Wellness

musical theater are studied and performed. Students have the opportunity to perform solos and to work in small ensembles. The Chorus performs throughout the year at various events and presents major performances at Christmas and in the spring. The Chorus also presents a student-directed Broadway review and collaborates on major oratorio works with other independent schools.

Upper School Orchestral Ensemble

The Orchestral Ensemble is open to students in grades 9 through 12 and meets once a week for an hour and a half. Students are eligible to elect this course if they have a minimum of two years of private study experience with their instrument of choice. The ensemble will explore orchestral music from the wide range of “classical” repertoire. Students will have the experience of playing in small chamber groups as well. Study will culminate in performances at Christmas and in the spring. There will also be opportunities throughout the school year for orchestral students to perform at various sacred and secular school functions.

Madrigals

Madrigals is a select group of singers chosen from the ranks of the Upper School Chorus. This is a small ensemble that meets for one hour a week and performs in a variety of styles. Students are selected for their vocal excellence as well as their musicianship skills. The Madrigals perform along with the Chorus at the Christmas and spring concerts. In addition, the Madrigals are invited to perform at various other functions both at school and in the greater metropolitan area.

Performing Arts Foundations (Grade 9) With a focus on style and genre this course gives an overview of the history of the performing arts. By exploring performance practice styles from the medieval era to contemporary, students are exposed to a wide range of genres and learn to make connections between music, dance, drama, and events in history. Research projects and discrete units in vocal music, drama, and public speaking provide hands-on approaches to the performing arts. The juxtaposition of sacred vs. secular, and classical vs. popular, and traditional vs. avant-garde—particularly in the world of music—helps students gain a perspective on how the arts evolve and change as civilizations proceed in time.

Acting

Acting is open to all students interested in the foundations/basic principles of acting onstage and on camera. Skills learned include physical and vocal behavior/actions, basic movement, voice and speech work, character development, improvisation, and personalization. Through contemporary and classical plays including dramas and comedies, students will begin to develop their own acting technique. They will also explore how the fundamentals of acting on camera can be applied to films, sitcoms, soap operas, and commercials. Students who take this course will be asked to conduct some research and are advised to attend performances outside of Sacred Heart.

Introduction to Music Theory (Grade 10) Introduction to Music Theory is a comprehensive course designed to acquaint the rudiments and the basic theory concepts. The fundamentals of music notations and traditional solfège exercises are emphasized throughout the course. Students are tutored in ear-training and gain sight-singing skills to become more effective and literate musicians. This is the introductory course in a three-year sequence leading to the Advanced Music Theory course in grade 12.

Music Theory (Grade 11) This course explores the rudiments of music theory, sight singing and ear training. Students gain a firm foundation in note-reading in various clefs, intervals, major and minor scales, chord identification, metric organization and rhythmic patterns. Through listening examples, composition and score analysis, students gain the necessary skills for advanced music theory and harmony in anticipation of the Advanced Music Theory course. Admission by permission of the instructor is required.

Advanced Music Theory (Grade 12) This is an advanced theory and tonal harmony course designed to equip music students with the necessary skills to recognize, understand and describe the basic materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in a score. The course proceeds with integrated approaches to the student’s further development of sight-singing, dictation, analysis, and composition. More sophisticated and creative tasks are included: composition of a bass line, realization of a figured bass, realization of Roman numeral