Here at Concord Academy, we are very proud of our performing artists. With two mainstage productions a year, a new building in progress, a lively dance program, and enough performing arts classes to take up several pages of the program catalog, it is easy to see how much CA loves to take the stage. Unfortunately, it can be hard for new students to keep track of all the clubs, plays and productions.
The greatest culprit of this confusion may be the singing groups because there are seven of them, and none are particularly well-advertised. They appear at the start of the school year, gather members, and then disperse to practice. A non-singer may not hear from them at all until the end of the semester or year when the calendar suddenly fills with performances. This article will provide information about these elusive groups.
There are two different types of singing groups at CA, and seven groups in total. First are the three faculty run student groups. These year-long formal commitments can be found in the program catalog, meet at a set time each week, and are a way to earn performing arts credits. Chorus has no prerequisites and is a way for students to begin singing. Concord Academy Singers is typically only open to returning students and requires an audition along with significant singing experience. Finally, Vocal Jazz and Pop is a small group of just a few experienced singers who specialize in jazz and pop music. This group also requires an audition.
Then there are the four student-run groups, which are often referred to as CA’s a cappella groups despite that not being entirely accurate. Three of them, (Chameleons, Barbershop, and Pitches), do perform without any accompaniment, but the fourth, Cabaret, is a group for musical theater enjoyers that has no issues with instrumentation. These four groups are even more mysterious than CA singers. They all require an audition, but their practice times and performances are coordinated by student co-heads. Chameleons is open to the entire student body, while Barbershop is for students with lower voices and Pitches is for students with higher voices. Anyone can audition for Cabaret as long as they have an interest in singing show tunes with a group. If any of these groups sound interesting to you, keep an eye on your school email for updates as the academic year begins. High school is an amazing time to try new things!