VOCAL ENSEMBLES

The Niles West High School choral program is home to 8 ensembles - 4 curricular, and 4 extracurricular. Each is designed to help students learn how to more effectively use their voices, as well as learn more about music theory, music history, and ear training, through the music that they practice and perform for each concert. The more that students develop their musical skills, the more likely it is that they will be able to audition into the more advanced ensembles, which practice and perform more advanced and complex literature.

Curricular ensembles (Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, One Voice) meet throughout the day and are a class that you must enroll in via your counselor. The curricular ensembles are geared toward teaching enrolled students to have an appreciation for all types of music from many different eras. The focus for these ensembles is to foster healthy vocal technique, resulting in a beautiful vocal tone across any styles of music, as well as building musical skills such as sight-reading, ear training, and music theory. Equally important is the building of community and camaraderie among all the members of the Niles West High School choral program.

Extracurricular ensembles meet outside of the school day. Our award winning a cappella program houses three of those ensembles. The focus of the three a cappella ensembles (Resolve, Luminescence, Tonality) is to build students' understanding, appreciation, and execution of a cappella music. With a cappella having the ability to span across every genre, style, and time period, a wide and broad range of music is studied, rehearsed, and performed. 

Company is the newest extracurricular ensemble in the Niles West choral program.