and

 

 

Sit back and enjoy listening to the sounds of bagpipes as they welcome you

to the beautiful countries of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales! This special

program will inspire you to want to travel to those lands.

 

 

 

 

This Season the ORS Youth Choir Music Education Program celebrates its 16th anniversary! 

The program was established in 1994 to provide music education and choral performance opportunities

for children the the greater Portland and SW Washington areas. 

 

The six choirs (Primo, Poco, Brioso, Vivo, Lyric Singers and our new Boy's Choir) are age appropriate

for students five to 18 years old.

 

The talented young singers present two concert weekends each Season and also present special performances.

 

Increasing the music skills of young performers promotes music as a continuing thread in their lives.

With an emphasis on personal excellence and professional conduct, the young singers learn valuable life skills in addition to receiving important music education.

 

Singers are in Kindergarten and come to class for 45 minutes once a week (Tuesdays.)

Class begins with a 20-25 minute music class where they have fun participating in singing

games and movement activities designed to strengthen their ability to match pitch and

keep a steady beat.  In the spring they also begin learning skills that will lead to music literacy. 

The last 20-25 minutes the children are taught how to be a choir, learning proper posture and

beginning exercises to strengthen breathing and singing in tune.  A variety of appropriate

literature from different styles is sung.  Primo sings with the other choirs in two December

concerts and two May concerts.

Singers are in grades 1-3 and come to class for one hour each week (Tuesdays.)

They participate in a half hour musicianship class, based on the teachings of Zoltan Kodaly.

They work on music literacy skills through a variety of singing games, and movement and listening activities.

 

Then they participate in a half hour choir rehearsal, where they learn appropriate choir posture,

breathing and vocalizing, along with singing age-appropriate choral literature of the highest quality. 

Unison and canonic 2 part singing is the focus of this choir. This music is written in many different

styles by a variety of composers. Poco Choir performs in our annual December and May concerts.

Singers are in grades 4-6 and come to class for 1 hour and 30 minutes (Tuesdays.) 

They participate in a half hour musicianship class, where they work on music literacy skills,

based on the teachings of Zoltan Kodaly.

 

Then they sing in an hour and fifteen minute choir rehearsal, learning appropriate

breathing and vocal techniques through singing high quality literature. The literature is

written by many different composers.  They sing in different styles and experience

the fun of singing in different languages.  Unison and 2 part harmonic singing

is the focus of this choir.

The Brioso Choir sings in our annual December and May concerts as well as our annual

fundraiser in February.  They also take a day in the spring to perform at elementary

schools in the area.  Every year or two Brioso travels to sing at a children's choir festival. 

 

Singers are in grades 7-12 and come to class for 2 hours every week (Tuesdays.) 

They participate in a half hour musicianship class, where they work on musicianship skills,

based on the teachings of Zoltan Kodaly.  Choir rehearsal is an hour and a half, where

they learn advanced breathing and vocal techniques.  The highest quality literature is sung,

singing in many styles written by many different composers.  Advanced unison, 2, 3 and 4

part treble music is the focus of this choir.  They will also sing in many different languages

during the course of the year. 

 

Vivo Choir performs at the annual December and May concerts as well as at our February fundraiser. 

 

Every year this choir has the opportunity to sing at the adult ORS concerts as well,

giving them the chance to sing at a high level for a public audience. This choir has the

opportunity to travel and sing at festivals in other locales.  In the summer of 2006 Vivo

traveled to York, England to participate in a wonderful festival there. It was a two week trip

that we will never forget!  In 2007 we traveled to New Orleans for a six day festival

sponsored by the New Orleans Children's Choir.  In June 2008 the choristers toured Chicago

for the Windy City Youth Choral Festival.

 

This group consists of 9-12th grade girls who want to sing in a smaller ensemble. 

They meet for 45 minutes directly after Vivo rehearsal, once a week. 

They have the opportunity for extra performances when a smaller group is requested,

as well as the other youth concerts. 

 

Members of this ensemble must also sing in Vivo Choir. Enrollment is by invitation only.

 

 

A new Choir for our 2010-2011 year for boys of all ages. Appropriate literature is sung in all styles. 

The young men sing in the December and May concerts as well as other outreach performances

of their own.