Monthly Newsletter

March 2024
Choral Program Update

Three of our Choral students performed in this year's MMEA All State Concert on March 23rd. Bravo to all 11  Belmont students who were represented this year!!

 Congratulations to Calvin Barnes (tenor), Liam Sinclair (bass), and Rayna Thomas (alto). 

Choral Ensembles: Belmont High School

UPCOMING Concerts- POPS!!!: Our BHS Combined Chorus will be performing at this year's POPS Concert on Friday, April 26th! The performance is at 6:30pm. Students should arrive to the BLACK BOX at 6:00pm for a warmup. Please review the concert attire requirements in the Handbook HERE. We are asking students to wear all black and to look clean and professional.

Here is what we have been preparing for this year's POPS Concert:

MICCA REMINDER: This year, we will be performing at the MICCA (Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association) Choral Festival. We were able to select our performance and clinic date and time which is officially: Friday, April 5th in Norwood, MA. Students are dismissed from their F Block classes on this day and we will depart BHS at 1:45pm. We will get time for a warmup in Norwood and then perform our 3 piece set. Following our performance slot, we will get a brief clinic with on of the adjudicators. During this experience, we will get adjudicated feedback and will perform for a medal. We look forward to returning to this Festival- it's a GREAT experience for our singers!

Reminder: students should bring their black concert attire TO SCHOOL on this day. They can change at the start of F Block before we get on the bus. Please do not forget to come to school with these clothes.  

Upcoming Event: A CAPPELLA NIGHT!!: Many of our students are involved in our A Cappella Group: The Clay Pit Crooners! We are excited to bring our third A Cappella Night to Belmont this year, featuring SEVEN local a cappella groups. This is the most we have ever featured and will be a GREAT night with some really excellent a cappella singing and some really fun songs. We hope you join us!! The suggested donation is $10 and funds will go towards future clinicians, equipment, and music. We hope you join us next Thursday, April 11th!!

Important Dates To Note:

Choral Ensembles: Belmont Middle School

Chorus Spring Concert Reminders- upcoming on APRIL 30th!!: I am enjoying making great music every day with our students. Please be reminded that ALL students are expected to be at our 2 concerts a year- and with their busy schedules, that is why we provided our concert dates on the first day of school in September. We plan the dates in the Spring of the previous year and make sure that we work with the school calendar. Students should NOT be missing this concert for a reason that is not an emergency (we ask that students let their coaches and club advisors know about this one concert date so they are aware of their commitment). ALL voices are valuable and needed and we want their hard work all year to be presented. Thank you for supporting this and the commitment they made at the start of the year! As a reminder, here are the concert dates for the Spring:

7th Grade Chorus concert specifics: 

Students should arrive to the BLACK BOX at 5:30pm for a warmup. Please review the concert attire requirements in the Syllabus HERE. We are asking students to wear white on top, black on the bottom, black shoes, and to look clean and professional! No logos or prints, please.

A reminder of the following rehearsal that is taking place for ALL 7th GRADE CHORUS STUDENTS: D Block students should remind their B Block teachers that they will be missing class that day:

7th Grade Chorus COMBINED REHEARSAL in school- Thursday, April 25th during B BLOCK (Day 5)- in the Auditorium!

8th Grade Chorus concert specifics: 

Students should arrive to the BLACK BOX at 7:00pm for a warmup. Please review the concert attire requirements in the Syllabus HERE. We are asking students to wear white on top, black on the bottom, black shoes, and to look clean and professional! No logos or prints, please.

A reminder of the following rehearsal that is taking place for ALL 8th GRADE CHORUS STUDENTS: C Block students should remind their F Block teachers that they will be missing class that day:

8th Grade Chorus COMBINED REHEARSAL in school- Tuesday, April 23rd during F BLOCK (Day 3)- in the Auditorium!

Lacrosse Night- May 11: BMHS Chorus students are invited to sing the National Anthem at the annual Lacrosse Night in town. This is a really fun tradition, and we hope that if you are in town that weekend, you will join us. The games are at 4:00 (3:30 arrival) and 6:00 (5:30 arrival). Students are welcome to sing at one or both games. Please wear your favorite Belmont gear or Belmont colors! Please let Mrs. Carson know HERE if your child is planning on attending. Even if you don’t fill out the form, you are welcome to attend!

JMF Scholarship: Students in grades 5-8 are welcome to apply to the John McClellan Scholarship Fund. Two $500 scholarships are awarded to help students with music lessons, summer camps, masterclasses, and more. You can find out more information and apply HERE.

Course Selection- BHS!!: I HIGHLY encourage all 8th graders to continue singing in Chorus at BHS next year. The High School choral experience is quite different and offers students an opportunity to be challenged musically, continue to grow as musicians and humans, and (my favorite part) getting to sing with students of all four grades. Over my years teaching at Belmont High School, I have been struck and amazed by the amount of friendships that I have seen fostered in the Chorus room. The community and friendships made through music is the most important part of what we do and it's a very, very special choral family we have cultivated here at BHS. I would LOVE to have you be a part of it. I wish ALL students could find their way here.  If you have questions or concerns about fitting chorus into your schedule- please speak with me about it. I'd be happy to answer your questions and work your thoughts out with you. 

Important Dates To Note:

After School Choral Ensembles

Clay Pit Crooners A Cappella (Grades 9-12)

Madrigal Singers (Grades 9-12)

BMS Chamber Singers (Grades 7-8)

Student Perspective

BHS CHORUS

Please enjoy this note from BHS 10th grader and member of HS Chamber Singers, Brooke Whalen:

Hi! My name is Brooke Whalen and I am a sophomore at BHS. I am a part of the combined BHS and Chamber Singers choir, and I am also a section leader for the sopranos. My favorite part of Chorus is probably the way I am able to learn exciting new things with my peers everyday. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to work with my classmates, who always put in an immense amount of effort into every piece. Currently, we are preparing for MICCA, a music festival where we get to sing and receive feedback from adjudicators! We will be singing three pieces, my favorite being Into the West, a song included within The Lord of The Rings series! We have also been working on a few pieces for the POPS concert next month, our final concert of the year. I have really enjoyed this year so far, and I am excited to showcase our hard work at MICCA and the upcoming POPS concert!


Thank you, Brooke!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

Follow the Clay Pit Crooners on Instagram at @bhscrooners !!

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February 2024
Choral Program Update

The Clay Pit Crooners competed in their FIRST EVER ICHSAs
(International Championship of High School A Cappella) on February 10th!! 

They had a fantastic time at Danvers High School sharing their music with other INCREDIBLE High School A Cappella Groups! Can't wait to return in 2025!

Choral Ensembles: Belmont High School

Chamber Singers Auditions and Course Selection: All RETURNING and INTERESTED HS Chamber Singers must submit an audition video to me no later than THIS Friday, March 8th. Please find all audition materials HERE. Please see me with any questions!

As a follow up, I encourage all singers to continue committing to singing in choir at BHS. I cannot speak enough to the enriching experience of ensemble singing and the growth as human beings I see each year is astonishing. Finding joy in your school day is SO important and I urge all students to continue singing along with us and growing as musicians and humans. 

MICCA Update: This year, we will be performing at the MICCA (Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association) Choral Festival. We were able to select our performance and clinic date and time which is officially: Friday, April 5th from 3:40-4:00 in Norwood, MA. Bus information will be coming soon, but please plan for students to depart BHS around 1/1:30pm on this day. Following our performance slot, we will get a brief clinic with on of the adjudicators. During this experience, we will get adjudicated feedback and will perform for a medal ranking (Gold, Silver, or Bronze). We look forward to returning to this Festival after taking last year off- it's a GREAT experience for our singers!

Upcoming Musical Event: SOMETHING ROTTEN!!: Many of our students are involved in the upcoming BHS Musical Production "Something Rotten", which will go up on our Main Stage March 14-16! I am particularly proud of this performance and these students and I encourage you to get your tickets HERE before they sell out!!

HS Chorus Exchanged "Shout Out Valentines" to share love within our community prior to February break. It was a great way to express appreciation for each member of our ensemble and take time to appreciate something about each individual. All members are important and valued and this exercise was a beautiful way to shout out everybody in class in this way and share the love!

Important Dates To Note:

Choral Ensembles: Belmont Middle School

Course Selection: At this point, all 8th graders have attended the course fair and have begun considering what courses they enrolling in as 9th grader at Belmont High School. I HIGHLY encourage all 8th graders to continue singing in Chorus. The High School choral experience is quite different and offers students an opportunity to be challenged musically, continue to grow as musicians and humans, and (my favorite part) getting to sing with students of all four grades. Over my years teaching at Belmont High School, I have been struck and amazed by the amount of friendships that I have seen fostered in the Chorus room. The community and friendships made through music is the most important part of what we do and it's a very, very special choral family we have cultivated here at BHS. I would LOVE to have you be a part of it. I wish ALL students could find their way here.  If you have questions or concerns about fitting chorus into your schedule- please speak with me about it. I'd be happy to answer your questions and work your thoughts out with you. 

Junior District Chorus Congratulations: a HUGE congratulations to our students that were accepted into this year's Junior District Chorus. This is a major accomplishment! These students will be participating in the festival this March at the Galvin Middle School in Wakefield. At the Junior District level, there are two choirs- an SSA chorus and an SATB chorus. Students have been selected into one of these ensembles and will work with incredible professionals learning high quality music at this festival- I'm so excited for them to get this experience!! 

Spring Concert Reminders: I am enjoying making great music every day with our students. Please be reminded that ALL students are expected to be at our 2 concerts a year- and with their busy schedules, that is why we provided our concert dates on the first day of school in September. We plan the dates in the Spring of the previous year and make sure that we work with the school calendar. Students should NOT be missing this concert for a reason that is not an emergency (we ask that students let their coaches and club advisors know about this one concert date so they are aware of their commitment). ALL voices are valuable and needed and we want their hard work all year to be presented. Thank you for supporting this and the commitment they made at the start of the year! As a reminder, here are the concert dates for the Spring:

Important Dates To Note:

After School Choral Ensembles

Clay Pit Crooners A Cappella (Grades 9-12)

Madrigal Singers (Grades 9-12)

BMS Chamber Singers (Grades 7-8)

Student Perspective

BHS CHORUS

Please enjoy this note from BHS 10th grader and member of HS Chamber Singers and Clay Pit Crooners, Sophia Gottselig:

Hi! My name is Sophia, and I am a sophomore. Currently, I take part in the conjoined BHS and Chamber Singers choir and am involved in our a cappella group, the Clay Pit Crooners. This is my second year in chorus, and I love that I am able to spend time learning and singing songs with my peers! Recently, we have been working to prepare for MICCA, a choral festival which will be taking place soon. In class, we have been practicing  the pieces we will be performing at it (such as a Spark of Light). I am so excited that we are able to have this opportunity, and I think that our chorus will have an amazing performance! Thank you to the choir community and Ms. Donovan for another wonderful year. :)


Thank you, Sophia!

Belmont Middle School Chamber Singers: Spring 2024. Come to their concert at BMHS on April 9th!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

Follow the Clay Pit Crooners on Instagram at @bhscrooners !!

InstagramFacebook

December 2023/January 2024
Choral Program Update

Seven of our High School vocalists were accepted into this year's MMEA Northeastern District Festival Chorus!! Bravo to them and to the entire chorus on a beautiful performance on January 6th, led by Dr. Marcela Molina of the Tucson Girls Chorus!

Choral Ensembles: Belmont High School

Upcoming Course Selection and 2025 Chorus/Orchestra TRIP!!!: With the midyear point of the school year upon us, it becomes time to consider the retention and recruitment of our program going into the next school year. My hope is that we can continue to build with each year- especially now that our wonderful 8th graders share a chorus room with us- and that we can look at more exciting opportunities in the music program to come! This Friday, January 26th is the Course Fair, where students will get a chance to explore the many options for courses and electives they can take in the 2024-2025 school year. This year is looking to be a packed one in our Choral Program, and I hope we can have many singers to contribute to a fierce sound and a strong community. 

Something I am namely excited for in 2025, is our first TRIP since before Covid (and my first one even since teaching at BHS!) The Belmont HS Music Program used to proudly tour many exciting cities to enrich our musical lives and widen our eyes and we are excited to begin bringing these opportunities to our singers again. Next April 2025, our Chorus and Orchestras will be embarking on a trip to Nashville and Memphis Tennessee! I have traveled to Nashville before for a Choir Tour in college and I know this destination will provide our students with a rich opportunity to explore MANY styles of music, learn about and see many excellent performances, explore the area, eat REALLY good food, sing together in beautiful venues, and most importantly- have fun bonding with each other. There is nothing like making music together in a destination outside our four walls!

We are in the early stages of planning, but sign ups will begin at the end of this school year. In a few weeks, we will be able to share a more in depth itinerary and pricing quotes. We hope you will continue to sing in Chorus next year AND bring a friend to be able to come with us! The more the merrier!!) More information about course selection is upcoming as well.

