My Children's Choir

In the spring of 2005, I decided to start a homeschool choir. The core of
my choir was five of my own children, all of whom are very musical and
good singers. I had 28 singers my first semester, 32, that first spring
and now in my sixth semester I have 45 singers ages 7 - 17 yrs old. They
sing very well and can easily handle two part music, even the little ones.
I have had two concerts a year - a Christmas concert and a spring concert.

For last spring's concert, I added a girl's ensemble using 8 of the older girls in my regular choir and adding with them 9 older homeschooled girls who enjoyed an opportunity to sing. They sang three songs in the spring concert - two 3-part songs and one 2-part song.

This year, instead of the girl's ensemble, I have a select group auditioned from the regular choir called the Concert Chorale, 24 singers who sing more challenging music.

The choir performs the concert alone usually singing 6 songs, then the Concert Chorale sings three, then after a short intermission, the choir sings 6 -7 more pieces. I have added in some instrumental solos depending on the instruments I have accompany the choir.

I really am loving directing this choir. I had studied Children's Choirs with Helen Kemp about 23 years ago at Westminster Choir College. I bought Mrs. Kemp's Video from Choristers Guild that first summer as I was planning my choir and have borrowed another vidoe of hers that is out of print from a local college library. Also ones by Doreen Rao and Henry Leck. So I guess you could say I am homeschooling myself and relearning about children's choirs. There are marvelous resources on the Internet that of course did not exist when I was in college and a new teacher.