Announcing the Gregory Spring Musical...

... "Cinderella!"

More information about the musical version of this classic tale can be found at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinderella_(musical)

Great roles for girls AND guys!

Auditions are open to the whole school, and will be held on March 12-13, with callbacks on March 14.

Amazing Triptych Concerts!

Congratulations to all students on two AWESOME evenings of music.  All of the bands, orchestras and choruses were spectacular!  We are so proud of your dedication and musicianship.  Thank you for embracing and sharing your 21st Century skills with hundreds of people at all of the concerts.  We are so grateful for your gift of music.

Great Job!!

Congratulations to the members of the 6th Grade Chorus, Men's Ensemble, and Concert Choir for a great pair of concerts last night. You rocked!!

Men's Ensemble - NO rehearsal tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 8. We will meet again prior to the Dec. 13 concert at the pre-assigned 5:45pm warmup time.

Concert Choir - our next rehearsal will be Friday, Dec. 16 at our usual AM time.

Again, congrats to all!

Triptych Concert Reminders

'Tis the season for our winter Triptych Concerts here at Gregory.  The following is the upcoming schedule:

Tuesday, December 6 - 6:30pm - 6th Grade Chorus and Men's Ensemble (in addition to 6th Grade Band & 6th Grade Orchestra).  Students should report to the West Gym for warmups by 5:45pm.  Combo students should check in at band/orchestra first to get their instrument out, and then report to chorus.

Tuesday, December 6 - 8:15pm - Concert Choir (in addition to our extracurricular band/orchestra ensembles).  Students should report to the West Gym for warmup by 7:30pm.

Tuesday, December 13 - 6:30pm - 7th Grade Chorus and Men's Ensemble (in addition to 7th Grade Band & 7th Grade Orchestra).  Students should report to the West Gym for warmups by 5:45pm. Combo students should check in at band/orchestra first to get their instrument out, and then report to chorus.

Tuesday, December 13 - 8:15pm - 8th Grade Chorus (in addition to 8th Grade Band & 8th Grade Orchestra).  Students should report to the West Gym for warmups by 7:30pm. Combo students should check in at band/orchestra first to get their instrument out, and then report to chorus.

Attire for the evening is 'nice dress clothes' (no polo shirt) - dress pants, button-down shirt, tie, dress shoes/socks for boys; dress or skirt/pants & blouse, and dress shoes for girls.  Bright, festive colors are encouraged!  No jeans, t-shirts/sweatshirts, gym shoes, etc. please.
 
In addition, we would like to decorate the gym with poinsettia plants for both concert evenings.  If you have a plant (real or fake) that you would like to donate to Gregory for the concerts, please drop it off at the Gregory greeter desk on Monday, December 5 or Tuesday, December 6.  Thank you in advance if you are able to contribute!
 
Happy Holidays!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all Gregory chorus students and families!  I hope this week provides you with an opportunity to rest, recharge, and reflect upon the things for which you are thankful.

Have a great break!

Way to go!

Congratulations to all Gregory singers on an amazing set of chorus concerts last night! Your performance was top notch, and your concert etiquette was equally as impressive—way to go!

If anyone has photos or video you would like to share from either concert, please email Mr. Pfenninger.

Fall Concerts - October 24

Dear Chorus Students & Parents,


Concert Reminder…

Our first chorus concerts of the year are coming up on

Monday, October 24, 2011

6:30pm – 6th Grade Chorus, Men’s Ensemble & Concert Choir

8:00pm – 7th Grade Chorus, 8th Grade Chorus & Concert Choir


Report times/locations are:

6th Grade Chorus – 5:30pm, Commons

Men’s Ensemble – 5:45pm, Chorus Room

Concert Choir – 5:45pm, West Gym

7th Grade Chorus – 7:15pm, Commons

8th Grade Chorus – 7:15pm, West Gym

(6th Grade Concert Choir members should bring homework/personal reading and gather in the chorus room in between the two concerts.)


Attire is the gray Gregory Music polo shirt (fully tucked in on all sides with at least one button buttoned), black pants, blacks socks and black shoes.