December Concert Bravo!!: I did not provide a formal update at the end of December but I want to say how proud I am of the performances throughout December!! Particularly our combined Chorus and Orchestra Concert on December 13th. We worked hard on that repertoire and had a quick turnover between the Masquerade Concert and this performance so it was a rigorous month and a half of preparation. If you were unable to attend the concert, or you would like to revisit the performance, you can view it (as recorded by Belmont Media Center) HERE!

MICCA Update: This year, we will be performing at the MICCA (Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association) Choral Festival. We were able to select our performance and clinic date and time which is officially: Friday, April 5th from 3:40-4:00 in Norwood, MA. Bus information will be coming soon, but please plan for students to depart BHS around 1/1:30pm on this day. Following our performance slot, we will get a brief clinic with on of the adjudicators. During this experience, we will get adjudicated feedback and will perform for a medal ranking (Gold, Silver, or Bronze). We look forward to returning to this Festival after taking last year off- it's a GREAT experience for our singers! 

All State Chorus Congratulations: Out of our 7 students accepted into this year's, 3 earned scores high enough to allow them an All State Chorus audition. I am proud to announce that ALL 3 of those students were accepted! It is a major deal and a great honor to be accepted at the State level and we are so proud of these singers. A huge congratulations to: 


These three vocalists will be participating in rehearsals to be held at Mechanics Hall in Worcester and a final performance on March  23rd at SYmphony Hall in Boston. Both  world class  venues that will be a once in a lifetime experience to sing in.  The choir will be led by conductor Dr. Wendy  M. Koy of Syracuse University.  

Welcome Mr. Lindsey!!: I am pleased to share the podium this Spring with Mr. Rozime Lindsey, a Masters in Music Education student from Boston University who will be student teaching with me until April, working with our middle and high school chorus students. Please learn a bit about Mr. Lindsay below:


"Originally from Philadelphia, baritone Rozime Lindsey recently graduated with his Bachelor of Music degree in Performance at Boston University, studying voice under the tutelage of Penelope Bitzas. Besides student teaching at Belmont, he teaches private lessons at St. Paul's Choir School. As a frequent freelance musician in Boston, Rozime has performed numerous concerts with groups such as the Copley Singers, Newton Baroque, St. Paul’s Choir School, and Church of the Advent. In the Summer of 2023, Rozime interned with Fletcher Artist Management, an opera artist management company, to help facilitate the logistics for artists’ housing and travel and boost their marketing efforts. In the Summer of 2022, Rozime was selected as an Emerging Artist with the Bach Roots Festival, performing as a soloist and chorister in the St. Matthew Passion. As an All-City Philadelphia Chorus and Orchestra member, Rozime has been honored to perform for President Joseph Biden and Pope Francis. With the All-City Philadelphia Chorus, he has also performed numerous concerts under the baton of Yannick Nezet-Seguin of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Metropolitan Opera. In addition to performing, Rozime interned with Juventas New Music Ensemble, focusing on outreach and educational programming"

Important Dates To Note:

Choral Ensembles: Belmont Middle School

Winter Concert BRAVO!!: I am very proud of our students for preparing their first concerts in our beautiful new space at BMHS! The repertoire was NOT easy and gave the students much to work on. I am excited to build upon these skills, have deeper conversations about the music we are learning, and present another great concert in the Spring. Unfortunately, our 7th Grade Chorus Concert could not be recorded, but we did get a recording of our BMS Chamber Singers and Combined 8th Grade Chorus/HS Concert recorded by Belmont Media Center. If you were unable to attend either of those concerts, or you would like to revisit the performances, you can view them at the link HERE!

Spring Concert Reminders: I am enjoying making great music every day with our students. Please be reminded that ALL students are expected to be at our 2 concerts a year- and with their busy schedules, that is why we provided our concert dates on the first day of school in September. We plan the dates in the Spring of the previous year and make sure that we work with the school calendar. Students should NOT be missing this concert for a reason that is not an emergency (we ask that students let their coaches and club advisors know about this one concert date so they are aware of their commitment). ALL voices are valuable and needed and we want their hard work all year to be presented. Thank you for supporting this and the commitment they made at the start of the year! As a reminder, here are the concert dates for the Spring:


Welcome Mr. Lindsey!!: I am pleased to share the podium this Spring with Mr. Rozime Lindsey, a Masters in Music Education student from Boston University who will be student teaching with me until April, working with our middle and high school chorus students. Please learn a bit about Mr. Lindsay below:


"Originally from Philadelphia, baritone Rozime Lindsey recently graduated with his Bachelor of Music degree in Performance at Boston University, studying voice under the tutelage of Penelope Bitzas. Besides student teaching at Belmont, he teaches private lessons at St. Paul's Choir School. As a frequent freelance musician in Boston, Rozime has performed numerous concerts with groups such as the Copley Singers, Newton Baroque, St. Paul’s Choir School, and Church of the Advent. In the Summer of 2023, Rozime interned with Fletcher Artist Management, an opera artist management company, to help facilitate the logistics for artists’ housing and travel and boost their marketing efforts. In the Summer of 2022, Rozime was selected as an Emerging Artist with the Bach Roots Festival, performing as a soloist and chorister in the St. Matthew Passion. As an All-City Philadelphia Chorus and Orchestra member, Rozime has been honored to perform for President Joseph Biden and Pope Francis. With the All-City Philadelphia Chorus, he has also performed numerous concerts under the baton of Yannick Nezet-Seguin of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Metropolitan Opera. In addition to performing, Rozime interned with Juventas New Music Ensemble, focusing on outreach and educational programming"

For 8th GRADE CHORUS STUDENTS- Something to look forward to in HS Chorus Next Year- a Music Department TRIP! 

Important Dates To Note:

After School Choral Ensembles

Clay Pit Crooners A Cappella (Grades 9-12)

Madrigal Singers (Grades 9-12)

BMS Chamber Singers (Grades 7-8)

Student Perspectives

BHS CHORUS

Please enjoy this note from BHS 11th grader and member of HS Chorus, Liam Sinclair:

Hi my name is Liam and I am the bass section leader in the BHS Choir! My role is to make sure that my section, including tenors and basses, are prepared, organized, and attentive. In class, we have a normalized schedule with announcements, warm ups, and then we get into the concert pieces for any upcoming performances. These pieces are usually challenging, yet exciting, and require us to split into sectionals to learn our respective parts. All in all, choir is a fantastic time and it really helps strengthen your singing chops every day.

BMS CHORUS

Please enjoy this note from BMS Chorus 7th grader and member of Chamber Singers, Ava Gourley:


Hi! My name is Ava Gourley and I am a BMS choral student and a member of the BMS Chamber Singers. Recently, we have been working hard in 7th grade to prepare for our spring concert in April. We also did a project in December where we researched different songs and voted on a song to do in the spring! All of our songs teach us different musical traits that songs could have and we have learned so much already! I am so excited to start up Chamber Singers soon again and continue to learn our pieces! Ms. Donovan is such a great teacher and we have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the musical talents of Mr. Lindsey(our student teacher) and Sage(our accompanist)!


Thank you, Liam and Ava!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

Follow the Clay Pit Crooners on Instagram at @bhscrooners !!

InstagramFacebook

November 2023
Choral Program Update

The BHS Madrigal Singers started their season of caroling (aka "wassailing") with two performances in November- notably their traditional singing at the Belmont Center Tree Lighting on Thursday, November 30th!! 

Choral Ensembles: Belmont High School

Entering Concert Season!: This Fall has consisted of a lot of hard work in the chorus room and we are excited to finally be nearing our first full high school concert of the year on Wednesday, December 13th at 7:00pm. This concert will be in the Theater at BHS and will feature our Combined High School Chorus, 8th Grade Chorus, and our 8th Grade and High School Orchestras- plus a fun collaboration between our high school singers and string musicians at the end of the concert! Please be reminded that students are expected to stay for the entirety of the concert- especially because they will be singing at the end with the Orchestra.

Students should arrive to the BLACK BOX at 6:30pm for a warmup. Please review the concert attire requirements in the Handbook HERE. We are asking students to wear all black and to look clean and professional! 

!!A request for HS Chorus Parents!!: I am seeking a few adult volunteers DURING this concert. This is the first concert where I will be conducting a high school chorus and middle school chorus at the same time in the same night. While I am on stage with 8th Grade Chorus, I need a few parents who can be available to be backstage with our HS Chorus to supervise. You WILL be able to watch them in the concert and would certainly not miss any of that! If you are available to help out, please fill out THIS FORM BY THIS FRIDAY 12/8. I will email you with details about this, but a few extra hands would be immensely helpful- thank you in advance for your help.

Senior District Chorus Congratulations: a HUGE congratulations to our students that were accepted into this year's Senior District Chorus. This is a major accomplishment! These students will be participating in the festival this January at Lexington High School. Students will be receiving music within the next week and they can begin preparing that repertoire for their time working with Dr. Marcela Molina from the Tucson Girl's Chorus. She is INCREDIBLE and it will be a fantastic experience for these students. A huge thank you to ALL who auditioned this year- taking on this challenge is no small feat and each person who auditioned should feel incredibly proud!

Junior District Auditions: 9th graders are eligible for audition for the Junior District Festival Chorus! This year's audition will take place on Saturday, January 27th 2024. Please see the details below and see Ms. Donovan with questions and to pick up your audition music.

Note that this festival conflicts with the BHS Musical in March so if you are planning to participate in the Musical, you cannot partake in Junior Districts!

Important Dates To Note:

Choral Ensembles: Belmont Middle School

8th Grade Concert NEXT WEEK: This Fall has consisted of a lot of hard work in the chorus room and we are excited to finally be nearing our first full concert of the year on Wednesday, December 13th at 7:00pm. This concert will be in the Theater at BMHS and will feature our Combined High School Chorus, 8th Grade Chorus, and our 8th Grade and High School Orchestras. Please be reminded that students are expected to stay for the entirety of the concert- once they sing, they will watch our HS chorus and 8th/HS orchestra friends fro mthe audience, as they did for us! Students do NOT leave the concert early!

Students should arrive to the BLACK BOX at 6:30pm for a warmup. Please review the concert attire requirements in the Syllabus HERE. We are asking students to wear white on top, black on the bottom, black shoes, and to look clean and professional! No logos or prints, please.

A reminder of the following rehearsal that is taking place for ALL 8th GRADE CHORUS STUDENTS THIS WEEK! F Block students should remind their C Block teachers that they will be missing class that day:

8th Grade Chorus COMBINED REHEARSAL in school- Thursday, December 7th during C BLOCK (Day 6)- in the Auditorium!

!!Call for Parent Volunteers (8th Grade Chorus!)!!: I am still seeking a few adult volunteers DURING this concert. This is the first concert where I will be conducting a high school chorus and middle school chorus at the same time in the same night.  I am looking for a couple parents to help before the concert and also during the concert during the stage transitions and while I am working with my other group: especially helping them to get into their seats in the audience while I bring the HS chorus on stage and helping to supervise them while I conduct the other group during the concert. You WILL be able to watch them in the concert and would certainly not miss any of that! Your help with this would be IMMENSELY appreciated- and I guarantee it will also be fun to get a closer look into what we do!  If you are available to help out, please fill out THIS FORM BY THIS FRIDAY 12/8. I will email you with details about this- thank you in advance for your help, time, and energy.

BMS Chamber Singers Concert NEXT WEEK: I have LOVED working with our mighty Chamber Singers this fall and I am delighted to bring them to the stage on Tuesday, December 12th at 7:00pm. This concert will be in the Theater at BMHS and will feature our BMS Chamber Singers, CUE Chamber Singers, and BMS Chamber Orchestra. Please be reminded that students are expected to stay for the entirety of the concert- once they sing, they will watch our orchestra friends. Students do NOT leave the concert early!

Students should arrive to the BLACK BOX at 6:15pm for a warmup and our only combined rehearsal with the CUE Chamber Singers. Students are asked to wear ALL BLACK for this concert (slightly different than our in-school chorus attire).Please look clean and professional! No logos or prints, please. Reach out if you need help with this concert attire request.

Junior District Auditions: 7th and 8th graders are eligible for audition for the Junior District Festival Chorus! This year's audition will take place on Saturday, January 27th 2024. Please see the details below and see Ms. Donovan with questions and to pick up your audition music.

Congratulations 7th Grade Chorus: Our 7th Grade Chorus performed a BEAUTIFUL concert last Tuesday, December 28th and I was beyond proud of their singing! If anybody has photos or videos from this concert and would like ot share them with me, I would LOVE to see them!! Our 7th Grade Chorus has just begun a "student selection" repertoire project where they are learning how to select repertoire that is appropriate for our voices and it will give them some ownership in a piece they sing in April- stay tuned to find out what piece they vote on!

