2007 WOMEN's CHORUS

About LHS Choirs

NOTE: Photos shown on this page were taken prior to a performance. This is partial representation of each choir, since several people had not yet arrived for photo ops.  Group photos (2007-08) will be uploaded following the October concert, so everyone will want to be prompt to pre-concert warm-ups!

WOMEN'S CHORUS

This is an auditioned chorus varying from 30 to 60 freshmen and entry-level sophomore through senior women. Registration for this class requires the Director's signature, so incoming students will want to see Mrs. Nevins for proper placement and proper voicing. This entry-level choir classroom gives the novice singer a safe place to sing and grow at her own pace. Some choose never to seek promotion to select choirs and enjoy this more low-key singing environment. The Women's Chorus classroom focuses on improvement of rehearsal discipline, basic musicianship, improved vocal technique, and a foundation for developing better music reading skills and the team effort.

Women's Chorus begins each year, performing appropriate literature in Unison and SA voicing with expansion to SSA voicing as soon as possible. The Director's goal is for these singers to explore different genres and to consistently expand the vocal ability of the choir.

In 2001-2002, we had an exceptional group of serious singers! This group was truly eager to pursue the challenges of choral festival! They set a new LHS Choral Historial Marker by attaining a First Division rating at District Choral Festival and went to the State event to receive a highly respectable Second Division rating. Congratulations Women's Chorus 2002!! The 2006-07 Women's Chorus choir also worked hard to achieve a First Division rating at District Choral Festival!

In 2000-2001, this diverse group focused less on choral festival pressures, and developed confidence by focusing energies on solo song preparation, and a better understanding of phrasing and on musical interpretation of the text. Solo preparation also assisted each singer with her audition for Concert Choir. In this class, the Director took the opportunity to evaluate the following elements in evaluating singers for potential promotion to a select choir:

• reponsive to instruction with a willingness to adapt to change
• positive interraction with the director and peers
• healthy individual approach to the "team effort"
• tenacity toward personal growth
• eagerness to improve vocal technique and sight reading skills
• positive attitude toward improving musicianship
• demonstration of good organizational skills
• responsibility toward academics
• dependable representative of the school and the choir through maturity and self-discipline
• maturity in handling challenges of more difficult literature
• commitment to the successful performance
  
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2008 MEN OF LINCOLN

MEN OF LINCOLN

This classroom combines both entry-level and select male singers and will be a smaller class this year due to the promotion of six to seven singers who were promoted to Split Dimensions for the 2008-09 season. All singers require an audition and the director's permission to register. In 1995-96 LHS had only five men in Concert Choir. With only six hours in Lincoln school day, formation of this group was essential in expanding male numbers and in providing a safe and encouraging singing environment for the young male. Young male voices are often still in the midst of change in the early high school levels. For the youngest singers, the changing voice requires it's own space where self-esteem can be preserved. The male classroom environment provides better security when this unpredictable phenomenon occurs. By asking all male singers to work together, the younger singers can gain vocal support from our more experienced singers. At Lincoln, the men's choiri has been highly successful and productive, no longer questioned by the students who reap the benefits of their own gendre rehearsal space.

Pedagogically, the male instrument is approached differently than the female instrument. The technical approach is differs because the voice ranges are different and because the male singer produces a wider range in his chest voice. To assure a healthy vocal technique and boost self-confidence in the choral setting, men get the advantage of exploring their own literature with male appropriate texts. Thank the Lincoln Board of Education for supporting Proposal 9 and for supporting the Men of Lincoln!

In this classroom of between 20 and 25 men, the Director teaches both (T)TBB literature and SATB literature to all Men of Lincoln singers. Bear in mind that, while the men are not registered for a mixed choir class, no one is deprived of singing with Concert Choir Women to form the SATB Concert Choir as long as he works hard, learns his music well, and sings in tune. Singers have the opportunity to be screened before every concert for a potential seat in the mixed choir throughout the school year as long as classroom behavior and self-discipline is dependable. The director makes the final decision regarding these concert promotions.

This approach not only steps up the rehearsal pace, it provides the opportunity for any male singer to improve and grow within a semester. This promotional structure has resulted in better vocal growth, improved music reading skills and better dedication to excellence. Men of Lincoln and Mixed Concert Choirs have both achieved the competitive edge at District and State Choral Festivals and this structure encourages an increase in male numbers.
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CONCERT CHOIR WOMEN

CONCERT CHOIR WOMEN

This level-two select choir is made up of 30 to 40 sophomores through seniors. Voices are selected by audition from the Women's Chorus. These ladies are at an advantage for improving musicianship and sight reading skills, in that they learn two sets of repertoire for each concert - SSA and the SA lines of their SATB Mixed Concert Choir literature. They tackle some challenging SSA music and have represented their school choral program very proudly at District and State Choral festivals as a select women's choir. After taking the Men to District Choral Festival in 1997, the Director decided to individually showcase this group as well. They were first taken to District Choral Festival as a select SSA choir in 1998. Adjudication feedback was very positive and they have been showcased for their mature tone and beautiful phrases ever since.

Like the Men, Concert Choir Women learn both sets of literature. Exposure to that much literature inevitably reveals in singers, the ability to perform confidently with beautiful expression. It is from this group that singers are promoted to Split Dimensions. For this promotion, the Director seeks all-around academic, vocal, and musical excellence. Especially important for this promotion, is a positive interaction with peers and the director, along with a deep-seated commitment to the team effort and a commitment to performance in the community and on the stage.
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MIXED CONCERT CHOIR