The Highland Park High School Choral Program is home to 5 ensembles - 4 curricular, and 1 extracurricular. Each is designed to help students learn how to more effectively use their voices, as well as learn more about music theory, music history, and ear training, through the music that they practice and perform for each concert.

Concert Choir

Concert Choir provides opportunities for freshmen and other first year choral students to develop their musical potential through singing in a choral ensemble. Study includes the care and cultivation of beautiful tone, the ability to read music, the building of technical skills, team spirit, and responsible rehearsal habits, as well as fundamental music theory and ear training skills. Students will develop listening skills and their ability to evaluate music performances. Private lessons are encouraged. This course may be repeated for credit. Attendance at all public performances is required. No pre-requisite class required.

Treble Ensemble

Treble Ensemble is an auditioned ensemble open to freshmen-senior sopranos and altos, and is designed to further their musical potential and aesthetic understanding through singing in a choral ensemble. Study includes the care and cultivation of beautiful tone, aesthetic awareness, the ability to read music, the refinement of technical skills, team spirit, and responsible rehearsal habits, and intermediate/advanced music theory and ear training skills. Students will strengthen their listening skills and their ability to analyze and evaluate music and music performances. Private lessons are encouraged. Attendance at all public performances is required. No prerequisite course required. Honors credit is available by application. Membership is by audition only.

Chorale

Chorale, open to all sophomores-seniors by audition, provides opportunities for advanced choral students to refine their musical production and aesthetic understanding through singing in a choral ensemble. This advanced ensemble further develops the cultivation of beautiful tone, aesthetic awareness, and the ability to read music at a more advanced level, the refinement of technical skills,team spirit, and responsible rehearsal habits, as well as advanced music theory and ear training concepts. Students will strengthen their listening skills and their ability to analyze and evaluate music and music performances. Private lessons are encouraged. Attendance at all public performances is required. Honors credit is available by application. Membership is by audition only.

Swing Choir

Swing Choir combines advanced singing and dancing techniques to perform a wide variety of musical styles, including pop, musical theatre and jazz. Singing and dancing experience are strong assets for students who choose to audition for this performance ensemble. Private lessons are encouraged. Attendance at all public performances is required. Concurrent enrollment in another curricular choral ensemble is required. Membership is by audition only.

MadCap

These singers are a small and highly select group of voices. A high level of skill and experience are required because of the style and difficulty of the music performed. In the fall semester, the group studies Madrigals, an a cappella form of vocal music from the Renaissance era. The group also performs around the community for various holiday events. In the spring semester, the group transforms into a contemporary a cappella group (in the style of Pentatonix, Voctave, and others). Music studies is contemporary popular music, and students learn to develop a healthy, style-appropriate vocal tone for this style, as well as other related skills such as vocal percussion and microphone technique. This ensemble is open to all students involved in an HPHS music ensemble, and rehearses outside of the school day. Membership is by audition only.