Important Dates To Note:

After School Choral Ensembles

Clay Pit Crooners A Cappella (Grades 9-12)

Belmont Beats A Cappella (Grades 8-9)

Madrigal Singers (Grades 9-12)

BMS Chamber Singers (Grades 7-8)

Student Perspectives

BHS CHORUS

Please enjoy this note from BHS 11th grader and member of Chorus and Clay Pit Crooners, Josie Lamenza:

Hello! I’m Josie. This is my third year in BHS chorus and in a capella. I really love being a part of the chorus at BHS because every song we do is challenging in different ways. I always enjoy seeing how our group grows and improves together. We are often given opportunities to get to know and learn from each other and that is what makes Chorus feel more like a community than just a class. I am very excited for our upcoming concerts because this year the Chorus is bigger than ever and some of our songs incorporate the Midleschoolers. With more people, we have more sound and power. I can’t wait to see how much our chorus grows over the school year!

BMS CHORUS

Please enjoy this note from BMS 8th grader and member of Chorus, Jimmy Lowery:


Hey! My name is Jimmy Lowery and I am in 8th grade and I am in the BMS Chorus. Over the past few months we have been working on some songs for our winter concert in December, (you should come see it). Each song is filled with different languages, different rhythms, and different lyrics of course. So far chorus has been an amazing experience, and I am super excited for chorus the rest of this year. I am so glad to be a part of the BMS Chorus. Ms Donovan is such a wonderful teacher and helps us sing beautifully.



Thank you, Josie and Jimmy!

October 2023
Choral Program Update

BHS Masquerade Concert 2023 with special guests: singers from our 7th and 8th Grade Chorus!!

Choral Ensembles: Belmont High School

Masquerade Concert- Bravo!: Our first performance of the year took place on Wednesday, October 26th and it was so much fun! Thank you to everybody who came to support our students in this performance. 

End of Quarter 1: The end of Quarter 1 is upon us and grades have started to wrap up. Students grades are updated on Google Classroom and then transferred over to Plus Portals. The Google Classroom assignments are in addition to each students' participation grade for class. Please reach out with any questions or concerns regarding grades for Quarter 1.

Student Leadership Application: We took a little extra time this year to acclimate to the many changes in chorus have held off in designating section leaders and other student leadership roles until the end of Quarter 1 to evaluate in-class performance and the student dynamics. I am inviting all students in Chorus to apply for a leadership role OR nominate a peer for a leadership role. There is an opportunity to serve as a section leader, a music librarian, or a production manager. These students will play a big part in continuing to build a positive and welcoming environment in class while also holding the class to high musical standards. HERE is the student leadership application form which must be submitted by next Thursday, November 9th.

Senior District Chorus Auditions: Thank you to all students who have registered to audition for Senior Districts on Saturday, November 18th! We are waiting to receive our official audition times, which we should be getting very soon. As soon as we have that information, we will let you all know transportation details for that day. 

As a reminder, this year's audition piece is "I Will Be With You", which we are working on in class. All students have a copy of this piece and rehearsal tracks and audition information can be found on Google Classroom. 

Please review the updated audition requirements for vocalists HERE (now including the singing of a major scale in the selected key!) and the score sheet HERE. 

If accepted into the festival, it will be held at Lexington High School. The festival dates are Wednesday, January 3, Friday, January 5, and Saturday, January 6 2023. All information regarding the audition and festival can be found HERE. Please be on the lookout for an email with audition times shortly!

Important Dates To Note:

Singers from our BHS Chorus sang the National Anthem at the FBE Apple Run this past
Sunday, October 29th! Thank you, students!!

Choral Ensembles: Belmont Middle School

End of Quarter 1: We have been progressing in our concert music and look forward to bringing them to the stage so soon! To round out Quarter 1, I have assigned a very short singing check-in that all students must complete by Wednesday, November 8th. For 7th Graders, they will record themselves singing M. 1-50 of "To Work Upon the Railway" and for 8th Graders, they will record themselves singing the entire piece of 'Dodi Li". These will be submitted through a FLIP which has been uploaded onto Google Classroom. This is a GREAT way for me to hear students sing on their own and offer some more individualized feedback. I am so excited to hear all students sing! Please reach out if you have any questions about this assignment. 

Current Concert Repertoire: We have started (and for some pieces, finished learning!) all of our repertoire for our upcoming concerts. Please ask your students at home about this repertoire and ask them to sing a bit of it for you! We have been having a ton of fun with these programs and I am looking forward to seeing it all come together in the weeks to come.

7th Grade Chorus: Kusimama, To Work Upon the Railway, Ani Ma'amin, Come In From the Firefly Darkness, Let Me Fly

8th Grade Chorus: Caledonia, Dodi Li, The Lonely Ash Tree, Juntos, Ritmo (with BHS Chorus!)

Upcoming Concerts & Rehearsals: Concerts for 7th and 8th Grade Chorus are quickly approaching and to prepare for these performances, we have scheduled one combined rehearsal per grade to give the students an opportunity to sing ALL together as two classes for the one and only time before the concert. If students are scheduled for a combined rehearsal during a block when they do NOT have chorus, they are responsible for speaking with their teacher of the class they will be missing that day. Mr. Kupperstein has notified teachers of these rehearsals, but please remind students to also check in. Please see these dates and times below:

7th Grade Chorus COMBINED REHEARSAL in school- Tuesday, November 21st during D BLOCK (Day 3)
7th Grade Chorus CONCERT- Tuesday, November 28th at 7:00pm (students called at 6:30pm)

8th Grade Chorus COMBINED REHEARSAL in school- Thursday, December 7th during C BLOCK (Day 6)
8th Grade Chorus CONCERT- Wednesday, December 13th at 7:00pm (students called at 6:30pm)

Call for Parent Volunteers (8th Grade Chorus!): For the 8th Grade Chorus Concert (combined with BHS Chorus, 8th Grade Orchestra, and BHS Orchestras), I will definitely need some parent assistance while I am balancing many students and two separate groups performing on the same night. There are about 120 8th grade students in Chorus and another 33 in BHS Chorus that will be joining them that night. I am looking for a couple parents to help before the concert and also during the concert during the stage transitions and while I am working with another group. Your help with this would be IMMENSELY appreciated- and I guarantee it will also be fun to get a closer look into what we do! If you are able to help out with this request, please complete THIS FORM by Friday, December 1st. I will follow up with an email to those who are able to volunteer their time and energy at this concert.

Important Dates To Note:

After School Choral Ensembles

Clay Pit Crooners A Cappella (Grades 9-12)

Belmont Beats A Cappella (Grades 8-9)

Madrigal Singers (Grades 9-12)

BMS Chamber Singers (Grades 7-8)

Student Perspectives

BHS CHORUS

Please enjoy this note from BHS 11th grader and member of Chorus, Madrigal Singers, and Clay Pit Crooners, Sophia Edrington Martinez:

Hi everyone! My name is Sophia and I’m a third-year soprano in the BHS Chorus. This past month, we performed some fun pieces at our Masquerade Concert (shout out to the amazing joint Barbie costume that the music faculty pulled together!) and have started some new repertoire full of drama and body percussion. I personally love the choral program at BHS because in addition to being very educational musically, we’re very bonded and have a lot of fun rehearsing and performing. We hope to see you at our next concert! (Or maybe an a cappella or madrigals performance…) Happy belated Halloween!

BMS CHORUS

Please enjoy this note from BMS 8th grader and member of Chorus and Chamber Singers, Gemma Larson:


My name is Gemma Larson and I am in 8th grade Chorus and Chamber Singers. In Chorus class we have already learned most of the songs we are singing, with the concert coming soon! I am very excited to present the songs we have practiced, in multiple different languages and different parts. Chamber Singers is moving even quicker, as we are starting to have our songs memorized for the concert in December and the joined concert in November. There are so many different parts and rhythms and words in the songs Ms. Donovan has chosen, and I can't wait to perform them with the other 7th and 8th graders.


Thank you, Sophia and Gemma!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

Follow the Clay Pit Crooners on Instagram at @bhscrooners !!

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September 2023
Choral Program Update

Welcome to the BMHS Chorus Room! 

Choral Ensembles: Belmont High School

Welcome Back!: Happy New School Year!! It has been so fantastic to be back to singing together in our beautiful choral room. This year, Chamber Singers and Chorale meet at the same time so most of our music is being learned together. The sound of this combined group is fantastic and so is the energy of this group- which says a lot considering we sing at 8:00am every day! Our repertoire that we have started working on this year includes: The Ballad of Sweeney Todd, The Zombie Jamboree, Stomp on the Fire, I Will Be With You, and the National Anthem.

Each month, I will send out an update for you all about the current happenings in the BHS Choral Room, and any announcements or updates.

For more details on what students can expect in our class throughout the year, you can refer to the BHS Choral Handbook, which is our most important document. It includes information about concert dates, concert attire, grading, expectations, and classroom policies. Please reach out if you have any questions!

See below some fun pictures from the first week of school!! These are awesome humans and I can't wait for this year ahead!

FBE Apple Run: The BHS Choirs have been invited to sing the National Anthem at this year's FBE Apple Run on Sunday, October 29th, 2023. This is mandatory for all members of BHS Chorus For participating students, they should report to Harris Field at 9am to sing right before the race kicks off just before 9:30am. Come and support our singers that morning and all runners in this race! You are ALSO invited to join our Belmont Music team and run the 5k together!! 

Senior District Chorus Auditions: Senior District auditions are taking place in-person this year on Saturday, November 18th at North Andover High School. This opportunity is opened up to all students in grades 9-12. All Choral students are HIGHLY encouraged to audition for this festival. This year's audition piece is "I Will Be With You", which we are working on in class. All students have a copy of this piece and rehearsal tracks and audition information can be found on Google Classroom. 

Please review the updated audition requirements for vocalists HERE (now including the singing of a major scale in the selected key!) and the score sheet HERE. 

If accepted into the festival, it will be held at Lexington High School. The festival dates are Wednesday, January 3, Friday, January 5, and Saturday, January 6 2023. All information regarding the audition and festival can be found HERE. Please be on the lookout for an audition registration form which will be emailed out soon!

Important Dates To Note:

Our Combined BHS Chorale and Chamber Singers- we meet every day A Block- singing to start our day is so fun!


Choral Ensembles: Belmont Middle School

Off to a great start!: It has been SO MUCH FUN bringing our 7th and 8th graders up to the new BMHS and making music in this beautiful space! Lots of music has been happening. This is the repertoire that each class has started singing and there is more to come leading up to our first concerts. Ask your children about this music and maybe they will sing a little bit of it for you :)

7th Grade Chorus: To Work Upon the Railway, Come In From the Firefly Darkness, Let Me Fly

8th Grade Chorus: Caledonia, Dodi Li, The Lonely Ash Tree

Chamber Singers (7-8) and Belmont Beats A Cappella (8): If you missed the sign up for either of these groups, there is still time to join. Please email Ms. Donovan as soon as possible with your interest and you will get all set up. Her email is kdonovan@belmontschools.net

For information about Chamber Singers and to sign up, please view THIS Google Form.

For information about Belmont Beats, please view THIS document.

Important Concert Dates, Forms, and Opportunities: I sent out a brief informative Google Slide last week including all of this information. 

For 7th Grade Chorus, please view the newsletter HERE.

For 8th Grade Chorus, please view the newsletter HERE

Important Dates To Note:

It has been a joy to make music with the 7th and 8th grader in this room for the past few weeks!!

7th Grade Chorus meets B and D Block and 8th Grade Chorus Meets C and F Block.

After School Choral Ensembles

Clay Pit Crooners A Cappella (Grades 9-12)

Belmont Beats A Cappella (Grades 8-9)

Madrigal Singers (Grades 9-12)

BMS Chamber Singers (Grades 7-8)

Student Perspectives

BHS CHORUS

Please enjoy this note from BHS 11th grader and member of Chorus, Madrigal Singers, and Clay Pit Crooners, Claire Boyle:

Hi! My name is Claire Boyle and I'm a junior in Chamber Singers and part of the alto section. We started the year strong with a National Anthem performance at the BMHS Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on the first day of school and began our joint Chorale/Chamber Singers classes. It’s so much fun to make friends throughout multiple grades and have a great choral sound together. We also just started rehearsing for A Cappella and Madrigals which is so exciting! Can’t wait for those performances. In Chorus class we are currently preparing for our Masquerade Concert on October 25th, which includes a visit to Fleet Street by a New York Cemetery! So thrilled for my third year of Belmont Music!!

BMS CHORUS

Please enjoy this note from BMS 8th grader and member of Chorus and Chamber Singers, Sophie Huang-Galaznik:


Since this school year has started, Chorus has been very engaging and fun. We have started working on a few pieces, and will hopefully start working on more soon. We have learned so many new things already in this past month! We have learned about different keys, worked on some very tricky rhythms in our songs, and improved so much since even last year. I look forward to singing as a group with new people, and learning new songs! I hope everyone can enjoy this year as I’m sure I will.



