Apprentice Chorus (AC)
Approximate Grades 2 - 4
The Apprentice Chorus rehearses once a week on Tuesdays from 5:00 – 6:20 pm. This Chorus provides the children with vocal, drama, solfege, and theory training in preparation for advancement to Intermediate Chorus. Dramatic training is also provided with a drama coach.
Instruction at the AC level aims to:
- Teach rudiments of music notation through class instruction and occasional homework exercises
- Develop the ability to follow and learn from notated music
- Develop a ringing tone and good basic vocal technique
- Continue work on responding to pitch and rhythm through response exercises
- Discover part singing through use of simple canons and rounds and through singing with older divisions of the CCOC
- Provide knowledge of basic drama techniques
- Develop good singing posture
- Offer the opportunity to develop and perform a short staged production with choral singing and dialogue
- Provide positive performance experiences both as an autonomous group and alongside other divisions of the CCOC
In every two weeks, students receive 160 minutes of instruction, including approximately:
- 110 minutes of music instruction
- 40 minutes of drama instruction
- 10 minutes of class music theory instruction
Rehearsal times: 80 minutes weekly Grades 2-4 [approximate]
Day Camp: AC and IC members will benefit from approximately 4 hours of music, drama and theory instruction in the fall. The camp provides the choristers with a chance to make friends and get a head start on the concepts and repertoire to be learned throughout the year.
Performance: The Apprentice Chorus participates each season in a winter and spring concert, and in the junior division staged opera. They also appear in the fully staged annual opera production. During the season they will have other performance opportunities.