a wide repertoire of music genres and styles from a variety of cultures.

ASSESSMENTS

• All-County, All-State, Solo Festival, Select Choir opportunities
  
• Concert performance      (Attendance is mandatory at all required concerts)
  
• Mastery of assigned literature    (Memorization of Notes and Text)
  
• Participation      (Full Participation at all Times)
  
• Progress report      (During lessons)
  
• Rehearsal discipline     (Outside work progress)
  
• Self-evaluation      (Goals, Achievements)
  
• Teacher evaluation of overall performance   (Based on all of the above)
  
• Vocal Proficiency