Southern Illinois Children’s Choir
About Us
Mission Statement
The Southern Illinois Children’s Choir exists to enhance children’s lives through choral music education and performance, while building a world-class choir.
The SICC is organized for the musical enrichment of area children and the enhancement of the musical life of southern Illinois.
In carrying out its mission, the guiding principles are:
- SICC is open to and encourages participation o boys and girls throughout southern Illinois regardless of ethnic background or economic status.
- SICC provides children with a unique and important educational, social and artistic musical experience.
- SICC believes children possess a tremendous capacity for knowledge and growth. By striving for excellence in a disciplined and encouraging atmosphere, children can reach their full potential in choral artistry.
- SICC believes that educating children in the best choral repertoire from the past and present preserves an important part of our culture for future generations.
Program
The Southern Illinois Children's Choir program, now in its second decade, is open to girls and
boys with unchanged voices. The community-based organization consists of four treble choirs,
each based on the skill levels and ages of the children.
KinderChoir is an introductory music experience to open the door to the world of singing and music. It is a non-auditioned choir for children age four through third grade. It meets for 45 minutes weekly, with the focus on age-appropriate music readiness activities. Two performances are scheduled during the year, including one each in the fall and spring semester.
Apprentice Choir is an auditioned beginning level choir for singersin grades one through five. Emphasis is placed on ear training and in-tune singing, with a curriculum based on the Kodály music principles of singing games/activities. Members meet weekly for 90 minutes. Two performances are scheduled during the year, including one each in the fall and spring.
Singer Choir is an auditioned intermediate level choir for grades four through eight. Basics of vocal production and musicianship are taught, with an emphasis on ear training, in-tune singing and the development of performance technique. The choir rehearses and performs as an individual choir and combined group. Singers remain at this level until they have mastered the skills and have the experience required to move to the Chorister Choir.
Chorister Choir is SICC’s premier performing and touring group for grades four through nine. This ensemble is for the singer who has demonstrated the ability to sing independently on pitch and in-tune with other voices. Each singer is assessed as being able to learn complex melodies and harmonies. Rehearsals move at a faster pace to meet the challenge of learning and performing sophisticated and advanced repertoire. The director may accept new singers based on experience, ability, age and maturity level.
Rehearsals are each Tuesday evening of the school year at Altgeld Hall on the SIUC campus. Choral music educators include Stephanie Hanson, Stan Willis and Alice Berry.
Auditions take place at area schools and the SIUC School of Music at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. Potential members should sing with a clear tone that blends well with others, sing in tune with an unchanged voice and demonstrate a good sense of rhythm while exhibiting self-discipline, attentive behavior and a positive attitude. For more information or to schedule a child for an audition, please call the School of Music at 53M-USIC (536-8742) or e-mail Alice Berry at joyousinging@yahoo.com.
Tuition and registration fees are $100 for the KinderChoir, $120 for the Apprentice Choir, and $160 for the Singer/Chorister Choirs for the 2008-09 school year. Members of the Singer and Chorister Choirs have additional uniform rental/purchase costs. Families with more than one child in choir receive a $15 discount on registration fees for each additional child. Semester payment plans and other payment options are available. Needs-based scholarships are also available. Tuition is payable to SIUC for SICC. Whether payment is by the semester or by the year, it is assumed that families are making a commitment for a full year.
Summer Choir Camp is open to the community at large on a non-auditioned basis. The half-day camp takes place in July/August. All young people who enjoy singing and making new friends are invited to participate in the week-long camp. Participants who wish to be a part of SICC may audition during the week of camp. Needs-based scholarships are available.
Performance History
The Southern Illinois Children’s Choir Performance History Highlights
1990
- Founded in the spring with 45 charter members
1992
- Performed in the State Capitol Rotunda in Springfield
- Performed at the Illinois Music Educators All-State Conference
1993
- Toured the southeast, performing at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina
1994
- Performed in the Shepley Music and Art Series at Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis. premiering Gregg Smith’s Four Sandburg Songs.
- Recorded a set of folk songs collected from members of the international community at SIUC as part of a grant from the Association of International Educators.
