A new chorus option for youth

Thanks to the collaboration of two local choir directors, students in Lexington and surrounding areas have a new opportunity that will allow them to display their vocal abilities and learn life skills, simultaneously.

“The Lexington Youth Chorus [LYC] was an idea that was brought to me by Bonnie Duckworth, the academy director for the Arts Academy at Grace Episcopal Church,” said Catie Hitzigraph, choral director at Lexington Middle School. “We began talking about it over a year ago but had to put our plans on pause because of the pandemic. Her thought was that a youth chorus was something that Lexington didn’t have and for young people to have this experience they had to travel to Greensboro or Winston-Salem. When she approached me with this thought, I agreed wholeheartedly and was excited to begin the planning process.”

Chorus rehearsals will be held weekly, on Tuesdays, beginning September 7 at Grace Episcopal Church from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Students aren’t required to have previous choral experience and there are no tryouts. Hitzigraph is the director.

Covid protocols will be in place and strictly enforced. Specific protocols will be released as LYC approaches the beginning of rehearsals and will be updated as required. The chorus will be separated into semesters and there is a fee associated with joining. The cost covers instructor’s cost and will include a LYC t-shirt and singer's mask.

Fee information is as follows:

Fall Semester (14 weeks)
Monthly - $75
Semester - $294

Spring Semester (18 weeks)
Monthly - $75
Semester - $389

Scholarships are available. Information is located on the website.

Initially, the chorus is open to all students in grades third through fifth with plans to expand in the future. Noting that some neighboring counties don’t have youth choruses, Hitzigraph, who is also a manager of the Youth Treble Honor Choir for the Southern Region of the American Choral Directors Association, believes this can be an opportunity for a plethora of students to try something new.

Catie Hitzigraph will the the director of the Lexington Youth Chorus. {Contributed photo}

“Empowering young singers has been a passion of mine for several years. I’ve worked with multiple children and youth choruses in different parts of the state and wanted to provide those experiences for our youth in Lexington. This ensemble will allow younger students to have an organized singing experience allowing them to become stronger musicians, give them more leadership experience, and build relationships with other children their age. Participating in a group ensemble helps build confidence, teamwork skills, and provides singers with the opportunity to experience collaboration at the highest level. The community has been able to provide different opportunities for its young people over the years and we even have choral opportunities for our adults in the community. I just thought, why wait until they’re older? Why not start now?”

Chorus students “will learn choral literature from different cultures and time periods as well as current music, and even holiday music,” stated Hitzigraph. Her goal is to provide them with a diverse range of options so they’re able to sing familiar music as well a branch out and learn new scores.

There are plans for the LYC to perform in December and May. Hitzigraph mentioned they would love to explore other opportunities in the community as they become available. For now, she will continue to plan for the start of something new and wait with open arms students who show up to give it a try.

“All are welcome!”

To register for the chorus, click here. For more information, call Duckworth at (336)249-7211.