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Spring Choir Concert Sat, May 11

We are looking forward to this Saturday’s Spring Choir Concert at CHS! Students have done some excellent preparation this semester, and I know you’ll enjoy seeing and hearing their work.

Students are called to Stretton Hall by 1:00 pm on Saturday, May 11 for a pre-concert dress rehearsal. Students: please arrive very comfortably before 1:00 (plan on 12:30-12:45) and check in with your President. Punctuality is very important. (See lateness policies.) Also, please bring a water bottle and a snack. Concert attire, detailed here, is the same as usual. The concert begins at 4:00pm. It will conclude around 5:30 pm.

Immediately following the concert, please join us for a celebratory picnic on the CHS front lawn (rain location: CHS cafeteria). All students and families are invited to attend.

Each choir member is asked to contribute one item to share. (Our CHS VPA Boosters will provide some additional refreshments.) Picnic contributions should be dropped off in the faculty cafeteria, across the lobby from the choir room. Thank you!

• Women’s and Men’s Choir: lemonade or iced tea
• Concert Choir: side salad, fruit, or veggies
• Select Choir: dessert (cut into individual servings, please)

Please bring blankets and lawn chairs for picnicking, as well as outdoor activities, if you like.

This will be a wonderful way to conclude our year’s work in choir. Looking forward to seeing you all Saturday the 11th!

Restaurant Night tonight, Wed, March 6, at Jules Pizza

Today, Wednesday, March 6, please enjoy a delicious dinner at Jules Thin Crust Pizza at 817 Old York Rd in Jenkintown. 20% of all proceeds will go to support our Vocal Arts programs!

 

Select Choir 2019-20

Thank you to all those who auditioned for Select Choir. I look forward to working with each one of you in our choir program next year, no matter what ensemble(s) you sing in!

Everyone who auditioned: We will discuss your audition one-on-one during class time. I’m happy to share feedback.

If you did not get in, I hope you will audition again next year. It’s important to remember that often, very small margins separate those who were accepted and those who were not. Also, remember that your skills will continue to grow next year, and you can enroll in not just one, but two choirs next year, if you like. (Yay, more singing!)

If you are on the list below, please recognize that your acceptance is contingent upon exemplary performance in vocal arts activities in the remainder of this school year.

Everyone, please reach out if you have questions about music courses for next year, or if I can help with your course selections or scheduling at any point.

Below is the roster for Select Choir for 2019-20. Congratulations to new members.

Select Choir 2019-20

* = new member

Venus Agbadan*
Ava Angelettie
Nila Anthony
Kayla Banks*
Lily Bitterman*
Michaela Bockarie
Sydney DiFebbo*
Caelan Donahue
Sarah England
Rose Fevrier*
Miles Fodor
Simone Free
Brianna Freeman*
Jaden Sky Greenbaum
Naomi Guth
Jordan Hood
Najae Johnson*
Bishop Kaschock-Marenda
Gabriel Kellogg*
Jaeden Keyes*
Casey McLaughlin
Maggie Morrison*
Latyr Ndoye*
Roy Nussbaum
Nya Paulection
Quincy Rhoades
Immanuel Rimmer
Stefan Rogowski
Oren Schwartz
Anna Turk Karan*
Dominique Vidal
Najeh Williams

District-Wide Tour Friday, February 1, 2019

This Friday, February 1, our vocal groups will entertain their fellow students on our 8th Annual Cheltenham School District Tour of elementary and middle schools!

Select Choir, Touring Ensemble, Up the Octave, and Sons of Pitch will perform for six district schools plus the district staff and administration.

We will meet in the choir room at 7:30 am and return to CHS around 3:30 pm.

Select Choir, TE, UTO, and Sons Members:

• Please be sure you’ve blocked off all day up to 3:30.
• Talk to your teachers about making up the work in your missed classes. Complete your work promptly.
• Bring a lunch and a water bottle, plus snacks if you like. We’ll eat lunch at the Admin Building around 12:30.
• REQUIRED ATTIRE is dark blue jeans and a nice looking, black top (long-sleeved is best). Your shoes should look decent. (TE: make sure they’re shoes and jeans you can dance in!) Proper attire is required to go on the trip.

Many thanks to our district administration and our building principals for welcoming us into their schools again this year. It’s going to be a fun day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHS Choirs Restaurant Night at SNAP Pizza this Thursday, January 24!

Please support our Cheltenham Vocal Arts program by dining at SNAP Pizza , at 1621 The Fairway / Jenkintown, PA 19046 , this Thursday, January 24. It’s good for in-person dining or online ordering with pickup, from 5:00pm to 9:00 pm.

A huge 50 % of all proceeds go to the Vocal Performing Arts Boosters! That 50% rate is a tremendous opportunity for us. Hope you can help by enjoying some great food this Thursday.

SNAP Pizza offers make-your-own pizzas and salads and includes gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options.

Just show this flyer at SNAP Pizza this Thursday evening. Thank you for your support!

Recycle the Runway Dress Sale Fundraiser Friday, January 11!

Please support this great new fundraiser Friday, January 11, after school, in CHS’s Senior Caf!