1995
- Toured Washington, D.C., sang for the Lincoln Legacy awards, performed in the National Cathedral and in the Grand Foyer Series at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts
1996
- Toured Chicago sang with "All God's Children." Performed at St. James Cathedral and the Chicago Cultural Center. Sang the national anthem at a White Sox baseball game
1997
- Traveled to Tennessee and performed at Opryland in Nashville and at the Museum of Art in Knoxville
1998
- Traveled to Canada and performed with several children's choirs
1999
- Invited to the Crescent City Children's Choral Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Performed Festival repertoire and sang solo in the St. Louis Cathedral
2000
- Traveled to Branson, Missouri to celebrate a successful concert season
2001
- Sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a St. Louis Cardinals’ baseball game
2002
- Sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a St. Louis Cardinals’ baseball game
- Participated in the International Children's Choir Festival in Canterbury, England, performing solo and with seven other children's choirs in Canterbury Cathedral with Henry Leck, Director of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir and David Flood, Organist and Master of Choristers at Canterbury Cathedral
- Performed in London at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church and the Methodist Central Hall
2004
- Performed with the Southern Illinois Symphony Orchestra in The Nutcracker
2005
- Participated in the Heritage Music Festival in Chicago, Illinois, training with well-known composers and singing with children’s choirs from throughout the United States in the Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago and Alice Millar Chapel at Northwestern University
- Sang “God Bless America” at the St. Louis Cardinals’ baseball game
2006
- Performed with the Southern Illinois Festival Orchestra in Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni
- Sang “God Bless America” at the St. Louis Cardinal’s baseball game in the new stadium
- Performed with the Southern Illinois Symphony Orchestra and the Marjorie Lawrence Opera Theater in the opera Hansel and Gretel
- Entertained guests at the Pepsi Mid America Christmas Dinner
2007
- Performed “God Bless America” at a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game
- Performed for the Jackson/ Perry County Teachers’ Institute, Shryock Auditorium, SIUC
2008
- Sang “Illinois” for The Lincoln Academy of Illinois Convocation, Shryock Auditorium, SIUC
- Competed in the Music in the Parks Festival, Eureka, MO / Six Flags St. Louis. Earned: 1) superior rating, plus a trophy for Middle School Treble Choir AAA; 2) a trophy and the distinction of being the Best Overall Elementary School Choir; 3) 11-year-old member of the Chorister Choir earned the Outstanding Soloist medallion from among the participating twenty-eight choirs from Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee
- Performed in Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker with the Southern Illinois Festival Orchestra at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center and Shryock Auditorium, SIUC
- Sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” for a Southern Illinois Miners ballgame, Rent One Park, Marion, IL
- Sang “Illinois” at the Abraham Lincoln Statue Dedication for the unveiling of a 9-foot-tall bronze sculpture at the Fifth District Appellate Courthouse in Mt. Vernon, IL, with Supreme Court and Appellate Court Justices in attendance.
- Informed in October that the choir has been selected by Field Studies International to participate in the National Children’s Choir Choral Festival in New York City April 17-20, 2009. SICC and nine other choirs form New York to California will perform in the world-renowned Carnegie Hall.
Other Performance Highlights for Singer and Chorister Choirs
2005-2008
- Annual concerts in December and May
- Annual “Lights Fantastic” Holiday Sing at the University Mall
- Annual WSIU studio taping for WSIL TV-3 "Sounds of the Season"
- Annual Arts in Education Festival, SIUC
- Annual Community Music Fest, Grace United Methodist Church, Carbondale
- Annual Spring Tour of Area Schools
Community Service
- American Cancer Society Relay for Life
- Carbondale Community Service in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Carbondale Good Samaritan House
- Carbondale Women’s Center
- Coach Kill Cancer Fund
- Murphysboro General John A. Logan Birthday Breakfast for the Logan Museum
- Murphysboro Youth and Recreation Center
- Poshard Foundation for Abused Children
- Southern Illinois Unity Service “The Life and Legacy of Dr, Martin Luther King, Jr.”