Thank you, Claire and Sophie!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

Follow the Clay Pit Crooners on Instagram at @bhscrooners !!

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May-June 2023
Choral Program Update

Congratulations to the Class of 2023!!!

Choral Ensembles

Thank you for a great year!!: This year flew by- and it's because it was genuinely so much fun. Thank you students for your hard work and music-making and thank you families for your unwavering support. So much singing was packed into this year and I applaud you for your positive attitudes and smiles. I am looking forward to next year!! Have a great summer!!

Belmont MIDDLE School next year!: Next year, our school expands into Belmont MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL. I am looking forward to opening the doors to our chorus room to our incoming 7th and 8th graders and welcoming opportunities for more collaboration and growth in our program. I will be teaching Chorus in grades 7-12 at BMHS as well as directing the 7-8 Chamber Singers after school. As soon as possible, I will reach out to families with information regarding this transition. We are so looking forward to having you in this building making music with us!

Thank you to the BELMONTONIAN for these graduation photos of our Chamber Singers singing "Landslide" and the Star Spangled Banner on June 3rd!

Chorale and Symphonic Band collaborated on "Broadway Musical Magic" (a Choral Medley) at the end of this school year! It was so enjoyable to just "make music for fun" as the wonderful Ms. Lacasse put it! Thank you to our students for trying something different and for singing and playing (and sight reading!) so joyfully. 

Clay Pit Crooners had their final performance at Staff Recognition Day on May 3rd, which honored members of our staff throughout the district who have dedicated 10, 15, 20, and more years to Belmont. Thank you to the event organizers for inviting our group to sing!

After School Choral Ensembles

Clay Pit Crooners A Cappella

Madrigal Singers

For ALL after school ensemble opportunities, please keep an eye out for an email with information for how to sign up, audition details, and fees to participate coming soon!

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from two of our rising seniors, Olivia Mann and Nihara Thomas!

"This year in Chamber Singers, we have worked on some really awesome music, with some of my favorites including “Phantom of the Opera” and “Falling Slowly”. We had a great group this year, and had a lot of fun and laughter on top of our hard work in rehearsals. It’s been super fun to work on trickier music and grow as individual musicians as well as a full group. Next year, I look forward to getting to sing with some new people and to be a good leader of the program!"

-Olivia Mann


"We had a good year in Chamber Singers! We worked on many challenging pieces, and did many amazing concerts! Since the seniors have left, we have been working on an arrangement of "Into The Woods". I like this piece because it combines many different songs, each with a different tempo and style. Even though we are a small group, we are still learning and working hard in rehearsal. Additionally, we are collaborating with Wind Ensemble, which is a super fun opportunity that we don't always get to do during concert season! Next year, I am excited to work on new music, and sing with a new group of people!"

-Nihara Thomas


Thank you, Olivia and Nihara!

Chenery Corner

On Thursday, May 4th, we had the privilege of being joined by the incredible composer, conductor, and music educator, Rollo Dilworth, of Temple University at Chenery Middle School to work with our choral students in grades 5-8! We are SO thankful to POMS for funding this clinic and for Dr. Dilworth to spending his time with us and sharing his knowledge. I cannot begin to express how meaningful and impactful this visit was, not only for our students, but for us as music educators. 

A huge thank you goes out to Mrs. Carson for organizing this visit!!

Senior Spotlights 2023

Sammi
Pan

ALTO

• Has been a member of Chorale and Chamber Singers.  


• Fondest HS Chorus memory: “Pops Concert 2022 and 2023” 


• Favorite piece performed in Chorus: “‘Africa and 4 Chords”


• If you could tell your freshman self something about Chorus, what advice would you give them?: “Look more confident and make more passionate facial expressions. If you make a mistake, it's okay, no one will notice.”


• What is something you are most proud of accomplishing in Chorus?: “Being more confident in my voice.” 


Helena De Figueiredo Valente

SOPRANO

• Has been a member of Chorale, Chamber Singers, Madrigals, A Capella, and Jazz Choir.  


• Fondest HS Chorus memory: “The first time I was learning Madrigals music. It was such a tight community and I was taught by the other students.” 


• Favorite piece performed in Chorus: “Dies Irae”


• If you could tell your freshman self something about Chorus, what advice would you give them?: “Don't try to be part in every after school chorus, just be in one because you can enjoy it even more and make the most of it if you are not overworked.”


• What is something you are most proud of accomplishing in Chorus?: “Performing in so many different Madrigals gigs.” 


• Anything else you want to share from your time in chorus?: “Sopranos=sops! I met so many of my friends in chorus. It is a great place to meet people from different grades!”


• Future plans: “I am attending MIT next year. I will participate in an a capella group there!”


Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

Follow the Clay Pit Crooners on Instagram at @bhscrooners !!

InstagramFacebook

April 2023
Choral Program Update

Chamber Singers at the POPS Concert on Friday, April 28th
Thank you to POMS for the photos!

Choral Ensembles

POPS Concert success!!: Thank you all for coming to our most recent concerts, our two POPS Concerts on April 27th and 28th! This was a beautiful showcase of our music department and we are grateful for all of your support and for the support of POMS to put on these events with an amazing reception to follow each concert!

Seniors wrapping up: Our seniors have their last day of classes on May 19th, in just a few short weeks!! If you are a senior that has not filled out the Senior Spotlight form, please do so in order to be featured in our next (and final) newsletter of the year and on the BHS Choral social media pages! 

Important Dates To Note:

Concert Chorale at the POPS Concert on Thursday, April 27th

Chamber Singers

Clay Pit Crooners at the POPS Concert Reception on Friday, April 28th

After School Choral Ensembles

Clay Pit Crooners A Cappella

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our seniors, Helena De Figueiredo Valente!!

As our year in Chamber Singers is wrapping up, we have been hard at work preparing for our final concert. During class, we learned and rehearsed the songs we performed for the POPS concert at a fast pace. In the piece “Once,” we encountered tricky changing time signatures, including 5/4, which I had barely any previous experience in. It was really fun learning how to feel this rhythm naturally over time through tapping and singing it. I lament that this is my final year in BHS chorus, but I hope future chorus students will be able to enjoy singing here as much as I did!


Thank you, Helena!

Senior Spotlights 2023

Nora Guzikowski

MEZZO (Or as Nora called it, a “sopralto” ☺️) 

• Chamber Singers section leader and Clay Pit Crooners student director 

• Has been a member of Chorale, Chamber Singers, Madrigal Singers, and A Cappella.  


• Fondest HS Chorus memory: “Going to MICCA last year was super fun! I also loved caroling around Belmont the day before break with Mads, and participating in the first two A Cappella nights was a blast” 


• Favorite piece performed in Chorus: “‘Dawn’ or ‘Non Nobis Domine’. Orrrr Corn Puddin’!”


• If you could tell your freshman self something about Chorus, what advice would you give them?: “Sight reading is really not as stressful as you think- stop being such a drama queen!”


• What is something you are most proud of accomplishing in Chorus?: “Singing as an alto has really honed my harmony abilities 😌” 


• Anything else you want to share from your time in Chorus?: “Shoutout to my alto pals! I’ll miss stairwell singing and my pitch pipe <3”

• Future plans: “I’m going to Vassar College next year & I plan to major in English!”

Will Sprague

BARITONE 

• Has been a member of Chorale, Chamber Singers, and A Cappella.  


• Fondest HS Chorus memory: “For me, I like any time we sing in the stairwell, or singing in the Masquerade concert in a bacon and eggs costume” 


• Favorite piece performed in Chorus: “‘My favorite piece I performed in chorus was for the song ‘4 Chords’. I sang it in chorale last year, it was this mashup of 15 famous songs that use that same chord progression. Some songs are well known, like ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ by Journey and some songs came out of left field, like ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ from the Lion King. I liked this piece because it was cheesy and not to be taken too seriously”


• If you could tell your freshman self something about Chorus, what advice would you give them?: “I’d tell freshman Will: ‘Be open to new surprises, and that you never know how someone or something will be able to surprise you’”


• What is something you are most proud of accomplishing in Chorus?: “I’m proud of any time I finally get a harmony that’s real hard and takes most of class to find. Getting a fun harmony and figuring it out is like solving a puzzle.” 


• Anything else you want to share from your time in Chorus?: “I forgot to mention the Baritone recruitment video. We never actually gave any real reason to join in the video itself. We just sang ‘I Want it That Way’ in the restroom because the acoustics are good there.”


• Future plans: “In the future, I hope to study abroad in Europe!”

Lizandra Hawkinson

SOPRANO 

• Has been a member of Chorale, Chamber Singers, Madrigal Singers, and Jazz Choir.  


• Fondest HS Chorus memory: “Mads this year was so fun! I loved singing in the 6th grade stairwell at Chenery the day before break and performing at the Chilton Club in Boston.” 


• Favorite piece performed in Chorus: “‘Dawn”


• If you could tell your freshman self something about Chorus, what advice would you give them?: “Try everything! Don’t be afraid to take risks, your peers are so nice and will support you.”


• What is something you are most proud of accomplishing in Chorus?: “I’m proud of getting to know everyone in Chamber Singers and forming close friendships, making a tight-knit community, while working together to make amazing music.” 


• Anything else you want to share from your time in Chorus?: “Shoutout to everyone in Mads, you all slayed so hard.”


• Future plans: “I’m going to Boston University for Psychology next year!”


Astrid Reker

SOPRANO 

• Has been a member of Chamber Singers and Madrigal Singers.  


• Fondest HS Chorus memory: “Madrigals at the Chilton Club” 


• Favorite piece performed in Chorus: “‘Dawn”


• If you could tell your freshman self something about Chorus, what advice would you give them?: “Make sure to take comfort in having a great musical community around you.”


• What is something you are most proud of accomplishing in Chorus?: “I’m proud of how we as an ensemble are able to work together to create a unified sound.” 


• Future plans: “I’m going to Bentley University!”


Sachie Capitani

SOPRANO 

• Has been a member of Chamber Singers.  


• Fondest HS Chorus memory: “Getting to be THE Phantom of the Opera!!” 


• Favorite piece performed in Chorus: “Once Medley (or Phantom of the Opera)”


• What is something you are most proud of accomplishing in Chorus?: “Stepping out of my comfort zone and getting a little bit better at sight reading!” 


• Future plans: “I’ll be studying drama at NYU!!”



Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

Follow the Clay Pit Crooners on Instagram at @bhscrooners !!

InstagramFacebook

March 2023
Choral Program Update

Combined BHS Choirs at our Spring Concert on March 22! 

They sang two pieces together: Can You Hear? by Jim Papoulis and Baba Yetu arranged by Roger Emerson. Thank you all for coming to this performance. 

Choral Ensembles

End of Quarter 3: Quarter 3 ends this Friday! The majority of your grades in this quarter are based on your concert participation, concert reflection, and overall participation during rehearsals. You can review the class expectations, policies, and grading criteria in our Handbook HERE. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out. 

Senior Spotlight begins!: It is the time of year when I begin to highlight our seniors in our Newsletter and on our social media pages. If you are a senior and would like to share some experiences and memories from your time singing at BHS, please complete THIS FORM (which will be ongoing). As soon as you fill it out, I will start to shout you out!

POPS Concerts coming up!!: Directly following April Break are our POPS CONCERTS! These are taking place early this year so we are working hard in rehearsals to master this repertoire quickly. Please note the earlier concert start time- Chorale is on Thursday, April 27th at 6:30pm and Chamber Singers is on Friday, April 28th at 6:30pm. Students are called at 6:00pm for both concerts. We are looking forward to seeing you then!!

Important Dates To Note:

A Cappella Night 2023 was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who made it such a FUN night. We loved hearing our friends from Wakefield, Wellesley, Marblehead, Newton, and Tufts as well as featuring our Belmont High School Clay Pit Crooners!

HERE is the virtual program if you would like to look through the programs of each group. Belmont Media Center also recorded the concert and it should be made available shortly!

BHS Chorale- March 2023

BHS Chamber Singers- March 2023

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our seniors, Sachie Capitani!!

My name is Sachie Capitani and I’m a senior! This is my first year getting involved with chorus at the high school and I’ve been having a great time in chamber singers! I love singing and this has been a great opportunity to work with a tight knit ensemble of others who feel the same way. We recently had our spring concert where we got the chance to sing as an ensemble as well as with chorale, which was tons of fun. I’m definitely looking forward to the POPS concert coming up, and performing all of the songs we have been working on for that (especially Africa by Toto). All and all I’ve loved being in chamber singers this year and have learned so much!!


Thank you, Sachie!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

Follow the Clay Pit Crooners on Instagram at @bhscrooners !!

InstagramFacebook

February 2023
Choral Program Update

Chamber Singers, Modern Band, and Wind Ensemble students participating in the first AR Opera, in partnership with James Orrigo/Lad in a Battle and Children's Cancer Research Fund. More below!

