About
History:
The Children’s Choir of Lancaster is an ensemble for talented young singers in Lancaster County. CCL began in fall of 2000 as a community outreach program of First United Methodist Church, 29 E. Walnut Street, Lancaster, PA. Dr. Brian Norcross, music director at First United Methodist Church, Dr. Kristen Albert and Mrs. Diana Lichty envisioned a children’s choir based in Lancaster City that strived to provide a high-quality music education and develop refined vocal skills for children in the city and surrounding suburbs of Lancaster, PA. Dr. Albert and Mrs. Lichty served as co-directors for five years. Mrs. Lichty continues to teach in Lampeter-Strasburg School District and Dr. Albert now teaches at West Chester University, is the chairperson of the Music Education Department at WCU, and co-directs the Kennett Symphony Children’s Chorus.
Mrs. Lisa M. Sempsey assumed directorship in 2005 and became Artistic Director in 2006. Now entering its eleventh season, the choir is now open to children from across Lancaster and York Counties in third through twelfth grades. Past performances include the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (2003), Pennsylvania State Modern Language Association (2005), Millersville University’s Glorious Sounds of the Season (2009, 2010), collaborations with other fine music ensembles in concerts, benefit concerts, numerous church services across Lancaster County, and annual holiday and spring concerts.
The mission of the Children’s Choir of Lancaster is to provide a children’s choir of the highest quality that accomplishes these artistic and educational goals:
- To achieve a level of artistic excellence necessary to perform in a variety of settings.
- To ensure that all choir members gain knowledge and demonstrate literacy in musical concepts and vocal skills.
- To instill a sense of discipline, self-esteem and commitment among choir members.
- To provide access to the choir for children from all cultural and economic backgrounds.
- To serve as a model for choral literature and vocal training in the field of children’s choral music.
- Open to children with unchanged voices in grades 3 through 12 from Lancaster or York County.
- Children will be selected through an audition process.
- Children are expected to attend ALL rehearsals and performances, except in cases of illness or emergency.
- Children are selected for participation for both terms, Winter and Spring and once selected for participation, do not need to audition again.
- Vocal warm-ups
- Solfege, singing and movement games
- Music literacy instruction
- Rehearsal of concert repertoire
CCL strives to enrich children’s lives through the highest quality of choral literature from a broad range of styles and historical periods. The choir performs music in unison, two and three parts. Repertoire is chosen from, but is not limited to, the following genres:
- Folksongs
- “Classical” music
- Patriotic music
- Multicultural selections
- Spirituals
