Johns, Stephen: Class Announcements

Yultide Madrigal Feaste

The annual Yultide Madrigal Feaste is held each December at Grace United Methodist Church in Venice. The old church hall is transformed into a 16^th century castle, and guests are served dinner with traditional entertainment. Students wear 16^th century costumes for the occasion. This is a very popular event in our community. Actors, dancers, and, of course, singers recreate a festive evening of early Renaissance England, concluding with a concert of vocal music from the period. Students prepare for the event during the school day. Specialty roles are rehearsed after school one or two days per week in October and November. In case you are unfamiliar with the term madrigal, it is explained below.

Madrigals are songs written for small groups of singers in multiple voice parts. Each voice part presents challenges in rhythm and pitch and is most often independent of other voice parts. Taken together, these independent parts create great energy and beauty. Singing madrigals requires musical skill and independence by each singer. The subjects of madrigals are often fables, tales of love, sorrow, and life. Madrigals are most often performed a cappella, that is without instrumental accompaniment. They were not available in published form until the late 16^th century. Madrigal singing flourished in England throughout this period. In 1741, a madrigal society was founded and still meets regularly at Carpenters Hall in London. Madrigal singing was brought from Italy to England in the 16^th century and became very popular in the castles and great halls of the land. Madrigals were performed by the nobility for entertainment and to demonstrate their musicianship. They found their way into English traditions in the “Twelve Days of Christmas” and in many other traditions throughout the year.

                                                          All State Chorus

    The Florida All-State Chorus performs each year at the Florida Music Educators Association Conference in Tampa each January. Students are selected throughout our state in the fall through a series of examinations, including music theory, sight-reading and vocal auditions. Interested students prepare for the exams in their regular classes throughout the year and in after school sessions one day per week during September and October.

VHS Choral Boosters

The VHS Choral Boosters (formally know as VHS Voices & Strings) is the parent support group of the chorus program. This is a not-for-profit corporation that volunteers, raises funds, provides awards for students, and sponsors student scholarships for summer music study. The group meets 4 to 5 times per year and is under the guidance of a Board of Directors made up of parents and faculty. Many parents volunteer to assist with concerts, chaperone field trips, photograph and videotape concerts, and provide other assistance needed in and out of the classroom. Parents also participate in a parent’s chorus that performs with students in a segment of the Winter and Spring concerts each year.

Music Performance Assessment

Each spring, chorus students attend the District 11 Music Performance Assessment (MPA). This formally evaluates the quality of the vocal performance of each ensemble by a panel of highly qualified judges. Ensembles are rated Superior, Excellent, Good, Fair, or Poor, based on their performances of quality vocal literature and sight-reading abilities. Judges provide written comments for each ensemble, pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of their performance. These comments provide valuable information to students that lead to improved performance and musicianship. Ensembles that receive a Superior rating qualify to attend the State MPA which is held in early May.

Another MPA event is open to students who perform alone (solo) or in small ensembles. This event takes place in February for District 11, and students who receive a Superior rating qualify for the State MPA in May.

Performance Tours

A performance tour is offered to chorus students most school years. In the past, VHS chorus students have performed in Washington, D.C., at the National Festival of the States on two cooasions. We have performed in New York City at Carnegie Hall with a festival chorus in 01, 03, 05 and 07. Students have traveled to Europe as part of the Florida Ambassadors. In March of 2008 45 students will performed for the National Festival of the States in Williamsburg, VA. In May of 2009, we have been invited to perform again at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Dr. David Brunner.

Le Voci di Venezia

Le Voci di Venezia (The Voices of Venice) is a Chamber chorus that meets beyond the school day each Monday and Wednesday from 2:15 to 3:45 P.M. To audition for this ensemble, students must be members of a vocal class that meets during the school day. The performance schedule for the group is much more extensive than other ensembles at VHS. The group performs throughout the community on week nights and weekends up to 20 times per school year. Students in this group have a desire to perform challenging music, have a strong work ethic and excellent attendance. Auditions for the group take place in August. Additional auditions are scheduled for unusual situations that may develop during the school year.