Music

Our diverse program serves over 200 students who are from five to 16-years old. The children study, rehearse and perform in one or more of the following choirs:

Concert Choir
The Concert Choir is the backbone of Highbridge Voices and enjoys most of the public spotlight throughout the academic year. The choir consists of some 120 students ranging in age from nine to thirteen. They rehearse three days a week after school, attending music theory classes, music history classes, and private voice lessons. Subjects studied include American folk music, opera, the poly-rhythms of the Caribbean and the origins of rock. The academic support component of the program includes homework assistance as well as participation in the Academic Initiative Program.

Students of the Concert Choir perform throughout the New York City metropolitan area, on television, on radio, for holiday services, telethons, specialty events, fashion shows, political events, and formal concerts. The choir is comfortable performing in a wide variety of venues, from churches to Lincoln Center, from Manhattan's Bryant Park to Radio City Music Hall. They sing everything from opera to rap, jazz to show tunes, Latin to pop, and classical to rock. Students perform in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Hebrew and Latin. A thirty-six member professional orchestra often accompanies their performances.

Chamber Choir
The Chamber Choir is comprised of 40 of the most talented and enthusiastic of Highbridge's 11 to 16-year olds. Most of these students are veterans of other Highbridge Voices' programs and the Chamber Choir allows them a way to continue performing and studying. These seasoned students perform more advanced pieces in intimate settings in place of the full Concert Choir. The Chamber Choir enables students to sight-read materials, develop their individual vocal technique, and cultivate a strong sense of musicality, pitch, harmony, and rhythm. Children in the other programs look up to members of the Chamber Choir - many of whom serve as mentors to students, volunteering for the Highbridge Voices' Saturday programs and watching out for the other students at schools and in the community.

Training Choir
The Training Choir provides the first taste of musical study and performance for 60 children who are five to eight-years old. The three-hour Saturday morning program is an open enrollment choir (no audition required) that provides a safe, constructive place for young children to learn the fundamentals of musical performance. Students learn and practice listening skills, rhythm, melody, ear training, movement, and simple vocal production. They also learn concepts of responsibility, teamwork and what it takes to perform in a choir.

The Training Choir performs limited concerts throughout the year, featuring popular children's music, Broadway tunes, Disney songs and American folk songs. When they become old enough, students in the Training Choir provide an invaluable source of qualified candidates for the Concert Choir.

Typical Week at Highbridge Voices