VOCAL MUSIC

This information is intended to give prospective students and their parents an overview of the vocal music, musical theatre and music theory offerings at Hanover Park High School. Please direct additional questions or concerns to Mrs. Helen Britez at (973)887-0300.

CONCERT CHOIR: (5 credits) Open to all students in grades 9-12; no audition or experience needed. This five (5)-credit course is the foundation of choral music at HP. The Concert Choir, traditionally made up of 90-120 members, performs three concerts per year. Fundamental singing and music-reading skills are learned and used daily as we learn a variety of choral literature ranging from Renaissance to Classical, Jazz to Pop. We sing in 4-8 voice parts (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass). Leadership opportunities exist (Officers and Section Leaders). Through participation in this group, our singers are eligible (and many have been accepted) to audition for county, region, state and All Eastern honor choirs. This course fulfills an Arts (performance-based) elective for graduation requirements.

FUNDAMENTALS OF MUSIC (Music Theory): (5 credits) Open to all students in grades 10-12, this full-year course is equivalent to a first-semester collegiate-level music theory course. We begin with the most basic music reading skills and proceed through keys, scales, part-writing, harmonic analysis and ear-training. This is not a performance-based class, and fulfills the Computer Literacy course requirement for graduation. No music experience is necessary.

ADVANCED MUSICIANSHIP: (5 credits) Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Music. This course is a continuation of the previous course, further exploring composition, ear-training and other desirable musical skills.

APPLIED MUSIC: Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation and Scheduling. For serious musicians who have a specific need or an interest in pursuing vocal or instrumental study on a more individual basis. Generally reserved for Seniors preparing for college music auditions.

Chamber Singers: This is HP's traveling choir. Open to all students in grades 9-12, BY AUDITION ONLY. Auditions are held in June for the following year. Audition materials are available from Mrs. Britez in May. This collegiate-level choir has been recognized as one of the top high school choirs in our area, with Gold and Superior ratings at local and regional festivals. Rehearsals are Monday evenings from 7-9:15pm, with sectional rehearsals scheduled as well. The group spends most of the year performing as an a cappella (unaccompanied) mixed choir, presenting challenging choral literature ranging from Renaissance to Contemporary. From March to May, they also serve as a Jazz/Swing Choir, and have performed with HP's exceptional Jazz Ensemble. They have traveled to New Orleans, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Toronto, and sing at the Hershey Park Music in the Parks Festival every year. With heavy December and Spring schedules, the Chamber Singers perform 20-35 concerts per year.

Men/s Choir and Women's Choir: MANY of our Concert Choir and Chamber Singers supplement their training with participation in these groups. Open to all HP students (regardless of skill level or participation in Concert Choir) in grades 9-12, this is ideal for students who were unable to schedule Concert Choir. Rehearsals are for 45 minutes Monday evenings at 5:30 and 6:15, respectively. These groups present 2 in-house concerts per year and do not rehearse during the Musical. Students may join mid-year. In the spring semester these ensembles traditionally travel to Hershey Park. Literature includes lighter pieces, pop and doo-wop.

The Musical: Open to all students in grades 9-12, the Musical offers opportunities on stage, as well as back stage or in the Pit Orchestra. Singers, Actors, Dancers, Stage/Technical Crew and, depending on instrumentation, Woodwinds/Brass/Percussion/Keyboards/Strings. Recent productions have included Guys and Dolls, Annie, The Music Man, Godspell, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Once Upon a Mattress, Fiddler on the Roof, Anything Goes and How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. As there is no Dance Team at HP, this is the only opportunity to dance. Cast rehearsals are 6 days per week from January until production time (usually early March) with 2-3 Full Cast rehearsals per week. Pit Orchestra and Stage/Technical Crew rehearsals and meetings vary by production – usually about 3-4 days per week until two weeks before the show. Pit Orchestra is open only to our top players. Principal roles cast by audition (Chorus requires no audition) in December. Stage Crew open to all students.