Choral Ensembles

Chamber Singers Auditions: The second week of March means auditions for Chamber Singers! Please make sure that if you are a returning student OR a new student interested in taking Chamber Singers next year, that you have signed up HERE for a time slot this week and that you have completed an audition form- all of which can be found in THIS Google Drive Folder. It is my hope that all students will continue to sing next year and will fit Chorale OR Chamber Singers in their schedule. I would be MORE than happy to discuss your options with you and your guidance counselors so we can make this work for you!

Children's Cancer Research Fund First Augmented Reality Opera with music students at BHS: Students in Chamber Singers, Modern Band, and Wind Ensemble got to take part in an incredibly special project on Friday, February 10th through the Children's Cancer Research Fund and James Orrigo, aka "Lad in a Battle". This organization brings awareness to pediatric cancer in ways that spark joy and innovation. For this project, a child with cancer wrote an opera about a rat with stinky toes and a snapchat filter was designed to turn our opera singers into these characters. Our students joined in on the creation of this opera and it was incredibly rewarding to put it together and know the joy that it would bring. The final video of that day can be found HERE and photos from the event can be seen below in this newsletter! Thanks you for coming to BHS, James!!!

BELMONT A CAPPELLA NIGHT 2023: Last year's A Cappella Night was a HUGE success and this year, we will hold this event again on Friday, March 31st at 7pm in the BHS Theater! POMS is sponsoring this super fun event and our very own Belmont High Clay Pit Crooners will be joined by A Cappella groups from Wakefield, Newton South, Marblehead, and Wellesley, as well as the Tufts University Beelzebubs again! Mark your calendars and tickets will be available soon!

Important Dates To Note:

Choral Students made Valentines for each other this month which contained individual SHOUT OUTS for each other to individually recognize each member of our community. I loved seeing the LOVE and appreciation for each other and spending the time doing this was a wonderful activity.

Broadway Actor, Catherine Brunell, hosting a master class with Chamber Singers on Friday, February 17th! Thank you to Mr. Asadoorian and Patrons for bringing this WONDERFUL guest in to work with a few of our vocalists and engage in this super valuable clinic/Q+A with our students!

Come see many of our choral students in MEAN GIRLS on the BHS Main Stage in a couple short weeks. Tickets on sale now HERE!

After School Choral Ensembles

Clay Pit Crooners A Cappella

Rehearsals: Tuesdays 2:40-4:00pm. 

IMG_9714.mov

Clip of the Clay Pit Crooners working on "Since U Been Gone" in rehearsal!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

Follow the Clay Pit Crooners on Instagram at @bhscrooners !!

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January 2023
Choral Program Update

2023 Senior District Festival Chorus, featuring 7 of our students, at Jordan Hall in Boston!

Choral Ensembles

Course selections and Chamber Singers auditions on the horizon: The course selection process is a fast moving one at BHS and it's during this time that our students have some decisions to make about what courses they sign up for next year. It is my greatest hope that all students continue to keep chorus in their schedule and to continue singing during the school day, whether it is in Concert Chorale or in Chamber Singers following an audition. There are so many wonderful options at BHS, but I am so proud of the community we continue to build and grow here in the Chorus Room. I encourage you to talk me through some of your thoughts regarding course selection and I'd be happy to see how we can make chorus continue to fit into your schedule next year!

Any current student at BHS is eligible to audition for our more advanced chorus, Chamber Singers, for the 2023-2024 school year and all current members are also required to re-audition. All audition information and materials can be found in THIS Google Drive Folder and it is all laid out on THIS Document as well. The audition piece is linked, but you can also get a hard copy from me in the Chorus Room. Please select an audition time as soon as possible and you are also able to fill out your audition/re-audition form in advance of your audition. All auditions will be in person the week of March 6th, mostly during the school day, either during class or during on of your frees that I am available. If you cannot make any of these times work, please get in touch with me as soon as possible! I hope to hear you audition for Chamber Singers OR see you sign up for Chorale next year. The more the merrier!

Senior District Festival 2023: Congratulations to the 7 BHS Choral students who participated in this year's Senior District Chorus on January 7th at New England Conservatory- Mika Fujiki, Helena De Figueiredo Valente, Olivia Mann, Claire Boyle, Lizandra Hawkinson, Sophia Edrington Martinez, and Preston Clark! These students prepared an incredibly challenging program, under the direction of Dr. Charlene Archibeque, and performed it so beautifully. We are so proud of them!! See photos from the festival below in this newletter. 

All State & Junior District Chorus: Congratulations to 12th grader Helena De Figueiredo Valente for being accepted into this year's All State Chorus and to 9th grader Brooke Whalen for being accepted into this year's Junior District Treble Chorus!! Both of these festivals will take place in March and we congratulate them on their hard work and huge accomplishments!!

8th Grade Performing Arts Open House SUCCESS: Thank you to everybody who participated in this year's 8th grade open house event (our second annual!!). It was a WONDERFUL way to get our prospective 9th grade singers for next year up to our building to see our spaces and sing with the high schoolers. It is so valuable for them to experience this before signing up for their electives and making choices about taking chorus at BHS. Thank to the high school student leaders and members of TRI-M who helped make this event happen and to our wonderful CMS directors!! There is a photo below of this day :) 

Important Dates To Note:

Senior District Chorus Participants (from left to right): Mika Fujiki, Helena De Figueiredo Valente, Olivia Mann, Claire Boyle, Lizandra Hawkinson, Sophia Edrington Martinez, Preston Clark.

Combined 8th Grade and HS Chorus at the 2023 8th Grade Open House!

After School Choral Ensembles

Clay Pit Crooners A Cappella

Rehearsals: Tuesdays 2:40-3:30pm. 

IMG_9714.mov

Clip of the Clay Pit Crooners working on "Since U Been Gone" in rehearsal!

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our seniors, Will Sprague!!

For the past two years, I’ve had a blast singing in the BHS choral program. I started in Chorale as a Junior, and now I sing in Chamber Singers as a Senior. For me, Chamber Singers is all about teamwork. I’ve learned alot about teamwork from the baritone section, where I sing. We all work together to make sure everyone in the section is on the same page. Some of the pieces we’ve sung are heard, and I can rely on my section to help me find any notes or rhythms we’ve missed. The whole ensemble is a great team too. We’ve been working on this tough piece called “Seal Lullaby” by Eric Whitacre. If you heard each section of this song independently, you’d believe you were listening to three very different songs. But we all concentrate our parts, singing different rhythms and notes while working in harmony on the same song. Teamwork is where each section contributes something different so the whole group can succeed. 


Thank you, Will!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

Follow the Clay Pit Crooners on Instagram at @bhscrooners !!

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December 2022
Choral Program Update

Thank you, POMS for the wonderful photos taken at our Winter Concert!!

Choral Ensembles

Winter Concert!: Congratulations to all students who performed in performances throughout the month of December, culminating with our Winter Concert on December 14th! We are so proud of all students in our Choral, Orchestral, and Band programs at BHS and for the hard work they put into preparing these programs this Fall. It was also so wonderful to see ALL of our BHS student musicians in the same concert for the first time together in a very long time. Thank you all for coming to support!

Senior Districts: When we return from break, our senior districts students will be participating in the Festival at NEC! The rehearsals will be taking place on January 4th and January 6th with the performance at Jordan Hall on Saturday, January 7th. The Festival Chorus will be conducted by Dr. Charlene Archibeque . Wish them luck! Families of participating students should expect to see information sent out via email. 

Junior District Auditions: The registration deadline to audition for Junior Districts this year (eligible to 9th graders only) has ended. If you are auditioning, please take advantage of our extra help sessions with Mrs. Carson and review all of the important information below: 

Important Dates To Note:

After School Choral Ensembles

Clay Pit Crooners A Cappella

Rehearsals: Tuesdays 2:40-3:30pm. 

Madrigal Singers

Congratulations to our Madrigal Singers on a wonderful 2022 Winter season of Caroling!! It always flies by and this year was no exception. 

We hope to audition next year's Madrigal Singers in Spring 2023 so keep an eye out for information regarding that in the next few months. 

Jazz Choir

Tuesdays 3:30-4:30pm (starting in January)


Please email kdonovan@belmontschools.net with any questions about these groups!

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our seniors, Astrid Reker!!

Hello, my name is Astrid Reker and I'm a senior in Chamber Singers. This is my second year in Chamber Singers but I can tell you that this year we have been participating in many more concerts than last year. This means that we are learning more music at a faster rate! We recently had our winter concert and all the groups present did a fantastic job! It was really fun to see everybody in their element and making beautiful music. I am so excited to see what pieces we work on next!


Thank you, Astrid!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

Follow the Clay Pit Crooners on Instagram at @bhscrooners !!

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!!

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November 2022
Choral Program Update

Choral Ensembles

Entering Concert Season!: This Fall has consisted of a lot of hard work in our chorus classes and we are excited to finally be nearing our first full high school concert of the year on Wednesday, December 14th at 7:00pm. This concert will be in the Theater at BHS and will feature our Concert Chorale, Chamber Singers, Jazz Ensemble, BHS Combined Orchestra, and BHS Wind Symphony.  Students should arrive to BHS at 6:30pm for a warmup. Please review the concert attire requirements in the Handbook HERE. We are asking students to wear all black and to look clean and professional! 

Football at Fenway: Congratulations to all students who participated in the singing of the Star Spangled Banner at this year's Thanksgiving Day Football Game at Fenway Park! We combined with the Watertown HS singers and it was such a special moment of community. The chorus sounded fantastic and I am so so proud of you all! Bravo to our friends in the Marching Band as well!!

Senior Districts: a HUGE congratulations to our students that were accepted into this year's Senior District Chorus. This is a major accomplishment and the first time that auditions were held in person since 2019! These students will be participating in the festival this January at the New England Conservatory of Music. More details, including music to prepare, for accepted students will be sent out in the next few weeks. A huge thank you to ALL who auditioned this year- taking on this challenge is no small feat and each person who auditioned should feel incredibly proud!

Junior District Auditions: 9th graders are eligible for audition for the Junior District Festival Chorus! This year's audition will take place on Saturday, January 28th 2023. Please see the details below and see Ms. Donovan with questions and to pick up your audition music.

Important Dates To Note:

After School Choral Ensembles

Clay Pit Crooners A Cappella

Rehearsals: Tuesdays 2:40-3:30pm. 

Madrigal Singers

Rehearsals: Tuesdays 3:30-4:30pm

Jazz Choir

Tuesdays 3:30-4:30pm (starting in January)


Please email kdonovan@belmontschools.net with any questions about these groups!

Chenery Corner

Congratulations to all Chenery Chorus Students on their wonderful concert performances this Fall!! The 8th Grade Chorus sang in their concert on Monday, November 21st (along with the BHS Chamber Singers) and the Chenery Chamber Singers had their performance this past Tuesday, November 29th. We wish our 6th and 7th graders luck on their performances in their concerts tonight, December 1st! 

Along with concert preparation, students also spent class time leading up to Thanksgiving reflecting on what they are thankful for- as you can see reflected below in this "thankful chain" that was displayed through the chorus room! Thank you, Mrs. Carson, for spearheading this project!!

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our seniors and section leaders, Sammi Pan!!

Hello, my name is Sammi Pan, and this is my first year in Chamber Singers. I am a senior, and through my experience at BHS, I know that a music class can improve your day and make you feel happier. In this class, we have opportunities to connect with our classmates in a way you can't in other classes and make friends with people of different ages. In addition to team building, we get to perform what we have learned inside and outside of school. Last week, we got a bus ride to Fenway Park to perform the Stars Spangled Banner. Not only did we sing with another school, but we also watched our football team play and saw other performances, like the band. We shared food, and it was super fun! I'm excited and looking forward to our Winter Concert that's coming up in a few weeks.


Thank you, Sammi!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

Follow the Clay Pit Crooners on Instagram at @bhscrooners !!

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October 2022
Choral Program Update

Choral Ensembles

End of Quarter 1!: It has been a fantastic start to this school year and SO much singing has been happening at BHS!! A reminder that Senior grades closed this past Thursday, November 3rd for Quarter 1. Because our classes are mixed-grade level courses, I consider grades closed for ALL students at this time, with this week to make up any work that is missing. Quarter 2 begins on Monday, November 14th.

Masquerade Concert Madness: Congratulations to all students who participated in this year's Masquerade Concert! The positive feedback we received on the event was overwhelming and it was a pleasure to bring up some 8th grade singers for this event. Thank you to everybody for being a part of this super-fun event. We cannot wait to do it again! Bravo to our friends in the Orchestra and Band as well!!

