2025-2026 General Information

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The Blackman High School Choral Department

Email: [email protected]

Remind101: 81010

Concert Choir: @ca9d3hc

BHS Singers (BHS Chamber Choir: @a6bgddd

A Capella Choir: @2526acappe

BHS Choir Parents: @7a7h6fg

BHS Schola Cantorum: @d478h64

Hello Everyone!

I am super excited for our 2025-2026 school year! I am dedicated to providing an incredible music experience for all of you. All choirs will have multiple performing opportunities. Choir students who excel and gain achievements will be recognized and celebrated! My expectation is high and I have no doubt that you all will exceed my expectations. We will work very hard, but we will also have fun and lots of laughter. In my classroom, music is for everyone and everyone will have a voice to be heard. I encourage my classes to foster kindness, compassion, and a sense of family. I have an open door policy, if you need to speak with me or have needs that I need to be aware of, please ask to speak with me one on one and we can work out specifics. I am sure those of you who are experienced will be good leaders and teachers to those who are new to BHS! Welcome to 2025-2026!!!!!!

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The BHS Choir Classes are PERFORMANCE-BASED classes designed to teach students good, strong, healthy vocal techniques in an ensemble setting. There are 4 choirs: Concert Choir-unauditioned SATB choir for those less experienced and just getting started, BHS Chamber Choir-auditioned SSAA choir for those with experience, A Cappella Choir-auditioned advanced choir and BHS Schola Cantorum both with afterschool rehearsals on Mondays Fall and Spring from 3:45-5:45 PM. Participation in class is a requirement and singing is a whole body activity. Students will be required to do some movement during class. The choirs will have scheduled performances each semester outlined in the Choir Calendar of Events. All off-campus performances will need a parent initial on the indicated page. Some choirs and choir students will have more scheduled performances and events than others. All scheduled performances are mandatory. There will be a Performance Uniform requirement for all choirs.

BHS CHOIRS:

BHS Concert Choir - SATB Choir open to all students without audition and all incoming Freshman
BHS Singers (BHS Chamber Choir) - auditioned SSAA choir
BHS A Cappella Choir - auditioned advanced SSAATTBB Choir
BHS Schola Cantorum - auditioned, highly advanced and smaller SSAATTBB Choir

PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES:

Homecoming Variety Show
Veterans' Day Celebration
Holiday Outreach Concert
Holiday Concert
MTVA Choral Adjudication Festival
Black History Celebration
Performing at BMS
The possibility of invitations to perform may arise.

Welcome Back Celebration, Parent Meeting, Trip Meeting:

****There will be an afterschool celebration with food, music, and games on Wednesday August 27. This will be followed by a trip/parent meeting beginning at 6:30 in the Choir Room.

Choir Packet:

General Information/Syllabus/Grading Policy – kept in your choir folder
Off-campus Calendar of Events to be initialed by a parent and TURN IN
Student Information sheet to be signed by a parent and TURN IN
Student Medical Form for all choir members, to be *notarized* and TURN IN
Voice Lessons Letter and TURN IN if interested

Choir Dues:

Choir dues are a one-time fee of $75.00 for BHS Singers and A Cappella Choir. The fee for Concert Choir is $50. This fee will need to be paid for by Friday Sept. 26. This will help cover the cost of our accompanist, music tracks, piano tuning, sheet music, travel expenses, and any general operating needs of the choral department.

Fundraising and Donations:

All Concerts will have a small charge. Please refer to the Concert Calendar where the fees are indicated.
Donations may be made to the choral department accompanied with a donation letter.
There may also be student sponsorships. Please let me know if you know of someone who would like to sponsor a student or a performance.
We will be doing at least 1 concert to fundraise for the Spring Break Trip.

Auditions:

If you feel that you need to be in an elevated ensemble, please let me know and we can arrange an audition to determine if you need to move to another class.

A Cappella Choir:

Practice is part of the process that leads to excellence. A Cappella Choir is the most advanced ensemble at BHS. To be a member of this ensemble students must commit to mandatory Wednesday/Friday Afterschool Rehearsals from 3:45-5:45. If there are conflicts with rehearsals they MUST be discussed ahead of time with Ms. Payne. More than 1 unexcused absences will result in a class change, unless accompanied by a Doctor’s note if sick. All performances are mandatory; any conflicts or missed performances MUST be discussed ahead of time. Unexcused absences on performances will result in a class change. Students will be expected to have a one on one meeting with Ms. Payne to discuss schedules for the year. There will be a Conflict Calendar that All Student AND Parents will need to sign and agree to. If a student is sick and needs to be absent, there must be an email or remind message from a parent PRIOR to the rehearsal or performance in order to be excused.

Performance Uniform:

There will be a designated uniform for all choirs. The information will be released at the parent meeting.

Fall and Spring Musical:

There will be a performing opportunity for the school’s Fall Play/Musical in November and Spring musical in March. There will be auditions and all are welcome to audition. This year there will be Student Contracts and rehearsals/performances will be mandatory. There will be more information about this at a later date.

Grading Policy:

All students will be graded on a weekly basis, minimum of 2 grades per week. Grades will come in the form of written quizzes about the music we are learning, from sight-reading, from performances of the music being learned, possible piano knowledge/skills, and individual journaling. There will be scheduled singing assessments and there will be non-announced assessments. Participation is mandatory and will have an effect on your grade. Scheduled performances are mandatory and will be graded. If a scheduled performance is missed there could be options for that grade recovery, however understand the performance cannot be replaced. The following guidelines follow the county policy.

If the performance is missed due to an emergency, then I will need to be notified through email the day of the performance and we will work together to schedule a time for your singing assessment of the music or an alternative assignment.
If the performance is missed due to a conflict with another school activity/group, then I will need to be notified of that asap and we will schedule your singing assessment of the performance music.
If the performance is missed due to a “No Show” and with no explanation, then we will need to have a conference to determine if and/or what the recovery assignment will be, in addition to singing the music learned for the performance for the class with a rehearsal track.

Things for this year:

Choral Performance Assessment (CPA) (Regional and State Levels)
Soloists and small groups for the singing of the National Anthem
Variety Show Performances, Holiday Concert, *Black History Month Performance, Choir Spring Concert, Fine Arts Night, School Wide Talent Show, A Cappella Only Spring Concert
Performing on the Middle School Concerts
Community Outreach Concerts: TBA
Voice Lessons – Good possibility of Voice Teachers brought in for lessons. More info to come!
Choir Council
Adopt a new choir member
More social events

Want to get involved?

If you are a parent, guardian, relative, or patron, and want to get involved, feel free to contact us. We will definitely need some help :)

Fine Arts at Blackman High School

The choral department is just one piece of an amazing Fine Arts program at Blackman. Many students are involved in Drama, Dance, Musical Theatre, Art, and Band. Several crossover among the different ones. We are very proud of our school and its support of Fine Arts.

Tweet #BHSChoirs3