Senior Chorale
Place: Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 308 Possum Park Road, Newark
Director: Ira Rodrigues*(see biography below)
Rehearsal Day/Time: Monday Evenings, 7:00 – 8:15 p.m.
Date: Fall semester starts September 13, 2021
Fees:
Registration Fee: $80.00/semester
Music deposit: $20/semester refunded when music is returned
Uniform Costs (one time only):
Ladies’ uniforms approximately $70
Gentlemen’s uniforms approximately $30
Mt. Sophia Academy Chorale is a non-auditioned ensemble open to all students in grades 9 through 12. We aim to equip our students to maximize their musical potential through choral singing. We will cover advanced concepts in vocal production including breathing, phonation, diction, foreign languages and expression. Students will be exposed to a variety of choral literature from different styles, periods, genres and languages. There will be a concert at the end of each semester where the students will have the opportunity to share their musicality and achievements. Students do NOT need to be enrolled in Mt. Sophia Academy in order to participate in Senior Chorale. Our choir members will also have the opportunity to audition for the Delaware All-State Choir.
If you have a student who enjoys singing, the Chorale may be just what you’re looking for, and you’ll find the Monday evening practices are also a wonderful time for your son or daughter to make new friends!
Very Important: There are four forms that need to be completed which can be found on the school’s website: mtsophia.com (under the Forms tab). In order for the director to be able to prepare we are asking that the forms and payment be mailed or dropped off to the Mount Sophia office this summer (the earlier the better). Checks should be made out to “ Mt Sophia Academy”. You can contact the office at mtsophiahs@yahoo.com for the summer office hours. The school’s address is Mount Sophia Academy, 91 Salem Church Road, Newark DE 19713.
Any questions can be addressed to the choir manager, Lisa Teodoro, at lisafriess@yahoo.comor to the director, Ira Rodrigues, at irailda_eneli@yahoo.com.br
*Born and raised in Brazil, Ira Rodrigues has been involved in choral life for over twenty consecutive years. Irailda has enjoyed teaching voice and choir to high school kids and considers it a privilege to be able to add to the formation of young lives. Dr. Rodrigues holds a B.A. in Church Music (emphasis on High School Choir Education) from the Seminário Teológico Batista do Norte do Brasil (Recife, Brazil), a M.A. in Music (Vocal Performance) from Campbellsville University (KY), and a DMA in Vocal Performance from the University of Kentucky (KY).
Concert Choir (4th to 8th grade)
Place: Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 308 Possum Park Road, Newark
Director: Debra Arnold (see biography below)
Rehearsal Day/Time: Monday Evenings, 7:00 – 8:15 p.m.
Date: Fall semester starts September 13, 2021
Fees:
Registration Fee: $60.00/semester
Music deposit: $20/semester refunded when music is returned
Mt. Sophia Academy Concert Choir is a non-auditioned ensemble open to all students in grades 4 through 8. We aim to equip our students to maximize their musical potential through choral singing. We will cover fundamental music reading skills, singing in parts, expression, foreign languages, instrument accompaniment skills and physical singing techniques. Students will be exposed to a variety of choral literature from different styles, periods, genres and languages. There will be a concert at the end of each semester where the students will have the opportunity to share their musicality and achievements. Students do NOT need to be enrolled in Mt. Sophia Academy in order to participate in Concert Choir. Our choir members will also have the opportunity to audition for the Delaware Junior All-State Choir.
If you have a student who enjoys singing and music, the Concert Choir may be just what you’re looking for, and you’ll find the Monday evening practices are also a wonderful time for your son or daughter to make new friends!
Very Important: There are four forms that need to be completed which can be found on the school’s website: mtsophia.com (under the Forms tab). In order for the director to be able to prepare we are asking that the forms and payment be mailed or dropped off to the Mount Sophia office this summer (the earlier the better). Checks should be made out to “ Mt Sophia Academy”. You can contact the office at mtsophiahs@yahoo.com for the summer office hours. The school’s address is Mount Sophia Academy, 91 Salem Church Road, Newark DE 19713.
Any questions can be addressed to the director, debdoremi@gmail.com
* Debra Arnold holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in music education from West Chester University. Ms. Arnold taught middle school general music and choir for two years in the Christina School District in Newark, Delaware before moving to the Owen J. Roberts School District in Pottstown, Pennsylvania as an elementary music specialist. In addition to her teaching duties, Ms. Arnold served as the OJR Elementary Music Chairperson, developed and initiated the OJR Elementary District Chorus program, directed the OJR High School musical and was the director of the OJR High School show choir. After 14 years of teaching in the district, Ms. Arnold moved with her young family to Southern Chester County, PA where they still live today. She was most recently the supervising director of the University of Delaware Children’s Choir program through the UD Community Music School and she directed the UD Singin’ Hens which served singers in the community in grades 7-12. While not in the classroom or on the conductor’s podium, Ms. Arnold continues to pursue her love of singing and musical theater. She is also the very proud mom of Madison (age 15) and Megan (age 12) and loves supporting them as they discover and develop their own talents and passions.