CHS Choirs Restaurant Night at Panda Express Tuesday, December 18!

Please support our Cheltenham Vocal Arts program by dining at Panda Express at 2385 Cheltenham Ave, Wyncote (W Cheltenham Ave & E Washington Lane), Tuesday, December 18. It’s good for in-person or online ordering, from 12:00pm to 9:00 pm. 20 % of all proceeds go to the Vocal Performing Arts Boosters!

Just show this flyer at Panda Express. Thank you for your support!

Recycle the Runway Fundraiser: Formal Dress/Suit Donations Needed!

New fundraiser for CHS Vocal Arts: Recycle the Runway!

Donations are accepted now through December 20.

Please share this flyer on social media–donations are welcome and needed from all!

Reminder: Winter Concert this Wed, Dec 5

The Cheltenham Choirs’ Winter Choir Concert is this Wednesday, December 5, at 7:30 pm, in Stretton Hall!

Reminder: All choir students are required to be in Stretton Hall, dressed in concert attire, comfortably before 6:00 pm. (Our course expectations documents have reminders of attendance requirements, grading, etc.) The concert begins at 7:30 pm and will last till about 9:15 pm, including a 15-minute intermission.

The concert is dedicated to choir member Danny Link (2000-2018).

It’s going to be a special concert. We look forward to seeing everyone there.

Pizza Box Restaurant Night Tonight! Wed, Nov 28

Have some pizza this Wednesday, November 28 at Pizza Box in Glenside, and help our CHS singers!

Go to Pizza Box till 9 pm tonight to enjoy some delicious food, show this flyer when paying the bill, and 10% of your meal’s cost will be donated to our program.

Pizza Box is at 43 Limekiln Pike, Glenside PA 19038.

Click below to print a flyer or show it on your phone when you order.

Thank you! Your support makes a real difference!!!

Pancake Breakfast at Applebee’s Jenkintown Saturday, November 10!

Choir students and families are gearing up for our 4th Pancake Breakfast fundraiser! The event is at Applebee’s Jenkintown this Saturday, November 10, 8am-10am.

Just $8 gets you unlimited pancakes, link sausage, and coffee/orange juice/tea/soda. For children 5 and under, tickets are only $5.

For tickets:

Buy directly from a CHS Choir student, OR buy at the door at Applebee’s on November 10 (limited quantities available at the door).

Please encourage all friends, family, and vocal music supporters to join us! All proceeds directly benefit our wonderful Cheltenham student musicians.

Thank you for your support!

District Chorus Auditions

Each year, CHS sends several motivated singers to audition for the PMEA District Choral Festival. The experience is open to 10th-12th graders, and those in Select Choir have class time to prepare for the audition.

Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA)

organizes a yearly series of High School Chorus Festivals that bring together students from various school districts in our area, region, and state. Students learn a full concert program of music, rehearse it with a guest conductor, and perform a concert at the end of the three-day festival. Each festival is auditioned. Students who are accepted into the District Festival in early February may have scores that qualify them for the Regional Chorus Festival in late March; scores at Regionals can qualify students for the All-State Festival in April.

Preliminary auditions of CHS students will be held at school Monday, November 5. The CHS audition and the first PMEA audition consist of sight-singing and performing an excerpt of your vocal part in two assigned pieces. If you qualify for the District festival, the next official audition, on the first day of the festival in February, tests your preparation and performance on all 6-8 of the festival pieces. That audition can also qualify you for Regionals.

Here’s the rundown of District Chorus events:

• November 5, 2018, after school:  In-House Auditions for Cheltenham’s District Chorus Candidates, CHS Choir Room
• Sat, Nov 17, 2018:  PMEA District 11 Chorus Auditions at Upper Merion High School
• Th-Sat, Feb 7-9, 2019:  PMEA District 11 Chorus Festival; Dr. Thomas Lloyd, Conductor

Auditioning for PMEA District Chorus is a great opportunity for motivated musicians who want more experience learning new music, sight-singing, auditioning, and performing!

The two audition pieces are:

Handel’s Sing Unto God

Bruckner’s Os Justi

Here are practice files.

For both pieces, you must sing the entirety of your voice part, solo, and a cappella. In the audition, you’ll be given a starting pitch, then you’ll sing from a chosen point for a duration of about 12-30 measures. You’ll be evaluated on pitch and rhythm, vocal tone, and dynamics/articulation.

The audition will also consist of two sight-singing excerpts. You’ll be given a starting pitch, 30 seconds to study, then a starting pitch again.

Please feel free to chat with Ms. Hutton about how you can best prepare!

CHS Select Choir Sing’s Mozart’s Requiem Tonight–Free Concert at Temple!

Our CHS Select Choir received the distinct honor of an invitation to Temple University’s Mozart Requiem Festival this Friday, October 26!

Select Choir will join the top choirs from CAPA, GAMP, and North Penn High Schools, along with Temple’s Concert Choir and Orchestra, to perform the entire Mozart Requiem at the Temple Performing Arts Center at 7:30pm. The concert is free and open to the public. Prior to the performance on Friday, our Select Choir will perform for Temple faculty, be treated to performances from the other high schools, and rehearse the Requiem with combined choirs and orchestra.

