Our Performing Arts Department is coordinate with St. Albans School (STA) for boys. Students at both schools practice, study, and perform together regularly in a meaningful way, taking in and growing from these musical learning and life experiences collectively.
Our offerings are varied and engaging, open for all skill levels. For the most up-to-date information regarding our music program offerings, please see this overview.
Instrumental Music
NCS Upper School students can perform with the Upper School Orchestra, the Percussion Ensemble, and the STA Jazz Club Ensemble. They also often create groups of their own to play for Chapel and for Cathedral services, as well as for special events.
Our Middle School and Lower School orchestras offer young musicians the chance to perform in a group and in front of an audience. To learn more about our Instrumental Music Program, please see our handbook. For the most up-to-date information regarding our music program offerings, please see this overview.
Lower School Music and Chorus
Each NCS Lower School student studies music in both a choral setting and a classroom setting and receives music instruction in either choir rehearsal or in classroom music four times during each seven-day rotation. In the classroom, our students study ear training, vocal technique, and music theory, following a spiralled curriculum based in the Kodály Concept. All units of study for music class are from the “Conversational Solfege” music curriculum by Dr. John Feierabend (GIA Publications).
The Grade 4 Chorus and the Grades 5 and 6 Chorus provide performance opportunities for our students throughout the year in the Cathedral, including Fall/Winter and Spring Concerts, the NCS-STA Festival of Lessons and Carols, and more. Our ensemble repertoire changes each year to reflect the interest and the ability of our students, and represents a variety of styles, genres, languages, and traditions. 5th and 6th Grade students may also choose to participate in the Lower School Guild, an extra-curricular choir for students with a passion for singing and who seek additional performance opportunities.
Lower School Guild
Open to all 5th and 6th Grade students, the NCS Lower School Guild is an extra‐curricular, after‐school choir. This extraordinary ensemble of young singers enjoys an active performance schedule throughout the year, which includes a professional recording session in the spring.
Past performances of the Guild include those at the Kennedy Center, EagleBank Arena, and the National Memorial Day Parade, as well as regular performances at Washington National Cathedral. No audition is required for this ensemble, however students who sign up for Guild are expected to do their best to stay committed to the group for the full school year.
Middle School Chorus
Continuing the strong tradition of choral singing developed in Lower School, our Middle School Chorus is the primary curricular choral ensemble available to all 7th and 8th Graders who seek a community of singers. The NCS Middle School Chorus provides weekly, high-quality choral music instruction, focusing on rehearsal technique, expressive singing, ear training, music notation, and music theory concepts.
Our Middle School Chorus has performed in venues such as Nationals Ballpark, the National Christmas Tree, and Carnegie Hall, as well as regular performances at Washington National Cathedral. Additionally, this chorus collaborates with Form I & II singers from STA at various points throughout the year. Annual performance opportunities include Fall/Winter and Spring concerts, the Independent Middle School Choral Festival, the NCS-STA Festival of Lessons and Carols, and various Cathedral and Chapel services and other occasions. No audition is required to join this ensemble.
Upper School Chorale
Upper School Chorale, the oldest coordinate organization on the Close, is the largest ensemble at NCS. Open to any Upper School students, Chorale rehearses during the academic day and does not require an audition. The ensemble performs several times throughout the year in Washington National Cathedral, including both school and community events. Singers also have the opportunity to participate in the Chorale and Orchestra Tour, when offered.
This ensemble is an ideal setting for students of all skill and experience levels to find their voices through healthy vocal technique, music literacy, and exploration of repertoire from diverse genres. Participation in Chorale requires a time commitment outside the academic day. Required dates will be communicated at the beginning of the academic year.
Upper School Madrigal Singers
The Madrigal Singers is the premier auditioned chamber choir on the Close. As a coordinate course, Madrigal Singers includes about forty advanced vocalists from NCS and STA. Students in grades ten through twelve may join through a competitive audition process.
Dedicated to studying and performing high-level choral literature, students explore repertoire from pre-Renaissance music to contemporary a cappella works. Students develop refined skills in vocal technique, sight-reading, blend, balance, diction, and ensemble leadership.
As a small ensemble, members are expected to demonstrate strong individual preparation, musical maturity, and commitment. While most class sessions are during the academic day, students are required to attend rehearsals and performances that may fall on evenings and weekends.
Private Lessons
We offer private lessons in voice, piano, guitar, and all major orchestral instruments on the Close. In addition to regular lessons, many of our teachers schedule workshops and recitals for students during the school year. Students who wish may have the opportunity to be evaluated, for example, by the Associated Boards of the Royal College of Music. Students may also want coaching for a particular performance, such as for a singing role in a musical or for a Cathedral performance.
Cathedral Choristers
A select group of NCS students are members of the preeminent Washington National Cathedral Choir, the first of its kind in the United States. Our NCS Choristers have sung in churches and in cathedrals globally and throughout the United States. They also regularly sing at state funerals for presidents and dignitaries in Washington National Cathedral, having their melodious voices broadcasted for the world to enjoy. This rigorous, audition-based choir performs at National Cathedral services throughout the year and can be heard multiple times each week singing Evensong after school. For more information, visit the Chorister program's website.
Meet Our Team
