Choirs
Heart of the Valley Children’s Choir is comprised of five choirs. The combined choirs number approximately 120 children from kindergarten through twelfth grade. If you and your child are interested in joining HVCC, please read about our sign-ups HERE.
Gracenotes CHOIR
Gracenotes Choir is an introductory choir for our youngest singers, comprised of kindergarten-2nd graders. Gracenotes Choir became a year-round choir in 2023. The goal of the Gracenotes is to familiarize these young singers with music, singing, focus, fun, and the Heart of the Valley Children’s Choir way. Gracenotes singers rehearse from 6:15pm-7:00pm Tuesday nights.
Gracenotes was established in 2011 as a spring-term only choir for 2nd graders.
Children's Choir
Children’s Choir features singers in 3rd-5th grades. These singers are just learning to flap their musical wings. Children’s Choir allows singers to focus on learning their music and watching their director. Correct breathing, posture, vowel production, and diction are stressed. In addition, singers are taught performance and choir rehearsal etiquette. These singers are always a joy to watch, both during rehearsals and performances. The sparkle in their eyes and excitement on their faces as they sing is contagious. Rehearsals are Tuesday nights from 6:15pm-7:30pm. Parents are always welcome and encouraged to watch rehearsals as long as they don’t disrupt the rehearsal.
Children’s Choir was originally named Intermediate Choir and was established in 1996. It was then named Children’s Choir 1.
Intermediate Choir
Intermediate Choir is our largest group with 50-70 members from 6th-8th grades. These singers learn responsibility, practicing and performing 4-part music, attending and overnight retreat, and touring the West Coast. Intermediate Choir singers have the opportunity to perform with other children’s choirs and to be taught under the direction of many wonderful music educators. Rehearsals are Monday nights from 6:00pm-7:25pm.
Intermediate Choir was originally named Children’s Choir and was the foundation of Heart of the Valley Children’s Choir. Established in 1984, our goal was to provide children within the Mid-Willamette Valley with a musical experience and education that was a supplement to (not a substitute for) their school music programs. It later became named Children’s Choir 2 to make way for Children’s Choir 1.
Chamber Choir
Chamber Choir consists of young men and women in grades 9 through 12. Pieces performed are more complicated with 4+ parts and of various languages and the singers are responsible for learning and knowing their music. The director of this choir encourages the participants to use all of their skills to learn the music, contribute their part to the group, and direct parts of the music. In Chamber Choir, performance skills are stressed and the music becomes more difficult as choir participants achieve vocal confidence and independence; the voice becomes fully trained as a musical instrument. Repertoire is analyzed with respect to historical, cultural, and compositional aspects. This choir attends at least one overnight retreat per year as well as touring domestically and internationally. Rehearsals are Monday nights from 7:00pm-8:30pm.
The Chamber Choir was established in 1987 because the original HVCC members wanted to continue singing together beyond middle school.
Festival Choir
Festival Choir was established in 1994 and was formed because of the size restrictions that were placed on choirs participating in choral festivals at the time. In order to be a member of Festival Choir, singers are required to participate in one other HVCC choir as well.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Festival Choir was disbanded to allow HVCC to focus on the core groups within the organization and was re-activated in 2023.
Past Choirs
Preparatory choir
Preparatory Choir featured singers in the 3rd grade.
Preparatory Choir was originally named Training Choir and was established in 1988. In 2023 Preparatory Choir was combined with Children’s Choir 1.