The importance of choral programs in our high schools can hardly be overemphasized. “The benefit is not just that of entertainment – although we love to entertain,” explains Dr. Kevin Ford, director of choral activities at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. “We have them for the advancement of education, life and health.”

UTC hosts the annual J.B. Lyle Choral Festival, sponsored by the East Tennessee Vocal Association (ETVA). The festival provides an opportunity for regional choirs to be evaluated, to improve their performances, and to be rewarded for their work.

The Chattanooga area is rich with tradition and talent in choral arts, both in established programs and for those just beginning. The following high schools have choral arts programs that have been recognized regionally, nationally and even in countries around the world.

Baylor School –
The Best Part Is Singing

After earning a degree in music education from the University of Florida, Vic Oakes made his way north, stopping at Emory University to add a graduate degree in sacred music and then arriving in Chattanooga to become director of the Chattanooga Boys Choir. He still holds that position and is now beginning his fifth year at Baylor School as the director of concert choir and music instructor.

Oakes directs one high school choir, breaking out ensembles or smaller choirs from it. For this reason, he says the challenge becomes finding repertoire that is interesting to those who are more experienced and not over-the-heads of others. “I am constantly impressed with the students here,” says Oakes. “They are so driven, so focused, that choir is a release for them. That’s a great segue into the real world where people who are in church or community choirs find their two hours of bliss each week.”

“For me, the best part of being in choir is the singing,” says senior Dima White, and at Baylor singing opportunities are abundant. The choir has responsibility for chapel music approximately four times each semester. They also sing at the annual alumni worship service and participate in the Community Hymn Festival, organized by the Chattanooga Boys Choir. Their holiday concert will be held on December 7 at the Alumni Chapel.

Other opportunities include participation in the East Tennessee Vocal Association (ETVA) adjudicating events, where the choir earned overall superior ratings at the J.B. Lyle Choral Festival in both 2008 and 2009. Senior Alex Card states, “There is a stress factor in competition, but it’s like studying for a big test. With proper preparation, you’ll be fine, and Mr. Oakes gives us that.”

“They are going to be great public speakers, and they have great deportment,” says Oakes of his students. “It is lost on society to lose yourself for the greater common good. The choir is truly greater than the sum of its parts.”

Chattanooga Center for Creative Arts – Talent Combined with Passion

With the legendary Roland Carter as her teacher and mentor, and directorial experience with students from sixth grade through junior college, Neshawn Calloway has built a consistently successful choral arts program at the Center for Creative Arts (CCA). Dr. Carter “pushed me out and gave me experience, including conducting the Choral Arts Society, along with the symphony orchestra,” Calloway says.

Being part of a magnet school focused on the arts provides more opportunity for students to follow their creative passions, Calloway says. “The program grows their passion,” she explains. “They leave here with solid musical knowledge and repertoire experience.” CCA sophomore Sydney Trussell says she feels “energized” by competition. “You learn to trust yourself and believe in your talent,” Trussell says.

For CCA’s chorus, participation in East Tennessee Vocal Arts festivals is not just about ratings. “It’s great for our students to come together with the best kids in the state, to have the experience of working with large ensembles, to experience quality choral directing, and to work with professional conductors,” says Calloway. Kreneshia Whiteside, a sophomore at CCA, says of competition, “I like showing off what we’ve learned, but I’m relieved when it’s over.”

“My students are committed and dedicated,” Calloway says. “This is their passion and they show up and handle whatever challenge I throw at them. They are talented kids, and not because of anything I have done. It is an honor to work with them.”

Highlighted among each year’s performances are four very different shows. The Jazz Café, a fall fundraiser, features the music of jazz standards such as Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan. Light operatic offerings have become a tradition at CCA and in December, students will present The Toy Shop. During Black History Month, students raise their voices in a tribute to African-American composers. CCA’s holiday concert is perhaps the biggest show of the year because it features the entire choir and the Women’s Ensemble, whose members are selected by audition, and the Men’s Ensemble, developed through an after-school enrichment program.

