Aurora High School Choir: Finding Harmony Together

At Aurora High School, choir is more than just a class, it’s a community. What sets the AHS choirs apart is both the variety of music they perform and the diversity of the students involved. Across the three ensembles, Chamber Choir, Concert Choir, and the Evergreen Ensemble,. sStudents sing everything from classical, to jazz, rock, and pop. But just as important as the music is, the mix of students who make up the program is even more important. “Our ensembles are not represented by any particular ‘"kind’" of student. We are represented by experienced musicians and multi-instrumentalists, but also by student athletes, dancers, scholars, actors, and much more,” says Mr. Downing, choir director.

Mr. Downing hopes his students take away his lessons beyond music. “I hope that students learn not only about the joys of singing choral music, but also the joy of being part of a diverse community working toward one common goal,” he explains. He also hopes students remember the way he treats them: with kindness, respect, and high expectations for musicianship and performance. He states, “A lesson a hope that students take away from me, is that I treated them with kindness and respect, while also holding them to a high standard of musicianship and performance.”