There are several small groups of boys who rehearse at my studio once a week for one hour. The boys have been carefully grouped according to age, experience, and development. The boys receive instruction on voice production, performing and acting, and musical understanding. The small groups come together and form choirs and practice at least twice a month.

• Preparatory Classes are made up of the youngest boys and they have a gentle performing schedule. There are approximately 14 boys accepted into the Preparatory Level each year. Two classes of 6 or 7 boys meet for one hour per week to learn the basics of note reading, how to decipher a choral score, and they begin expressive training. They perform with the full choir together with their fathers, at the annual Christmas Performance. They perform again in the festival and the year-end concert.

• The Junior Choir comprise boys in their second, third and fourth year of the choir.  Usually they are in grades 3-5. They are broken into small classes of 6 or 7 and have weekly one-hour small group voice lessons.  They continue to study note reading, however vocal training is the focus, together with drama and performance skills.  They often produce a short musical as part of the Christmas program and travel to local schools in the spring where they put on a larger work. They have at least 2 choir rehearsals per month, where they work together as a choir, or take drama lessons. They participate in the Christmas concert, Spring festival and Concert and tour local schools in Grande Prairie.

• The Senior Choir consists of approximately 28- 34 boys, grades 6 – 8. These junior high boys have treble voices and have experience singing solo and in choir. Many of the boys have been in the same small group voice lesson for four years and have become strong friends. Once a boy has reached the Senior level, there are many opportunities for solos. Voice Teachers from Alberta are often brought in to give the boys extra lessons and work in Master Class type settings. The local music festival provides many opportunities for boys to try their hand at solos and boys have gone on to compete at the Provincial level and place in the top 3. The boys particularly enjoy singing in their small group and often perform comical musical theatre numbers to a very appreciative audience. In addition to their ensemble work, they gather together as a choir at least twice a month. They perform at all concerts and travel when the opportunity arises.

Changing Voices Class is a small group for boys whose voice is in the process of dropping. These boys learn about their voice change and are encouraged to sing through the change. Special music is either arranged or carefully selected that will suit their changing voices. After a few months in this class and once they are more familiar with the male voice, they are slowly introduced to the Men of Note. The small group allows the boys to go through the change together and support each other. If laughing occurs, it is not done with a mean spirit! They perform in all concerts and particularly enjoy singing with their fathers down the octave for the first time, at the Christmas Concert. Often, male voice teachers are brought in to role model for these emerging baritons.

The Men of Note was formed because the boys just kept coming back year after year!  This level encompasses about 16 high school boys and continues to grow.  Most of them have been with the program for at least 5 years. They no longer meet in small groups, but meet every week for 2 hours as a choir. Mr. John Murray, voice instructor at the Grande Prairie Regional College comes in every week for ½ hour to give them voice training from a male perspective. Occasionally they sing with the Senior Choir and do SATB repertoire. Every year special instructors are brought into Grande Prairie to provide private instruction and challenge them to become the very best they can be. They have traveled with the Senior Choir and plans are being made to attend an International Festival in 2010.

 

The entire Grande Prairie Boys’ Choir, in its 2009/2010 Season.

All photos are courtesy of FX photo