In an ideal high school choir program, I would be one of two teachers. There would be five choirs offered; an un-auditioned concert choir, a women’s choir, an auditioned concert choir, an auditioned chamber choir, and a jazz/show choir. I would teach the women’s choir, the chamber choir, and the auditioned concert choir, while the other teacher would do the jazz choir and the un-auditioned choir. The other teacher would also lead musicals. In this way, each student has an opportunity to participate in a choir that fits their tastes and have a teacher fit for that music.
For the chamber choir, I would stick to choral music of all varieties. I would do similar pieces with the concert choir, though perhaps more complex works. The women’s choir would be a similar variety. Choral music includes the classics, cultural music, and new choral works.
The music would work for any school, but this program would only work for a larger school. In any setting, I would strive to include every student that wants to participate. Regardless of if I was the only teacher, every choir is important, not just the “good” ones. Each student deserves to have fun.