Mozart’s Requiem is a masterwork of the choral repertoire and a challenging piece for high school choirs. Our students have been working diligently inside and outside of class to prepare for the concert. It will be a rewarding and thrilling experience for all involved!

Please consider joining us for this rare and exciting musical experience. It’s today, Friday, October 26, at 7:30pm, at the Temple University Performing Arts Center, 1837 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19122.

Tiffin Restaurant Night Tonight: Tuesday, October 23

Hello, Cheltenham Choir friends and families!

Tiffin in Elkins Park at 8080 Old York Road, Elkins Park, PA has been generous enough to donate 10% of their profits to the CHS Vocal Arts program! All you need to do is order from Tiffin today, Tue, Oct 23, between 11:00 AM and 10:00 PM to eat some delicious Indian Cuisine, mention CHS Choirs when you order, and 10% of your meal’s cost will be donated to our program! Orders can be delivery, takeout, or dine in.

Thanks for your support of Cheltenham Vocal Arts!

Mattress Sale Fundraiser this Saturday, 10a-5p, CHS Gym

Please come out, and recruit buyers, for our big mattress sale fundraiser this Saturday, October 20, 10a-5p, in the CHS Gym!

For each mattress sold in her/his name, a student gets $50-175 toward their New Orleans Tour costs! Let’s make this fundraiser a huge success for our students!

Most people don’t replace their mattresses nearly as frequently as they should. Here’s a chance to give people a better night’s sleep on a great new mattress–while giving generously to the amazing student musicians at Cheltenham! High quality, affordable bed frames, pillows, sheets, etc. are also available!

Touring Ensemble Show this Sunday, October 7, 2pm!!

This Sunday, October 7, join the CHS Touring Ensemble for its annual debut show, at 2:00 pm, in Stretton Hall!

Our fantastic show choir performs varied, energetic song-and-dance numbers with instrumental accompaniment. Touring Ensemble’s 2018-19 show, Seize the Moment, features music from John Legend to Paul McCartney, from Newsies to Kinky Boots. Immediately following the show, this year’s CHS musical will be announced!

Seating is general admission, and tickets are sold at the door; $3 for students and $5 for adults. 

Hope you will join us this Sunday afternoon!

CHS Choir Car Wash This Sat, October 6!

Please join us for the CHS Choir Car Wash this Saturday, Oct 6!

We’ll be open for business 9a-1p at the front flagpole entrance of CHS.

We are asking that choir members sell as many tickets as possible. Tickets were distributed to to students last week, and more tickets are available in the choir room. Tickets are $5 in advance, or $8 on Saturday.

Volunteer shifts on Saturday are 8a-10a, 10a-12p, and 12p-2p. Students have signed up for particular duties and shifts this week in class. All choir student and parent volunteers are welcome.

Please join the efforts to publicize and/or patronize this fun and valuable fundraiser. Proceeds will be split between our New Orleans travelers who volunteer at the car wash Saturday. Thanks to all!

Up the Octave and Sons of Pitch Audition Results

Kudos to all the fantastic singers who auditioned for our CHS a cappella groups. Auditioning takes courage, and you are all to be commended. Below are messages from the student leaders of both groups.

Returning members of Sons and UTO will perform tomorrow, Saturday, Sept 22, at the Food Truck Jamboree at 3:00pm. (Call time 2:45pm.) All are invited! The first rehearsal with new members is Sunday, September 30. Please find the CHS A Cappella Calendar of Activities here. Thank you.

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Up the Octave

Thank you so much to everyone who auditioned for Up the Octave this year. Congratulations to our new members! We understand auditioning for any group is stressful and we thank all the girls for putting themselves out there. If you did not make it in this year, understand that is is a very difficult decision for the group to choose a select few out of so many talented young women. We hope that you will come back and re-audition next year. Thanks again!

*= New Member

Nila Anthony

Kayla Banks

Lily Bitterman*

Michaela Bockarie

Sydney DiFebbo*

Sarah England

Alice Fodor

Naomi Guth

Anna Turk Karan*

Jay Mancini

Casey McLaughlin

Carla Michel*

Raina Miller*

Jess Pham

Natalie Pomerantz

*= New Member

Sons of Pitch

THANK YOU AUDITIONERS! Everybody who auditioned had something special to offer to the group, and those who did not get in should not be discouraged. The decision this year was especially difficult because of the expansive array of talent shown, so, if not accepted, try again! Congratulations to our new members, this year is going to be a great one!

* = new member

Caelan Donahue
Miles Fodor*
Jaden Sky Greenbaum
Jordan Hood
Bishop Kaschock-Marenda
Troy Norton*
Roy Nussbaum
Colin Polisano
Quincy Rhoades
Immanuel Rimmer*
Stefan Rogowski
Matt Ryan
Oren Schwartz
Najeh Williams*

* = new members

Back to School Night Presentation

Great to see many of you at Back to School Night last night!

Family members, if you missed it, or if you want to review details, here is the presentation I gave.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

A Cappella Audition Workshop Mon, Sept 17! Auditions Thurs & Fri!