South Hills Children’s Choir to hold auditions
Courtesy of Jennie Nolan
Members of the South Hills Children’s Choir’s Cadenza Choir at the Frick Mansion.
Courtesy of Jennie Nolan
South Hills Children’s Choir members visited the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.
Courtesy of Jennie Nolan
The South Hills Children’s Choir performs at Halcyon Senior Living in Bridgeville.
Courtesy of Jennie Nolan
The South Hills Children’s Choir celebrated its 10th anniversary this year in May at Faith Lutheran Church.
The South Hills Children’s Choir is getting ready to start its next season and is looking for more voices to join in sharing music through song.
Jennie Nolan, of Eighty Four, founded the nonprofit group a decade ago and serves as artistic director.
“We grew from a little choir of about 10 singers to where we now regularly have about 35 to 40 singers,” she said. “We have kids from all over the South Hills. We get all kind of kids from all around the neighborhood. I think we have kids from 10 public school districts right now. We have some kids from the Christian schools and we even have a little home-school contingent as well because it’s a great way for home-school families to get some sort of art credit into their weekly schooling.”
The SHCC is a music performance and education program for youth that emphasizes the development of musical skills and understanding. Instruction focuses on proper technique, musicality, and the experience of diverse repertoire, communities, cultures and the centuries.
“We’re trying to create a whole musician here, as well as an accomplished singer,” Nolan said. “We have a lot of goals and we try to have fun doing it.”
The choir has performed at a number of venues, such as local farmers markets, assisted living facilities, Phipps Conservatory, Frick House and the opening of the Primrose School of Peters Township. The group also has sung the national anthem at Penguins, Riverhounds and Wild Things games.
There also have been performances in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Canterbury Cathedral in England, the Appalachian Festival of Young Voices in Charleston, W.Va., and Carnegie Hall in New York City. The choir will be returning to Carnegie Hall June 10.
Performances typically are geared toward the audience, but Nolan said there usually is some classical music involved. Songs the choir may perform this season include “Red Light, Green Light,” by Francisco Nunez, a snappy number that references children’s games, and perhaps “Kentucky Jazz Jam,” which highlights jazz music.
“We’re looking for songs that resonate with kids and will challenge them in a good way,” Nolan said. “We’re just looking for good music, music that fits with the kids. We sing a lot, but we do try not to encroach incredibly into family life, because we recognize with all of the after-school activities, it’s easy to eat at people’s times.”
Upcoming appearances include the Waters of McMurray Retirement Community in November, as well as Canonsburg’s Old-Fashioned Christmas and South Hills Village in December. The winter concert, “What Sweeter Music,” is set for Dec. 8 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Upper St. Clair.
An appearance with the Washington Symphony Orchestra as part of Fun & Games is scheduled for March 16 and 17 at Olin Fine Arts Center at Washington & Jefferson College.
Auditions are being held Aug. 24 and 25 and Sept. 8 and 9, but if those dates don’t work, Nolan said other arrangements can be made.
This season’s first rehearsal is set for Sept. 14 at Wright’s United Methodist Church, 788 Venetia Road, Venetia.
Youth between the ages of 11 and 18 can sign up for an audition at https://shcchoir.org/audition.html. Interested singers between the ages of 8 and 10 don’t need to audition but do need to register.
“I firmly believe that everybody can sing, some of us take a little more help, but everybody can sing,” Nolan said. “If people experience singing in a group setting, there’s a bonding that goes on that’s really important, and we’ve lost some of that in our day and age. The kids come and make friends and they find this community that’s a happy, safe place and they keep coming back.”