Arts
Our Music Program
Lower School Music
Our Lower School has a dedicated music teacher and all grades take part in regular music classes, music in chapel services, and grade level presentations that relate music to classroom curriculum. Students learn more than how to sing as they explore instruments and the importance of rhythm, melody, and harmony.
The Lower School Choir is open to any interested 3rd and 4th grade students. It is an introduction to choral singing, incorporating songs and games to build community and foster teamwork. Students have extra time to practice singing and to develop appropriate technique. The repertoire includes folk songs in different languages, chapel music, play-parties, rounds, spirituals, and some two-part choral pieces. The Handbell Choir is also open to 3rd and 4th grade students. The students learn to count rhythms, to listen, to play bells correctly, and to work together as an ensemble. Students enjoy playing in chapel services, special events, and at the Lower School Ensembles Spring Concert. The Percussion Ensemble is open to any interested 4th graders. Using all of the xylophones, drums and unpitched percussion instruments in the Lower School music room, the group learns more challenging pieces, and they work together to become an ensemble. Their work culminates in the design of their own piece in the spring for the final concert.
The Lower School Choir is open to any interested 3rd and 4th grade students. It is an introduction to choral singing, incorporating songs and games to build community and foster teamwork. Students have extra time to practice singing and to develop appropriate technique. The repertoire includes folk songs in different languages, chapel music, play-parties, rounds, spirituals, and some two-part choral pieces. The Handbell Choir is also open to 3rd and 4th grade students. The students learn to count rhythms, to listen, to play bells correctly, and to work together as an ensemble. Students enjoy playing in chapel services, special events, and at the Lower School Ensembles Spring Concert. The Percussion Ensemble is open to any interested 4th graders. Using all of the xylophones, drums and unpitched percussion instruments in the Lower School music room, the group learns more challenging pieces, and they work together to become an ensemble. Their work culminates in the design of their own piece in the spring for the final concert.
Middle School Music
The Middle School Music Department offers programming that allows students opportunities to sing, play instruments, appreciate music history and theory, and participate in musical performances. Students study basic musical notation, musical terms, simple rhythms, and forms, and well as the roots of American music, classical American composers, Broadway musicals and rock and roll. Instrumental music is a requirement for all 5th grade students. Through exposure to various forms of musical expression, such as playing, singing, moving, listening, creating, reading, and writing, individual aesthetic awareness and creative skills are developed and self-discipline is learned. Additional extracurricular offerings include Choir, Band, and Strings.
Upper School Music
The Upper School is dotted with a variety of study and performance opportunities from introductory one-term courses with performance opportunities, to year-long graded courses that prepare students to continue music at the collegiate, community, and church levels, to student-led ensembles that perform at events such as Convocation, Football games, the Young Artist Series, and school concerts.
Depending on the offering, students will have the opportunity to experience full ensemble and small ensemble playing and will learn all the musical elements (rhythm, melody, harmony, expression, form, and style), musical skills (playing, singing, moving, creating, reading, writing, and listening), and musical repertoire (band). Performing opportunities include Chorus, Band, and Orchestra. Extracurricular options include Acafellas and Bluebelles.
Christ Church Episcopal School (“CCES”) admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at CCES. CCES does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, national or ethnic origin, creed, religion, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid, scholarship or other programs, or athletic or other school-administered programs and activities.