Senior District Chorus Auditions: Senior District auditions are taking place in-person this year on Saturday, November 19th at North Andover High School. Auditioning students have already registered to audition and I am holding a few after-school help sessions to prepare for this audition. Students should take advantage of these times! Here are the remaining extra help session times:

All students should have a copy of "My Heart is Offered Still to You" at this point. Be practicing at home!! Please review the updated audition requirements for vocalists HERE (now including the singing of a major scale in the selected key!) and the score sheet HERE. 

If accepted into the festival, it will be held at New England Conservatory in Boston this year which is very exciting and a great opportunity for our students! The festival dates are Wednesday, January 4, Friday, January 6, and Saturday, January 7 2023. All information regarding the audition and festival can be found HERE. We should get our audition times by the second week of November so be on the lookout from an email from me with this information!! A bus will be provided on November 19th to and from North Andover HS.

Thanksgiving Football Game at Fenway Park: This year's annual Belmont vs. Watertown Thanksgiving Day Football Game is taking place on Wednesday, November 23rd at 4pm! Our singers have been invited to sing the National Anthem along with the singers from Watertown High School as the Belmont-Watertown Unified Choir. All students that have signed up to sing have ordered a long sleeved shirt to wear at this event and have also signed up either to take the bus or ride with a family member. Please be reminded that these shirts are $18 and the payment is due to me by Wednesday, November 16th (cash or check made out to Belmont Public Schools). This is a huge honor and very exciting!! A final email with details on meeting times will be coming to your inbox in the next couple of weeks to please keep your eyes peeled for that!

If you are planning to attend the game, you can purchase general admission tickets HERE!

Important Dates To Note:

After School Choral Ensembles

Clay Pit Crooners A Cappella

Rehearsals: Tuesdays 2:40-3:30pm. 

Madrigal Singers

Rehearsals: Tuesdays 3:30-4:30pm

Jazz Choir

Tuesdays 3:30-4:30pm (starting in January)


Please email kdonovan@belmontschools.net with any questions about these groups!

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our seniors, Lizandra Hawkinson!!

Hi! My name is Lizandra Hawkinson and I'm a senior in Chamber Singers and part of the soprano section this year. We have just had our first concert of the year, which was Halloween-themed, with the orchestra and band ensembles and it was a blast! It was really fun to see everyone dressed up in their costumes and showcase the songs we have been rehearsing for the past couple of months. We are now preparing to sing the National Anthem at Fenway Park on November 23 for the annual Belmont vs. Watertown Thanksgiving Football game. I am looking forward for another great year singing in Chamber Singers!


Thank you, Lizandra!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

Follow the Clay Pit Crooners on Instagram at @bhscrooners !!

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September 2022
Choral Program Update

HAPPY NEW SCHOOL YEAR!!!

Choral Ensembles

Welcome Back!: Happy New School Year!! It has been SO great to be back to singing again this year with a new group of singers at Belmont High School. Each month, I will send out an update for you all about the current happenings in the BHS Choral Room, and any announcements or updates.

For more details on what students can expect in our class throughout the year, you can refer to the BHS Choral Handbook, which is our most important document. It includes information about concert dates, concert attire, grading, expectations, and classroom policies. Please reach out if you have any questions!

See below some fun pictures from the first week of school!! These are awesome humans and I can't wait for this year ahead!

FBE Apple Run: The BHS Choirs have been invited to sing the National Anthem at this year's FBE Apple Run on Sunday, October 2nd, 2023. This is mandatory for all members of Chamber Singers and an optional opportunity for members of Chorale. For participating students, they should report to Harris Field at 9am to sing right before the race kicks off just before 9:30am. Come and support our singers that morning and all runners in this race! 

Senior District Chorus Auditions: Senior District auditions are taking place in-person this year on Saturday, November 19th at North Andover High School. This opportunity is opened up to all students in grades 9-12. All Choral students are HIGHLY encouraged to audition for this festival. This year's audition piece is "My Heart is Offered Still to You", copies of which you can get from Ms. Donovan in the Chorus Room. Please review the updated audition requirements for vocalists HERE (now including the singing of a major scale in the selected key!) and the score sheet HERE. 

If accepted into the festival, it will be held at New England Conservatory in Boston this year which is very exciting and a great opportunity for our students! The festival dates are Wednesday, January 4, Friday, January 6, and Saturday, January 7 2023. All information regarding the audition and festival can be found HERE. Please be on the lookout for an audition registration form which will be emailed out soon!

TRI-M Applications: Attention 10th-12th graders!! This message is an invitation for you to apply to become a member of Tri-M, the National Music Honor Society. This is an honor society based on academic merit, high musicianship, and a desire to serve the community of music-makers here at BHS. Through performance and community service, members develop confidence, creativity, critical thinking, compassion, and a host of other leadership skills sure to serve them well in school and beyond.


Applications are due on October 7, 2022. You may access the application here.


If you have any questions, please email Ms. Lacasse, the Tri-M Advisor at alacasse@belmontschools.net.


Important Dates To Note:

CHAMBER SINGERS 2022-2023!

CHORALE 2022-2023!

After School Choral Ensembles

Auditions for the Madrigal Singers and Clay Pit Crooners A Cappella are already underway and information about Jazz Choir auditions will be announced for January. Here is the audition schedule for these ensembles for the 2022-2023 school year:

Clay Pit Crooners A Cappella: Tuesdays 2:30-3:30pm. 

Madrigal Singers: Tuesdays 3:30-4:30pm

Jazz Choir: Tuesdays 3:30-4:30pm

Please email kdonovan@belmontschools.net with any questions about these groups!

Our A Cappella Group, The Clay Pit Crooners kicked off the year with a performance at Belmont PorchFest on September 10th. Thank you to POMS and the organizers at PorchFest for putting us on!

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our seniors, George Fotis!!

Hello! 

My name is George Fotis and I am a Senior in Chamber Singers this year! We have just started getting back into the swing of having rehearsals now that school is in session. In this first full week, I have enjoyed seeing everyone return for another year and I am also very excited about all the new people in the group this year! Currently, we are beginning the rehearsal process for our first concert this year which will be a masquerade concert in October! We will be performing a set of halloween themed pieces that I'm sure everyone will recognize. I encourage anyone who can to attend! We are also rehearsing the National Anthem to be performed at the FBE run and a variety of other events. I am very excited and honored to be a senior this year and make new memories that will last forever with this new and incredibly talented group of people. 


Thank you, George!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

Follow the Clay Pit Crooners on Instagram at @bhscrooners !!

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May-June 2022
Choral Program Update

Goodbye, Seniors!! We wish you well in all of your future endeavors. KEEP SINGING!!! 

Choral Ensembles

What a year!! This year brought about our beautiful new school and choral room, full in-person singing for the first time in a year and a half, many performances and musical events, and new friends made in Chorale and Chamber Singers (plus Mads, Jazz Choir, and Clay Pit Crooners!) Thank you all for your support of our program and to all students for investing your time and energy into making music every day on a very high level. 

Concerts filmed by Belmont Media from this year have been uploaded to the MEDIA page of this website if you would like to revisit those performances.

I also would like to thank our FANTASTIC collaborative pianist, Erin Henke, for the incredible work she did with us this year!!! Her musicality, pleasant demeanor, and collaboration have made our choirs so much stronger and we are so thankful to have gotten to work with her. She is sadly leaving us this year to move to Chicago and we wish her well on her next journey!

I hope you all have a FANTASTIC and SAFE summer. Can't wait to see you all again in the Fall!!

After School Choral Ensembles

Thank you all for a great year of singing in these after school groups!! Please keep an eye out this summer for information about AUDITIONS for Madrigal Singers, Jazz Choir, and A Cappella, which will all take place right when we return in the Fall! These will happen in the first few weeks of September.

Thank you to the students in Chorale and Chamber Singers for a fantastic year of singing!! These groups got to sing together IN PERSON, in a beautiful new Chorus Room and performing arts facility, and all while laughing and smiling each class. I could not be more lucky to have gotten to work with these students and to make music every day with them. See you next year!!

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from two of our current juniors, Preston Clark and Nora Guzikowski!!

Hey Everyone!! My name is Preston. I am a Junior in Chamber Singers. I have been a part of the BHS Choral Program all three years I have attended BHS so far. My first two years I was a part of Chorale and my last two years are being spent in Chamber Singers. During my time in Chamber Singers this year, I have drastically improved my singing ability, and I have developed a strong passion for singing. Chamber Singers is like a second family to me, you may not get along with everyone, but they are always there for you no matter what. It is amazing to see your classmates who you don’t know very well sing so wonderfully. Even though the past two years have been an emotional rollercoaster, going to chamber singers and making amazing music is the best part of my day. Even when mistakes are made, I still love it so much and I cannot wait to see what we are going to do next year!! 


Hi! My name is Nora Guzikowski and I’m a junior in Chamber Singers this year, singing in the Soprano and Alto sections. During the past year, I’ve really enjoyed this class and building a community based on a mutual love of music. We recently had our Pops concert, performing well known pieces like Bohemian Rhapsody and Bridge Over Troubled Water. Shortly after the concert was our seniors’ last day of school, which was definitely bittersweet. I miss all the seniors so much but have also had a lot of fun with our smaller class in the past few weeks! We’ve been working on a project making playlists about our life, which has been super interesting and has helped me learn a lot about my classmates. I’m super excited to be a senior and a leader in the class next year, and to get closer to my current classmates as well as get to know the new members. Making music has always been a huge part of my life, and this year has furthered my knowledge about choral music and my love for singing, especially with my friends.


Thank you, Preston and Nora!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

April 2022
Choral Program Update

Congratulations to the BHS Chamber Singers for earning at SILVER MEDAL at the
MICCA Choral Festival on April 1, 2022!

Choral Ensembles

How is it already just about May? This month, we will be farewell to our wonderful seniors and perform together as ensembles one last time for an audience. Please review the concert dates below and upcoming events!

Important dates to note: 

POPS2022.pdf

After School Choral Ensembles

Jazz Choir: Rehearsals are taking place weekly on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:15pm in the BHS Chorus Room (B225). 

Senior A Cappella: As per Belmont High School tradition, senior students that are involved in various performing arts ensembles have come together to prepare a song for graduation this year. Rehearsals for this group are taking place every Wednesday from 1:35-2:30 in the BHS Chorus Room! Senior A Cappella will sing the National Anthem at Graduation and will join the BHS Chamber Singers in a performance of a piece during the ceremony.

Clay Pit Crooners A Cappella: Rehearsals are taking place weekly on Tuesdays from 2:45-3:30pm in the BHS Chorus Room (B225). 

The first ever A Cappella Night, and premiere performance of the Clay Pit Crooners, at BHS on April 8th was an enormous success!! Thank you to all groups that joined us that evening and for our featured guest, the Tufts University Beelzebubs, for making it so much FUN!

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our seniors, Lindsey Watson!!

Hello everyone! My name is Lindsey and I have been singing as a soprano in the Belmont choir program for 4 years. Everytime I enter the chorus classroom, I know I am singing with a community that is enthusiastic about learning music, whether that be through learning new repertoire or practicing sight singing exercises. While we, as a choir, are serious about making our pieces sound the highest of quality, there are also many silly moments where we enjoy each other’s company and musical talent, such as harmonizing in the hallways when walking back from sectional rehearsals or playing around on the piano together during breaks. I have made many friends by being a member of Chamber choir and I am so glad to have participated in chorus for a number of years because singing with this group of people has been an extraordinary experience. Thank you to everyone who has made it possible for the Choral Department to continue to grow and share amazing music with students and parents alike!


Thank you, Lindsey!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

March 2022
Choral Program Update

The Claypit Crooners is ready for A Cappella Night on Friday, April 8th!

Choral Ensembles

Spring is in Session!: I have been SO proud of the work I am seeing by the students in our Choral Program. We are entering a Spring of performances- MICCA with Chamber Singers, A Cappella Night, and our POPS Concerts quickly approaching. We have also been spending more quality time in class on our sight singing skills and it is fantastic seeing our students develop into well-rounded musicians.

Junior Districts: Congratulations to 9th Graders Claire Boyle and Sophie Harteveldt for performing in this year's Northeastern Junior District SSA Chorus. We are so proud of you!

Important dates to note: 

After School Choral Ensembles

Jazz Choir: Rehearsals are taking place weekly on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:15pm in the BHS Chorus Room (B225). 

Senior A Cappella: As per Belmont High School tradition, senior students that are involved in various performing arts ensembles have come together to prepare a song for graduation this year. Rehearsals for this group are taking place every Wednesday from 1:35-2:30 in the BHS Chorus Room!

Claypit Crooners A Cappella: Rehearsals are taking place weekly on Tuesdays from 2:45-3:30pm in the BHS Chorus Room (B225). 

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our seniors, Lincoln Crockett!!

