Choir

LHS Curricular Choral Ensembles

**Each curricular ensemble meets 5 times a week during the school day. Each choir is taken for a grade that counts toward the students overall GPA.

Beginning Choirs

 – D128 Standards & Targets for Choir

Chorale (freshmen boys and girls – no audition required)

Prerequisite:  None
Chorale is designed as a mixed choir (girls and boys) for freshmen choral students.  This course focuses on music fundamentals, proper vocal techniques, sight singing, music terminology, and notation.  Music of various styles and histroical periods is rehearsed and performed.  Students are required to attend concerts in the evening.  All students are eligible to audition for extracurricular vocal groups.

Concert Chorale (sophomore, junior, & senior boys and girls – no audition required)

Prerequisite: Previous choral experience and placement
Concert Chorale is designed as a mixed choir for students with previous choral experience.  This course focuses on music fundamentals, proper vocal techniques, sight singing, music terminology, and notation.  Music of various styles and historical periods is rehearsed and performed.  Students are required to attend concerts in the evening.  All studetns are eligible to audition for extracurricular vocal groups.

Advanced Choirs

 – D128 Standards & Targets for Choir

Bel Canto (junior and senior girls – audition required)

Prerequisite: Previous choral experience and audition required.
Bel Canto is designed for advanced choral students whose voice quality, range, and timbre falls within the treble clef.  In this course, students work on proper vocal production, breath control, and sight singing.  Students rehearse and perform choral music of various styles and historical periods in concerts throughout the year.  Advanced music terminology and singing techniques are emphasized.  Students are required to attend concerts in the evening and must attend a weekly 25-minute sectional during a lunch study hall, if their schedule permits.  All students are eligible to audition for extracurricular vocal groups.

Concert Choir (junior and senior boys and girls – audition required)

Prerequisite: Previous choral experience and audition required.
Concert Choir is designed for advanced choral students and continues to work on proper vocal production, breath control, and sight singing.  Students rehearse and perform choral music of various styles and historical periods in concerts throughout the year.  Advanced music terminology and singing techniques are emphasized.  Students are required to attend concerts in the evening and must attend a weekly 25-minute sectional during a lunch study hall, if their schedule permits.  All students are eligible to audition for extracurricular vocal groups.  Optional Honors Credit is available in this class through application with, and approval of the instructor.

Fall Choir Concert

Late September/Early October
This is our first concert of the school year and showcases our 4 curricular choirs: Chorale, Concert Chorale, Bel Canto, & Concert Choir.

Fall Jr. High Choir Festival

Late October
Concert will be held in the LHS Gymnasium
This concert showcases our middle school singers from Oak Grove School, Rondout School, and Highland Middle School.

Holiday Music Festival

Early-December
This is our gift back to the Libertyville community.  All 8 LHS choral ensembles perform holiday favorites to get everyone into the spirit of the season.

Cabaret

Mid to Late February
This is our annual Pops concert.  All 8 LHS choral groups perform as well as selected singers from the choral department.

Spring Choir Concert

Mid May
This is our final choral extravaganza of the year.  Standards of the choral repertoire are performed and awards are presented to seniors and outstanding students in each choir.

We have two professional voice teachers who give private lessons at Libertyville High School.  Preference is given to students enrolled in a choir class and then other students at LHS interested in lessons are considered.    If you have questions or are interested in taking voice lessons, please email Dr. Brown at jeff.brown@d128.org

Information on lesson rates and voice teacher bios 

Robert McNeill, baritone

Amy Yassinger, Mezzo-Soprano

Choir Information for 8th Graders

 If you currently in 8th grade and considering being in choir when you come to LHS, here is some information to consider.

• Choir in high school is a class which meets 5 days a week during the school day.
• You can take choir for a grade, similarly to orchestra and band.
• There are no conflicts between choir and sports.  If you are an athlete, all athletics are extra-curricular activities.  This means that if you play football, soccer, or volleyball, those activities would happen after the regular school day.  The only conflict that might occur is between a concert and a potential meet or practice and those conflicts are always worked out in the student's best interest between LHS faculty.
• There is no audition to sign up for choir as an incoming freshmen.  All you have to do is tell your counselor that you want to be in choir and they will sign you up.  Choir counts as your elective in your schedule.

If you have other questions about choir at Libertyville High School, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,
Jeff Brown, LHS Choir Director

Email  Phone:  847-327-7085