Students have raised their voices at Woodrow Wilson High School and J.L. Long Middle School – not in anger, but in song.
The holiday season keeps school choral departments busy as students prepare to perform in winter concerts for family, faculty and neighbors.
The various choirs at Long and Woodrow will perform concerts this season in the schools. Woodrow’s advanced show choir, Variations, will also perform throughout the community for both public and private events.
The choir programs at these two schools have strong student participation, according to faculty. Woodrow has approximately 150 to 160 students in its choir program, says the high school’s Choir Director Marca Lee Bircher. Long has about 70 students, says Assistant Principal Jina Galvagni.
The two schools work closely together and support each other’s programs, Galvagni and Bircher say.
“(Woodrow’s choir) depends on the strength of the middle school program,” Bircher says. “J.L. Long and Woodrow have always worked very well together and that’s the key to a successful program.”
Choir gives students self esteem, discipline and confidence, Bircher says. Students also learn to appreciate music, she adds.
“There is an enormous array of benefits to being in choir,” Bircher says, “Music feeds the soul, but not only that, it teaches team work. The students learn how to present themselves. It’s a real image builder.”
Woodrow’s holiday program is Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. The school’s three choirs (Variations, the concert choir and the beginning choir) will each perform for 10 minutes in the auditorium, 100 S. Glasgow. The school’s band, orchestra and dance groups will perform, as well.
Variations will also do a show in Northpark Center at Park Lane and Central Expressway on Dec. 4 at 4 p.m. For information, call Bircher at 841-5097.
Long’s holiday program is scheduled for Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium, 6116 Reiger Ave. The school has a bell choir, a girls’ choir, a boys’ choir and a mixed choir. The choirs perform under the direction of Beverly Hirsch. For information, call Hirsch at 841-5270.