Chattanooga
Christian School –
A Musical Family

In his eight years as CCS’s high school choral teacher, Paul Faulkner has built a sense of community, a musical family among his students. Senior Alyssa Duck says, “It’s not about you – you give up something of yourself to work with the group.” Echoing these sentiments, senior Annie McElrath adds, “I want to do better to benefit the group.” This attitude and dedication of the students has created a program that is both technically and intrinsically successful.

Participation in ETVA festivals has offered Faulkner the opportunity to evaluate his choir’s progress. “The value of participating in the J.B. Lyle Choral Festival comes from hearing other area choirs and from being adjudicated by fine judges,” explains Faulkner.

Opportunities abound for singers at CCS. The Concert Choir is open to anyone. Both the Choral Ensemble and the Ladies Chorale are audition groups. “We are very fortunate with scheduling,” Faulkner says, pointing to the separate periods given to each group. Performance opportunities for the choirs are equally abundant. They perform at the school’s chapel programs, at community nursing homes and in area churches. During the school’s interim week, audition groups travel to perform; this year’s destination is Boston.

Concerts in the winter and spring are among the year’s major performances. “The repertoire represents the highest caliber of music,” says Faulkner. The students sing chorale classics, spirituals, gospel and hymns. His pride in the students is clear. “They desire to have a humble spirit and to make a personal impact,” he says.

Three lessons are prominent among those Faulkner hopes his students learn. He says, “I hope that they will sing better, that the messages of the song will have more impact, and that they will have a passion for excellence in order to do their best for the glory of God.”

Collegedale Academy –
Praise and Beauty through Song

“Singing is a big deal here,” says Jeff Lauritzen, director of choirs at Collegedale Academy for 23 years. In a school of 360 students, 110 take part in the three choirs that make up the choral arts program. Any student may join either La Vie Ladies Chorus or the Male Chorus, while Opus X, the advanced mixed ensemble, is open to upperclassmen.

Collegedale Academy’s choirs perform music that is classically focused, such as Mendelssohn’s Elijah, as well as a broad range of secular music appropriate for the Christian setting. Among their major performances each year are the holiday’s Lessons and Carols and a spring variety show. In addition, a major Broadway show, such as The King and I, is presented every other year, with fully staged smaller musical programs done in the off years.

Jeff Lauritzen’s influence is evident in the words of his students. Senior Elizabeth Beem is certain that music will always be part of her life. “It brightens my spirit,” Beem says. “It is too much of a passion to ever give up.” The enthusiasm of students for this program is reflected in the thoughts of another senior. Josh Farnsworth says that the best thing about choir is “the level of professionalism and the high expectation that Mr. Lauritzen has.”

While choral competitions are not a tradition at Collegedale Academy, Lauritzen says, “We are always mistaken for a college choir.” Through the network of Adventist colleges, they were invited to perform in Washington, D.C., demonstrating to other choirs and conductors what is possible at the high-school level. “We perform a wide range of music at a very high level,” Lauritzen says. “Ours is an aggressive program that puts students on stage singing very quickly.”

Lauritzen believes that choral arts give students the opportunity “to get in touch with something deeper inside of you, deep inside the soul.” He adds, “In a Christian setting, it is a way to praise God. In any setting, it is a way to bring beauty to the world.”

Grace Baptist Academy – Continuing to Sing

Common bonds exist among the choral directors in area schools. Tina Holcombe, choral and band director at Grace Baptist Academy, was a student of Paul Faulkner, choir director at Chattanooga Christian School, when he taught at Tennessee Temple University. While there, she was part of a five-year Christian school music program that prepared her to teach both vocal and instrumental music. She, like Lew Cisto of McCallie, counts Robert Shaw as a strong musical influence. She has approximately one-third of the student body in her choir, as does Collegedale Academy.

Among the highlights for GBA’s choir each year are their involvement in music festivals and participation in special programs. Holcombe and the choir members agree on the value of the ETVA’s choral festivals experience. “It provides accountability for me,” says Holcombe, explaining the emphasis on sight reading. “It is a great opportunity to be in a professional environment,” adds senior Caroline Tatum. The choir also participates in the Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World. Closer to home, the choir sings at the academy’s graduation ceremony and also presents an annual spring concert.

