Horton School of Music Ensembles

 

The music department provides a breadth of musical experience as well as individual attention for students in the studio, in classes and in the many and varied ensembles, allowing students to reach their fullest potential. In recent years, our students have achieved recognition by performing in such venues as the performing trips abroad to more than seven countries; American Choral Directors Association state and regional conventions; SC Music Educators Association convention; winning state and regional National Association of Teachers of Singing competitions; presenting music therapy research at state and regional professional conferences; and being awarded numerous teaching positions at schools throughout the region. 

Wind Ensemble/Instrumental Chamber Ensembles
The Wind Ensemble at Charleston Southern is the select wind and percussion ensemble of the university. The ensemble performs the finest literature available for winds and percussion from the Renaissance through the 21st century, both as a large group and in smaller woodwind, brass and percussion ensembles. Membership in the Wind Ensemble is by audition or permission of the instructors. Wind Ensemble meets both fall and spring semesters at 1:30 Monday, Wednesday and Friday for large ensemble and at various times for smaller ensembles. Scholarships available.

Marching Band (Fall)/Symphonic Band (Spring)
New members receive a $1,000 stipend for the first year, and the award grows each year to $2,000 by your senior year! The time commitment is much less than for high school band: 1) band camp is a few days before classes begin, not in the middle of the summer; 2) we only practice during class time and game days; 3) performances are limited to an average of 5 home and 2 away games only - not every weekend!  Members of the Marching Band will rotate into various squads for Basketball Pep Band performances. Members of the Symphonic Band will also serve in a Lab Band capacity to work with music education/conducting majors.

Jazz Band
The CSU Jazz Band provides students with the opportunity to play jazz music in a large ensemble setting and covers styles from the swing era to the present day. The ensemble performs concerts both on and off campus throughout the school year. Open to all qualified University students. Jazz Band meets at 12:30 Tuesday and Thursday.

Jazz Combo
The CSU Jazz Combo is a small group consisting of between 4-9 students and provides students with the opportunity to perform in the improvisation-based small group setting. The group performs regularly on campus and in the community throughout the school year. Open to all qualified University students. Jazz Combo meets at 3:30 on Tuesday and Thursday.

Bel Canto
No audition required but experience in advanced choral singing is suggested. Bel Canto was established as the CSU Women’s Chorale in the fall of 1999 under the direction of Jennifer Canfield with only 18 singers. During the past 13 years, they have continued to receive high praise for their excellence in choral singing and promoting the beauty of the treble voices through their performances on campus and throughout the area. Bel Canto is a nonauditioned vocal ensemble and is open to any women on campus who enjoy singing wonderful choral literature.

Concert Singers
Prerequisite: Permission of professor and audition. The Concert Singers are an auditioned vocal ensemble specializing in music of all genres. The 28-member group is composed of music majors, music minors and nonmajors and has performed throughout the East Coast and in Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, England, Germany and Scotland. They have performed twice in the Washington, D.C., National Cathedral and at St. Patrick’s in New York City in addition to performing at various schools and churches in Virginia, New Jersey, South Carolina and Florida. 

Singing Buccaneers
Singing Buccaneers is a male vocal ensemble which performs a variety of styles ranging from classical to jazz to contemporary. A cappella and accompanied choral literature will be studied and performed including major works with orchestra at least once per academic year.

Lyric Theater
Lyric Theater produces a season of fully staged productions, opera and musical revues, cabaret or other scene style productions each year. Since its inaugural season in 2003, Lyric Theater has produced South Pacific, Oklahoma, The Music Man, The Wizard of Oz, Show Boat, The 1940s Radio Hour and Anything Goes. Opera productions have included Suor Angelica and Cosí fan tutte (sung in English), Amahl and the Night Visitors, The Old Maid and the Thief, Little Red Riding Hood and Down in the Valley. Lyric Theater has also performed in the Piccolo Spoleto Festival and has offered performances for thousands of public and private school students in the Charleston area. Auditions are open to all Charleston Southern students.