Also, please use this opportunity if you have not already done so to fill out the online Chorus Student/Parent Information Form located further down the main chorus blog page.

Parents, if you are interested in volunteering your time on the night of the concert, we could use your help.  We are in need of 3 chaperones from 5:30-6:30pm to supervise students in their warmup locations, and another 3 chaperones from 7:15-8:00pm.  We also need some parent volunteers to take photos and videotape each concert.  If you are interested in helping in any of the above tasks, please email Mr. Pfenninger.  Thank you!!

See you on the 24th!

Concert Choir 2011-12

Thank you to everyone who auditioned!


Congratulations to the following members of this year's Gregory Concert Choir:


Concert Choir 2011-12


The first rehearsal will be on Friday, September 16, from 6:55-7:45am in the chorus room.  Please bring an empty folder (separate from your chorus folder), pencil and your Assignment Notebook.

Men's Ensemble is coming soon!

Attention all Gregory guys...the Gregory Men’s Ensemble needs YOU!  The group is open to all 6th, 7th and 8th grade boys at Gregory, and best of all, no audition is required!  Rehearsals are Thursday mornings before school and the group sings a wide variety of popular and traditional tunes.  Men’s Ensemble is always a crowd favorite at our concerts and this is your chance to be a part of it all.  Sign-ups are in the Chorus Room (Room 4A)…you may swing by at any time prior to the first rehearsal to sign up and pick up a permission slip.  The first rehearsal will be Thursday, September 15.

Concert Choir Auditions - September 7 & 8

Auditions for Gregory's honors chorus - Concert Choir - are coming up soon!  If you have not already signed up for an audition time slot, you should do so in the chorus room ASAP.  Auditions will be after school on Wednesday, September 7 and Thursday, September 8.


Interested students will also need to pick up a permission slip and return it signed prior to their audition.


The audition will consist of:
- A verse or two of a prepared selection, to be sung a cappella (no accompaniment).
- "America" (My country 'tis of thee...)
- Sight-singing
- Tonal memory exercises


Please arrive 10-15 minutes early to warm up and fill out an audition form.


Audition results will be posted Friday, September 9 at 3:00pm outside the chorus room, as well as on the chorus website.  The first rehearsal will be Friday, September 16, from 6:55-7:45am.


Don't miss this opportunity to be a part of Gregory's premier vocal group!

Welcome to the Gregory Chorus Department!

Dear Chorus Students and Parents,

Welcome to Gregory Chorus 2011-12.  We have some great things planned for this year, and we in District 204 feel strongly that participation in music is a critical component to a student's overall education and development, so we are happy that you are here!

• In order to get some necessary information, parents please take a few minutes to fill out the following brief, important online form by Friday, September 2:  Chorus Student/Parent Information Form.
• Please also review the Gregory Chorus Handbook, and print and return page 8 of the handbook by Wednesday, September 7.  (The handbook is a PDF file; if you do not have a PDF reader on your computer, you may want to install Adobe Reader to open this commonly found format.)

Thank you, and again - welcome!

Concert Choir - Awesome!

Congratulations to all the members of the Gregory Concert Choir on a phenomenal performance last night in the Neuqua Valley High School Auditorium.  Your musicianship and level of singing were outstanding, and your efforts have been greatly appreciated.  Thank you for a great year…you have made Gregory proud!

Summer Chorus

Dear Gregory Chorus Students and Families,

The District 204 Music Program offers wonderfully engaging and comprehensive Summer Music opportunities. In particular, we highly encourage Gregory Chorus Students to consider enrolling in the Dist. #204 Summer Chorus. This year's Summer Chorus program is conveniently hosted by Neuqua Valley, although it is open to students from throughout the District.

Summer Chorus, available for students entering grades 6-12, is a large vocal ensemble dedicated to discovering and experiencing the musical traditions and styles of all choral music! Performing music from all styles and historical periods, including classical choral pieces as well as vocal jazz, Broadway, and world music, Summer Chorus is a fun way to continue singing while meeting new friends from throughout District 204.