Hi, I'm Lincoln, a senior in the Chamber Singers and this is my first year in the BHS choral program! The choral program brings so many new and fun learning opportunities this year from getting to stretch together every day to being able to sing music that challenges us like William L. Dawson's Ain'a That Good News. Some of my favorite experiences are when we go out to the foyer or stairway to show off some of the music we've being working on. What is also immediately obvious to anyone who may happen to walk into a rehearsal is that this is a group of good friends, I enjoy being in chorus with some of my friends from the theater program, and making new friends with those who have been singing together for as many as 4 years! Thanks to the Chamber Singers and the choral department for allowing me to sing 4 days a week with some of my favorite people at the high school.


Thank you, Lincoln!

Chamber Singers preparing for their performance at MICCA on Friday, April 1st

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

January-February 2022
Choral Program Update

Choral Ensembles

Getting into 2022!: Now that we are two months into the school year, our singers are deep into new repertoire in preparation for the Spring MICCA Festival (Chamber Singers) and our POPS Concerts in May (all choirs). The priority right now is that we all stay HEALTHY and focus on our physical and mental well-being. I'm so proud of all your work so far this year and the excellent music that is being made.

Junior Districts: Congratulations to the following 9th graders that have been accepted to perform in this year's Junior District Festival!! They will be a part of the Northeastern Festival Girl's Chorus at the Galvin Middle School in Wakefield alongside accepted students from Chenery and all across the Northeastern District. We are so proud of you!


Claire Boyle

Sophie Harteveldt

Josephine Lamenza.


Chamber Singer Auditions and Chorale Recruitment: The deadline to audition for Chamber Singers for the 2022-2023 school year is Friday, March 9th!! This year's audition is VIRTUAL. Please click HERE to find details and the audition form.

*We are also looking to recruit more members for next year's CHORALE. If you have friends at BHS interested and thinking of joining next year, please have them speak to Ms. Donovan or email her at kdonovan@belmontschools.net*

Important dates to note: 

After School Choral Ensembles

Jazz Choir: Rehearsals are taking place weekly on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:15pm in the BHS Chorus Room (B225). 

Madrigal Singers SENIORS: It is time to bid farewell to and return your Madrigals costumes to Ms. Donovan. Please WASH your costumes and return to the Chorus Room (with any included accessories) on a hanger by Friday, March 25th!!

A Cappella: We have voted on a NEW NAME and are official branding ourselves as the Claypit Crooners! Rehearsals are taking place weekly on Tuesdays from 2:45-3:30pm in the BHS Chorus Room (B225). 

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our seniors, Madeleine Christensen!!

Hello everyone! I'm Madeleine Christensen, a soprano section leader and fourth-year singer for the BHS Choral Department. The new year is brimming with opportunities for performing arts students, including the Senior Districts Festival, All-States, and MICCA, which the Chamber Singers will be competing in, in early April. After our Winter Concert, we received a handful of new material, including Sing at First Sight, our first-ever sight-reading book! We're starting with the basics to ensure we all have a strong foundation for all of our future musical endeavors. Some of our favorite pieces we've been focusing on are "Dawn" by Eric William Barnum and "The Storm is Passing Over" by Charles Albert Tindley, so get excited for those at our POPS Concert! This year, we also hope to make recruitment a priority, so the members of Chorale and Chamber Singers made some TikToks, a fun project we all enjoyed. It's been a wonderful start to the year, and we can't wait to see what comes next for the Choral Department!


Thank you, Madeleine!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

December 2021
Choral Program Update

Choral Ensembles

Starting Fresh: Now that we are back from Winter Break, it is time to start a new with new repertoire in preparation for the Spring MICCA Festival (Chamber Singers) and our POPS Concert in May (all choirs). The priority right now is that we all stay HEALTHY and focus on our physical and mental well-being. While there is a lot we can work on, I trust that the music will come- but only when we are al HAPPY and WELL so please make sure you are all taking time to breathe and slow down where possible. I'm so proud of all your work so far this year.

Winter Concert!: I am SO pleased with how our Winter Concert went on December 15th.  If you would like to watch the Belmont Media Center recording of this performance, you can view it HERE! Thank you all for your support and we look forward to continuing our in-person music making. It was VERY nice to have an audience for the first time in a long time. 

Senior Districts: Unfortunately, due to the rising COVID cases in the area, the Senior District Festival that was supposed to take place last week has been postponed. As soon as the event is rescheduled, participating students will be notified and we understand that conflicts may be inevitable. Thank you all for your preparation regardless and for your flexibility!

Junior Districts: Virtual auditions are coming soon!! Please be reminded that if you are a 9th grader auditioning for this festival, your audition link must be submitted by Friday, January 21st! I will be sending a follow up email to you all soon with the Form. 

I will be holding a few optional in-person review sessions for Linden Lea in the BHS Chorus Room for anybody who is interested and auditioning. Here are the offered dates and times:

Please e-mail me if you will be there!

Important dates to note: 

REMINDER - We have decided to CANCEL "Singarama", which was scheduled for Saturday, February 5th. This decision was based on a variety of reasons. We hope to bring it back in the future when our spaces are more established and we can run this event in the safest way possible for all musicians and families!

After School Choral Ensembles

BelmonTones: Rehearsals are taking place weekly on Tuesdays from 2:45-3:30pm in the BHS Chorus Room (B225). 

Jazz Choir: Rehearsals are taking place weekly on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:15pm in the BHS Chorus Room (B225). 

Madrigal Singers: We are DONE with rehearsals for the year (sad) but thank you all for a wonderful December of performances!! The caroling on December 23rd was a highlight of the year. I will be reaching out soon for costume collections, but in the meantime please WASH your costume so we can collect these CLEAN in the next month or so. :)

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our seniors, and Anna Donaldson!!

Hi everyone! My name is Anna Donaldson and I’m a senior this year in the Alto section of Chamber Singers! I have been singing in Chamber Singers for two years and previous to that I was in chorale. It was an amazing opportunity to join the Chamber Singers and focus on more challenging repertoire and tasks. I have also been participating in Jazz Choir as well as Madrigal Singers. Being back in person in school has brought many opportunities for us as students, but one of my personal favorites has been getting to sing as a choir together. This past month, we were lucky enough to perform live! We worked on a handful of pieces in class, challenging us with rhythms, languages, and dynamics. It is such a rewarding feeling to master something in concert, that we work incredibly hard on in class. Ms. Donovan also does a really nice job with not only incorporating vocal technique into our daily classes, but also working on other important aspects of a choir such as sight reading work, learning about composers, and community building activities. She is always pushing us to reach our fullest potential, and we are sometimes challenged to work together as musicians in sectionals to fine tune sections of our music.  Chamber Singers is one of my favorite classes, because nothing compares to making live music with your friends! I have made many of my best friends through the choral department. I look forward to the new repertoire we will soon begin, and making more memories in class! 


Thank you, Anna!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

November 2021
Choral Program Update

Choral Ensembles

Concert Season is Upon Us: We are so thrilled to bring you our first live choral performance since March 2020- 21 months ago!!!! Our winter concert this year is on Wednesday, December 15th and it is in collaboration with our BHS Orchestras. Students are called at 6:00PM. The concert starts at 7:00pm. Please click HERE to review the concert attire for this performance (and all choral performances this year). 

Senior Districts: Congratulations to Madeleine Christiansen (Soprano '22), Lincoln Crockett (Tenor '22), Helena De Figueiredo Valente (Soprano, '23), and Lizandra Hawkinson (Soprano, '23) for being accepted into this year's Northeastern District Senior Chorus Festival, taking place in Wakefield MA in January 2022!! These students were also ALL recommended to audition for this year's All State Chorus Festival which is an incredible accomplishment. Congratulations and well done!!

Important dates to note: 

REMINDER - We have decided to CANCEL "Singarama", which was scheduled for Saturday, February 5th. This decision was based on a variety of reasons. We hope to bring it back in the future when our spaces are more established and we can run this event in the safest way possible for all musicians and families!

After School Choral Ensembles

Congratulations to all new members of these groups and welcome back to our returning singers! Below, I will recap the rehearsal schedules. You can find the rosters under "After School Ensembles" on this website.

BelmonTones: Rehearsals are taking place weekly on Tuesdays from 2:45-3:30pm in the BHS Chorus Room (B225). 

Jazz Choir: Rehearsals are taking place weekly on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:15pm in the BHS Chorus Room (B225). 

Madrigal Singers: Rehearsals are taking place weekly on Wednesdays from 7:00-8:15pm (unless rescheduled and communicated) in the BHS Chorus Room (B225).  Below are the list of current scheduled performances for the month of December:

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our seniors, and tenor section leader, Christian Manjikian!!

So far in class this year we have gone over a wide variety of choral pieces, all of them challenging in their own unique way. We have spent a lot of time rehearsing and getting used to singing together again after having spent a long stretch of time without doing so. For those of us who knew each other before Covid, we have begun to rebuild those connections we lost, while also building connections with those of us who are new to the BHS Chamber singers. Due to quarantine and the loss of in person performances I’m greatly appreciative of the chance to perform again, and am looking forward to doing so in December!


Thank you, Christian!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

October 2021
Choral Program Update

Choral Ensembles

Into the swing of things!: It has been a very successful and enjoyable first month and a half of school! Singing in our beautiful new space has been so gratifying and our Winter Concert repertoire is starting to take shape. We have been taking time in class to not only strengthen our skills as musicians, but to also take time to connect as individuals and build our community. I am so proud of each student for opening up during our "Community Circle" discussions and listening to each member of the Chorus share a little bit more about themselves. When we know each other, the beautiful music quickly follows. This work has been strengthening our bond and making the music we sing that much more rewarding. 

Dates to note: 

REMINDER - Senior District Chorus Auditions: Senior District auditions will once again be virtual this year. The audition piece is "April is in My Mistress' Face" by Thomas Morley, which both Chorale and Chamber Singers are working on in class. Students will be required to submit an audition video for a class assignment and may opt into the official District audition. I highly encourage all students to audition for Senior Districts. Video auditions are due by November 7th and more information can be found HERE. We will also work through this during class. If any students would like to send me their audition video before the deadline for feedback, please make sure to do this in advance. Please reach out if you have any questions!

After School Choral Ensembles

Congratulations to all new members of these groups and welcome back to our returning singers! Below, I will recap the rehearsal schedules. You can find the rosters under "After School Ensembles" on this website.

A Cappella: Rehearsals are taking place weekly on Tuesdays from 2:45-3:30pm in the BHS Chorus Room (B225). 

Jazz Choir: Rehearsals are taking place weekly on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:15pm in the BHS Chorus Room (B225). 

Madrigal Singers: Rehearsals are taking place weekly on Wednesdays from 7:00-8:15pm in the BHS Chorus Room (B225). 

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our seniors, Nicole Bufano!!

Hi all! My name is Nicole Bufano and I am a senior in high school this year and a proud soprano. As a member of the Chamber Singers for three years now (wow! time flies!), I have experienced the choir's expert adaptations to maintain the beautiful community that our music builds, despite such a tumultuous past few years. Finally back in school and person, and with a chorus room all our own, the choral department at Belmont High School and the talent of the students within it have the opportunity to flourish more than ever before! As a senior, I often find myself reflecting on my past years of high school, and I always come back to how resilient and dedicated my peers are. Despite everything that the world has thrown at us, we have emerged as strong as ever. With a rich selection of repertoire for our coming winter concert and a tightly-knit community of choristers, I am confident that this year will be one for the books! 


Thank you, Nicole!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

September 2021
Choral Program Update

Our beautiful new Chorus Room!!!!

Choral Ensembles

Welcome Back!: We are finally back and singing in person! We are also very lucky to have a beautiful Chorus Room in our new building. The space is so open, with lovely tall ceilings, that it feels really great to sing and make sound. I am incredibly proud of these singers for launching back into singing so fearlessly and by already building such a special classroom community. 

For more details on what students can expect in our class throughout the year, you can refer to the BHS Choral Handbook, which is our most important document. It includes information about concert dates, concert attire, grading, expectations, and classroom policies. Please reach out if you have any questions!

See below some fun pictures from the first week of school!! These are awesome humans.

Soccer Night: We are looking for High School singers to sing the National Anthem at Soccer Night on Saturday, October 2nd at BHS! Games are at 4:30 and 6:30, so we are asking students to arrive at 4 and 6pm for these games. This is a great volunteer opportunity! To get involved and sign up, you can email CMS Choral Director, Sara Carson at scarson@belmont.k12.ma.us!

Senior District Chorus Auditions: Senior District auditions will once again be virtual this year. The audition piece is "April is in My Mistress' Face" by Thomas Morley, which both Chorale and Chamber Singers are working on in class. Students will be required to submit an audition video for a class assignment and may opt into the official District audition. I highly encourage all students to audition for Senior Districts. Video auditions are due by November 10th and more information can be found HERE. We will also work through this during class. Please reach out if you have any questions!

After School Choral Ensembles

Congratulations to all new members of these groups and welcome back to our returning singers! Below, I will recap the rehearsal schedules. You can find the rosters under "After School Ensembles" on this website.