According to junior Olivia Medley, the lessons learned in choir go beyond the classroom. “I’ve learned that getting it right the first time isn’t important. That would mean there was no challenge – it was just easy,” Medley explains.

Holcombe says she is excited not
only about the wonderful literature to which the students are exposed, but she also sees choir as an opportunity for her to model good choices.

Holcombe – who proudly notes that a former GBA student is now in West Point’s Glee Club – says, “I hope they will all choose to sing somewhere after they leave here, perhaps in a church or community choir,” she says. “I am so proud of how much they want to sing. They leave the class singing.”

McCallie School –
A Silver Anniversary

Candlelight – that single word describes one of the most significant activities at the McCallie School. Lewis Cisto, who created the holiday program and is the chairman of the music department, originally designed it as a choral program. When the music program developed to include a wind ensemble, handbells, orchestra, guitars and collaboration with the Girls Preparatory School, Candlelight became a major departmental event. This is the 25th year for Candlelight and for Cisto at McCallie.

Cisto names award-winning conductor Robert Shaw as a major musical influence. “When I first sang with Robert Shaw, he worked, he sweated and he was very manly – there was a fire in his belly,” explains Cisto. This identification with the style of a major force in music made Cisto feel comfortable, and he believes that McCallie students identify with him in the same way.

Offering singers the opportunity to experience a broad repertoire of music is important to McCallie’s choral program. “I understand jazz, folk and blues, but it is important to expose our guys and girls to music that is not commonly heard, so we do much in the way of cantata and oratorio,” Cisto explains.

The program’s collaboration with Girls Preparatory School has existed for several years. “The literature for the male chorus is vast, but it becomes greatly increased when you add sopranos and altos,” says Cisto.

Of their memorable experiences, Cisto says, “We’ve been to a variety of places, but having the kids perform right here in our chapel is very special for us.” He names Chapter House at England’s York Cathedral and Carnegie Hall as apex performances. Singing in Sanders Theatre at Harvard University was also pivotal.

“Music is a byproduct of what we do here, not the most important thing,” says Cisto. “The thing about the vocal arts is that you are face-on-face – really out there. If you can negotiate that and develop confidence, then it relates to a life skill. Music is a life skill. Music is part of the academic process at McCallie.”

Ooltewah High School – Building a Tradition

Initially “hooked into music” at church, Kristen Wiram earned a music education degree from UTC and began her career three years ago as director of choral music at Ooltewah High School. Her own teachers, including Terry Sanford at Hixson High School, influenced her. “I have this saying, ‘What would Sanford do?’” she laughs. “I also had amazing professors at UTC, like Dr. Kevin Ford.” Wiram also serves as associate director for the Chattanooga Boys Choir.

Wiram describes the choral program at Ooltewah High School as being in the building stage, although her success is clear. The Advanced Concert Choir, made up of 70 students, earned its first “superior” rating at last year’s J.B. Lyle Festival. “Now all I have to say is, ‘You guys are not singing like a superior choir,’ and they respond,” says Wiram. She adds, “We don’t have standardized tests in music like they do in other classes, so festivals are our standardized tests. It keeps directors on our toes.” Both the Men’s and Women’s Choruses are beginning choirs.

Wiram credits a supportive administration with creating the schedule that allows for separate classes. “It has made an amazing difference,” Wiram explains.

Another aspect of the choral experience at Ooltewah is the diversity of both students and music. The students bring a mix of cultures, experiences and languages that enriches the program. The broad musical repertoire might include a Spanish lullaby, a Bach selection in German, and a Disney classic. “When I hand out some pieces, they freak out,” admits Wiram. “But at the end, they’re proud that they’ve sung in five languages.”

Each semester Ooltewah’s beginning choirs perform a final concert. For the holidays, the Advanced Concert Choir presents their traditional Carols by Candlelight in a combined concert with the band.

Wiram is proud of what she describes as a 180-degree turnaround in the choir. “Choir is a great place where you can be part of a team,” she says. “They learn how to be respectful and how to take initiative. I try to teach my kids singing skills that help them become independent singers.”