In Summer Chorus, students will:

• Develop musicianship through performing music from all around the world  
• Develop vocal skills and habits necessary for musical growth and performance 
• Develop music literacy skills - music reading skills and Music Theory  
• Develop appreciation for music from all styles through performing and listening activities 
• Develop empathy and appropriate respect for society's cultural blend 
• Develop camaraderie with peers of various age and grade levels through musical experiences

To register, please visit the following website:

http://www.204summermusic.org/home.html

The "early bird" registration deadline in May 21.

Please do not hesitate to contact Ryan Rimington with any questions regarding this program.

(We also encourage current 8th grade/future 9th grade students to consider the Summer Music Technology program - also hosted by NVHS. Information about this program can also be found on the website above.)

Wow! What a show!

Congratulations to all Gregory chorus students, cast, and crew on a tremendous set of performances of "Fiddler on the Roof Jr."  And thank you to all parents, family, friends, and teachers who attended as well as gave of their time and talents to make the show possible.

Bravo to all!

District 204 Fine Arts Festival - Saturday, May 14

The 2010-11 school year is quickly winding down, and the Gregory choral groups end their year by performing in the District 204 Fine Arts Festival. This year's festival is Saturday, May 14 (**please note - the date was changed from what was listed on the calendar earlier in the school year**), at the Neuqua Valley HS main campus. All choral performances will be in the Auditorium.

Students will need to report to the Neuqua orchestra room for warm-up by the following times:

6th Grade - 3:00pm; performance at 4:00pm.

7th Grade - 9:20am; performance at 10:20am.

8th Grade - 12:40pm; performance at 1:40pm.

Click here for a detailed schedule of performances throughout the day, including the above choral groups.

(Men's Ensemble and Concert Choir do not perform at the festival.)

Attire is school-appropriate "nice dress clothing" - please no jeans, gym shoes, t-shirts, etc.

The Fine Arts Festival is always a special event, as it allows our Gregory students to perform with students from other schools. In addition to joining their Crone and Scullen Middle School counterparts, the 6th Grade Chorus will sing a set of music with the Neuqua treble-voice choirs, the 7th Grade Chorus will perform with the Varsity Singers (Neuqua's top tier choir), and the 8th Grade Chorus will join forces with the Neuqua World Voices.

We look forward to having you join us at Neuqua on May 14!

Fiddler on the Roof Costume Ideas

Looking for an idea for your "Fiddler on the Roof Jr." costume? Look no further than the following Google Images search results:

'Fiddler' costume ideas

Keep in mind that the chorus will be portraying the residents of a small Russian village in 1905...no gym shoes, sweatpants, t-shirts, or other "modern" clothing. No earrings or other jewelry as well.

Questions? Just ask!

Gregory Spring Musical 2011 Cast List

Thank you to everyone who auditioned. The talent level was phenomenal!

Congratulations to the following members of this year's cast:

Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Cast List

Great Job!!

What a tremendous evening of singing...thanks to all Gregory singers on a great pair of chorus concerts last night!

Hope to see you all at musical auditions next week!

March Choral Concerts - March 8

On Tuesday, March 8, 2011, the Gregory music department will hold our annual March Choral Concerts in the East Gym, celebrating "Music In Our Schools" Month. The following is the schedule for the evening:

6:30pm Concert:
6th Grade Chorus, Men's Ensemble, Concert Choir

8:00pm Concert:
7th Grade Chorus, 8th Grade Chorus, Men's Ensemble, Concert Choir

Report times and locations are:
Concert Choir - 5:30pm, Commons
6th Grade Chorus - 5:45pm, West Gym
Men's Ensemble - 5:45pm, Chorus Room
7th Grade Chorus - 7:15pm, Commons
8th Grade Chorus - 7:15pm, West Gym

Attire for the evening is the gray Gregory Music polo shirt, black pants, black shoes, and black socks.

Parents - your help is needed! In each warm up location (West Gym, Commons, Chorus Room) prior to the two concerts, we are in need of 1-2 chaperones to watch over the students while the other groups are warming up. In addition, we need a couple of volunteers to videotape the concert and take photos. If you are interested in helping with any of the aforementioned jobs, please contact Mr. Pfenninger.

Thanks...see you on the 8th!!