A Cappella: Rehearsals will be taking place weekly on Tuesdays from 2:45-3:30pm in the BHS Chorus Room (B225). Our first rehearsal took place this week and it was so much fun!

Jazz Choir: Rehearsals will be taking place weekly on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:15pm in the BHS Chorus Room (B225).  Our first rehearsal will take place on Tuesday, October 5th. 

Madrigal Singers: Rehearsals will be taking place weekly on Wednesdays from 7:00-8:15pm in the BHS Chorus Room (B225). We had our first rehearsal this week and are looking forward to setting up gigs this Winter for the first time since 2019! We are also thrilled to welcome 2021 graduate, Jackson Mann, as an alum to help us out with the rehearsal process this year. Welcome back, Jackson!!

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our seniors, Erik Rosenmeier!!

Hi everyone! My name is Erik Rosenmeier and I am a senior at Belmont High School. I participate in Chamber singers, Madrigals, and Jazz Choir. This year is a particularly exciting time for the choral department because we finally get to make music as a group like we used to! Dare I say, I almost forgot how much fun it was. Last year was difficult, even after we transitioned into in person classes there were some restrictions that limited how much we could really do. But this year it’s full steam ahead. Ms. Donovan has selected an awesome and diverse repertoire for our winter concert. All of which me and my fellow choir members are enjoying working through. In addition to the singing aspect of chorus, we have also been focusing on the community aspect. The past few weeks chamber singers has grown closer through a series of different team building activities, from simple get-to-know-you games to exciting and interesting team challenges and competitions. I know this year is going to be special and I can’t wait to share our work with you all.

Thank you, Erik!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

January 2021 

Choral Program Update

Choral Ensembles

Hybrid Learning: Happy New Year!!! As we entered 2021, both Chamber Singers and Chorale presented their own "Winter Choral Concert" programs that they had worked on in groups to learn how to select appropriate and diverse Choral repertoire, assemble a cohesive program, and price and fund a concert. This was a great way for students to work in groups and become exposed to a variety of music (in place of a live performance we missed having this year!!) Students have also been getting used to our Hybrid model and are making this transition with grace, flexibility, and so much positivity which I am incredibly grateful for and proud of!!

Where We Find Ourselves Commission Project: This month, we were excited to receive the brand new SCORES to all five movements of this masterwork. Although we are facing many challenges with learning and rehearsing music as we would traditionally, we are beginning to utilize our in-person class time to solidify rhythms in the music, discuss and understand the context on a deeper level, and utilizing our virtual time together to sing. With this commission, we are being giving rehearsal tracks so that each voice part can also learn this music independently and on their own at home. We cannot wait to become a part of history as one of the first choirs in the world to perform "Where We Find Ourselves"!

Junior District Chorus Auditions: As a reminder, 9th graders have the opportunity to audition for this year's Junior District Chorus. This year, there is no virtual or in-person festival, however it is a great opportunity to practice your audition skills and gain valuable written feedback from an adjudicator. Video auditions are due by Friday, March 12th and the FORM to sign-up for this audition is due on Friday, February 12th, 2021. This is an OPTIONAL opportunity!! Please reach out if you have any questions!

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our seniors, Chantal Dunn!!


Hello everyone! I’m Chantal Dunn, a soprano section leader in my fourth year of choir at BHS. The past couple of weeks have been an especially exciting time for our choir, as we move to the next stage of our “Where We Find Ourselves” project. Throughout the year, Chamber Singers has been listening and reflecting on a podcast focused on the work of Hugh Mangum, a progressive photographer active in the early 20th century. The members of the podcast were inspired by Mangum to write five songs connected to his photographs, and how his experiences, along with those of his subjects, connect to “where we find ourselves” now. Fortunately, Belmont High School is fortunate to be one of the schools pioneering these pieces! Learning such new songs is definitely difficult in a remote/hybrid environment, but our choir is having a lot of fun rising to the challenge. I look forward to mastering more pieces this year, and making music with the incredible members of the chorus department!

Thank you, Chantal!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

November & December 2020 

Choral Program Update

Choral Ensembles

Hybrid Learning: With the end of 2020 came a lot of big changes for the Belmont Public School District and I am so proud of the students in the Music Department for being flexible, resilient, and understanding through the big changes that came with the shift from Remote to Hybrid Learning at the beginning of December. As we continue to make this adjustment, I only anticipate that things will get more comfortable and more normal for us! 

Where We Find Ourselves Commission Project: In November, the BHS Chamber Singers had the opportunity to meet with Michael Bussewitz-Quarm and Shantel Sellers, composer and lyricist of the excited Choral Commission project "Where We Find Ourselves" that the BHS Choral Department is participating in this year, along with dozens of other high school choirs around the country. This Zoom meeting offered the students a chance to ask questions about the project itself, about composing, and how choral music can create positive change in out world. Thank you again to POMS for funding this project that we look forward to continuing in the Spring! 

Senior District Festival 2020: Congratulations to the students from the BHS Choral Department who were selected for the Northeast District Festival! Due to the pandemic, the festival won't be in person as it has in the past, but we are very proud of them!

This year, we had 6 students accepted into the NED Chorus. Four singers scored high enough to receive a recommendation to audition for MMEA All-State Festival in January.

Accepted into the NED Chorus: Madeleine Christensen, Lizandra Hawksinson, David Jen, Jackson Mann, Benjamin Quinn, and Hanna Racz-Kozuma. 

Accepted with an All-State Recommendation: Madeleine Christensen, David Jen, Benjamin Quinn, and Hanna Racz-Kozuma. 

After School Choral Ensembles

This month, the Madrigal Singers were able to perform their set of carols and madrigals outdoors for a Belmont Media recording which will be released this week for families to watch. The Madrigal Singers is a Belmont community staple and we have missed being able to sing at the Tree Lighting, Watertown Mall, Mt. Auburn Hospital, Chenery Middle School, and more this year but the singers brought so much life to this performance in following covid guidelines for singing. An email will be sent to families with the Belmont Media performance link when it is available.

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our seniors, Cooper Valentine!!

The winter break is almost upon us and with it comes a chance to reflect on the year to this point. My name is Cooper Valentine and I am a Senior at BHS. I'm a member of every singing ensemble here at the high school and jump on every performance opportunity I get. Singing has been a constant for me these past four years yet now, in my final year, it took a surprising turn. With the majority of rehearsals being changed to remote, we as students are having to take ownership over our practice in a way we never before have. Before it was easy to just sit back and blend into the voices to your right and left. Now we are forced to confront our own voices, whether raw refined. This independence takes an extreme in Jazz choir as we are preparing our own Jazz solos. Something that is drastically different than the SATB four-part arrangements we've sung in the past. I believe these changes, despite being both sudden and brash, are giving me the skills to keep singing as a part of my everyday life as I transition out of high school. In the end, singing is fun, and there is rarely going to be a conductor in life to help guild you.

Thank you, Cooper!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.


Happy Holidays, everybody!! Enjoy your much needed break.

October 2020 Choral Program Update

Choral Ensembles

End of Term: It has been a busy month and a half of the school year and it's hard to believe that we are already at the end of Quarter 1! With Senior grades closing Friday, November 6 (today!) underclassmen grades for Chorus will also close because our choirs involve students of all grades. This means that any assignments given after today will fall into Quarter 2! This is a reminder to students to please check in on any outstanding work and get it into me on Google Classroom by next Tuesday, November 10!!

After School Choral Ensembles

For the past month, our after school ensemble rehearsals have been well underway. The A Cappella group has spent time working on a virtual performance led by our awesome student leadership: David Jen, Edward Lee, Francesca Kitch, and Crystal Huang! Jazz Choir singers have been spending rehearsals delving into the world of standard jazz vocal standards and are making selections to workshop their own jazz solo this year in preparation for a virtual Jazz cabaret. Madrigal Singers has finally begun weekly in-person, outdoor rehearsals which have been a great time to finally rehearse together and enjoy the nice weather while it lasts! Those rehearsals have been supplemented with weekly virtual rehearsals as we prepare our caroling set for the year.  Please view THIS document for more details about how Virtual Rehearsals will run for these three after-school ensembles.

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our students!!

Hello everyone! My name is David Jen, and I'm a senior in Chamber Singers. I am a tenor section leader in both Chamber Singers and A Cappella. Now that we're almost two months into the school year, I think we've started to find our rhythm and a sense of normalcy. Every class of Chamber Singers starts with a fun question for everyone to answer, there's some time for announcements, and then we do a quick vocal warm-up. Though it is hard to learn repertoire in a remote setting, we've managed to learn a couple of pieces so far. One of the pieces that we've been learning is "I Know a Young Maiden" which is this year's Senior Districts audition piece. Unfortunately, there's no festival this year, but the upside is that people can audition without having to commit to a lot, and since auditions are remote, we'll get more personalized feedback. Through our choral journals, we've been exposed to more new music than just our repertoire, which I think is one of the best new additions to the choral curriculum. I always enjoy listening to new music and different genres than I would normally listen to in my day-to-day life. I think I speak for all of my classmates when I say that this year has been incredibly different from anything that's come before. It's still a bit jarring to only hear myself when we sing, it's still a bit awkward to sing in my own house, and it's still a bit disappointing that we can't all just unmute and talk to our friends for a few minutes. That being said, I know we're more than capable of overcoming the obstacles that this crazy year has thrown at us. Despite all of the limitations, it's been a good year so far, and hopefully it's only going to get better from here.

Thank you, David!

Stay Connected!

This website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.

September 2020 Choral Program Update

Choral Ensembles

WELCOME: Welcome to our new students and families! The Belmont High School Visual and Performing Arts Department is a special community, and we’re glad you chose to join us in the Choral Program! Welcome back to our returning students and families! 

Of course, this year looks very different from past years, but our students have been eager to engage in our virtual choral setting and I am so impressed and inspired by their positivity.

GETTING STARTED: Each ensemble has started our year by talking about the theme of IDENTITY as it relates to our exciting Virtual Choir project we will be implementing throughout this year. The project is titled "Pandemic Proof Choral Projects: Where We Find Ourselves". Thank you very much to POMS for funding this project that will involve many other choirs and students from all over the country! Throughout all of our repertoire selections this year that we will work on at home, students will be engaged with integrated projects that encourage conversations about how we see ourselves and each other in the world and how we can utilize music to make the world a better place. We are also implementing an ongoing Choral Journal that will expose each student to a broad array of choral music, and will soon begin to utilize technology such as Sight Reading Factory and Noteflight to continue our work on musical literacy and sight reading. Although we are all at home currently, the goal is that all students continue to make music and sing in each class!

We have also been discussing and implementing our CHOR-AL values: Collaborate, Harness, Open, Ready, Aid, Listen. Students were given a new Syllabus for this unique school year which can be found HERE. Adjustments will continue to be made throughout this year as the switch to Hybrid learning begins. While we are not scheduling any performances at the moment, each ensemble plans to create one Virtual Performance per semester to share with each other and the community. 

After School Choral Ensembles

This very week, virtual auditions were conducted for all three co-curricular choral ensembles: A Cappella, Jazz Choir, and Madrigal Singers. I anticipate that the final rosters will be posted by Friday, October 2nd. If you are a returning or new member of these ensembles, you will be receiving an email from me about when virtual rehearsals will begin, what they will look like, and what you need to do to prepare.  Please view THIS document to get an idea about how Virtual Rehearsals will run for these three after-school ensembles.

All three groups are looking forward to a great year full of creative collaboration!

Student Perspective

Please enjoy this note from one of our students!!

Hi everyone! My name is Katie Kaiser and I'm a senior in chamber singers! I'm also an officer for the BHS Chapter of the Tri-M Music Honors Society. Once I heard the plans for this year, all of my apprehension about starting chorus in a remote setting dissipated. Having been in chorus for 10 years, I thought I'd seen it all. Evidently, unprecedented situations call for unprecedented levels of innovation. Each day class looks different, but we always have fun. Incorporated into every 80-minute class, there is a warm-up, independent musical work, and community-building activities. One of my personal favorites was creating a slideshow in class this week to "meet" our classmates in a sense. In such a tight-knit community, our personal relationships and the quality of our music go hand-in-hand. Despite being in a virtual environment, I'm sure my classmates will agree that our spirit has not been dampened. Although singing alone at home is different (and a little bit awkward), it gives us a unique opportunity to focus on our personal musical skills while still being part of an ensemble. This year, chorus has exceeded all of my expectations. In times like these, there's nothing better than coming together to share music with one another. Our community is stronger than ever, and I can't wait for what the rest of the year holds!

Thank you, Katie, and all students who have helped this year get off to a great start!

Stay Connected!

This brand new website will be a resource for all things BHS Choral and can be used as a reference for all documents, and information. Please utilize the website and reach out to me at kdonovan@belmontschools.net with questions in the meantime.

To stay even more connected, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for quick updates.


Looking forward to a great year!!!