Roanoke Valley Children’s Choir

Concert CHOIR PROGRAM

FOR 8th-12th GRADE STUDENTS

About the Concert Choir:

The Concert Choir in the RVCC is our premiere choir known and respected locally, regionally, and nationally for their artistic excellence.  The level of training and performance is on par and often exceeds that of college choirs.  With such dedicated choristers, we are able to rehearse and sing at an advanced level, and it is very exciting for both the singer and our audiences!  

Many of our singers have been in the RVCC since their young childhood and many others are quite new members.  Our strong emphasis and experience with chorister mentoring is a boost to the new singer.  Having a buddy, a big brother/sister, is the best way to feel welcome and help new singers learn quickly.

The Concert Choir rehearsals are a mixture of serious musical study and also fun as we share a joke, look for ways to solve a problem together, or take a break for “Meet & Greet” or have a special snack together.  This choir is mostly High School singers and they are very good at being able to work hard and also play hard!  

The repertoire choices in the Concert Choir are carefully selected to be the basis for the most comprehensive choral training.  There is an emphasis on classical music with plenty of room for introducing and perfecting songs from many other genres: multicultural, inspirational, Broadway, popular, patriotic, sacred and seasonal music.  Singing in the RVCC opens the eyes and ears of our singers to centuries of music, singing in several languages, and learning about vocal techniques unique to the different styles of music.  

Most of our singers continue singing in college and beyond in the University Choir, a Symphony Chorus, an a cappella choir, or starting a choir during their college or young adult years.  The skills our singers learn in the RVCC set them up for a lifetime of meaningful choral experiences. 

Each year, the Concert Choir performs at the two annual RVCC concerts, Holiday and Spring.  We also sing for Holiday Pops with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, sing for the RVCC Annual Holiday Sing-A-Long at the Taubman, sing for local churches, sing for community events, and also travel each year to participate in a choral festival or honor performance.  In the past 15 years we’ve had 5 solo performances at Carnegie Hall, 4 prestigious honor performances for the American Choral Directors Association, sang at the National Cathedral in DC for a solo performance of Evensong and have had many exciting experiences singing for invited events such as the Miss Virginia Pageant and the Berkshire International Choral Festival.  

One of the most beautiful and meaningful aspects of singing in a top level choir is the friendships that blossom when you work together, rehearse, perform, travel, and share so many new experiences together.  As a group, we are frequently complimented about the strong character, professional demeanor, and adaptability to new situations that our choristers possess.  We’re all very proud of this!!  We’re building our next generation of not just singers, these are our future leaders!!  

The Nationally Recognized Concert Choir of the RVCC performing “Stars and Stripes” arr. by John Kuzma as a Featured Performance Choir at the National American Choral Director’s Association Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah on February 28th, 2015

Performance Videos of the Concert Choir

How To Join the Concert Choir

Do you love to sing? Would you like to be part of nationally recognized high school honor choir?

The Concert Choir is the highest level choir in the RVCC for 8th-12th grade singers. This advanced auditioned High School choir is nationally recognized, performs challenging college level repertoire in 4-part harmony, has sung for numerous honor performances around the country, and teaches students the highest level of musical excellence.

We love welcoming new, aspiring musicians into the Concert Choir! We are looking for singers who are serious about artistic choral music and would like to be a part of this pre-professional youth choir program. Open auditions are held in May-August each year. Scroll down or click a blue link below to go straight to one of the following sections:

Current Audition Dates

Preparing for Your Audition

Choral Intensive Worksop

⇑ ABOUT THE RVCC CONCERT CHOIR ⇑

Current Audition Dates

Concert Choir auditions will be held after each of our “Come and Sing” Newcomer Class Events in May! If you would like to audition for the RVCC Concert Choir, please plan to attend one of these May Newcomer Classes and stay following the class for your audition. Early audition in May will be given the most consideration.

• “Come and Sing!” Newcomer Class on Friday, May 17th at 6:00pm (with auditions to follow)

• “Come and Sing!” Newcomer Class on Monday, May 20th at 6:00pm (with auditions to follow)

• Choral Intensive Workshop on Thursday, September 5th from 6:00-8:00pm (with auditions to follow)

You can also schedule an audition to join the choir by contacting the Director, Ms. Davidson, at kimdavidson@childrenschoir.com or (540) 676-7265.

Preparing for Your Concert Choir Audition

Auditions for 9th-12th grade to join the Concert Choir Program consist of checking the singers range, sight-singing examples, learning the harmony part to a simple song, echo singing, ability to be taught a small section of a classical choral song, and a written theory test for basic music facts. We are looking for singers who can learn quickly, follow directions, and work hard!

Musical Skills Needed:

• Ability to Match Vocal Pitches (sing back the note you hear)

• How to Read and Follow Choral Music

• Ability to Sing and hold a Harmony note within a choir section (Soprano/Alto)

• Music Theory Knowledge (Dynamics, articulation, note names, etc.)

• Sight-Singing

• Reading Rhythms

Key Attributes of a Successful Concert Choir Singer:

• Good Listener

• Ready to learn new things

• Willingness to work hard in rehearsals

• Committed to practicing at home

• Positive attitude

• Determination and Focus

Choral Intensive Workshop

For new 9th-12th grade students joining the RVCC Concert Choir

Thursday, September 5th, 2024

6:00-8:00 PM (with auditions to follow)

Location: Bethel Baptist Church in Salem, VA

We will be offering an Choral Intensive Workshop on Thursday, September 5th from 6:00-8:00pm for new High School students joining the RVCC Advanced Concert Choir Program. This class is required is for all new students who have auditioned in May-August 2024 and will be joining the RVCC for the first time. High School singers who have not previously auditioned are also welcome to attend the Choral Intensive and audition after the class.

During this 2-hour workshop with director, Ms. Davidson, 9th-12th grade singers will receive specialized training in breathing techniques, choral diction, vowel sounds, vocal warm ups, sight reading, tone building exercises, and a preview to the upcoming repertoire. The workshop will be held at the RVCC’s rehearsal space at Bethel Baptist Church in Salem, VA. Please bring a water and a pencil with you. Sign up using the form below.

Sign Up to Attend the “Choral Intensive” (Thursday, September 5th):

Reduced Tuition and Financial Aid Information

We want every student who loves to sing to have the opportunity to join the RVCC!

Feel free to contact Director, Kim Davidson, at 540-676-7265 or kimdavidson@childrenschoir.com with any questions you may have!