Music

Bring Your Passion for Music to Life

Want to play some cool riffs, lay down a beat, belt out a tune, or make beautiful harmonies together? Canterbury's Music Department gives you every opportunity to bring your musical creativity to life.

Vocal Music

MAKE YOUR (SINGING) VOICE HEARD

This is your chance to hone your solo vocal skills or learn how to sing tight harmonies in an a cappella ensemble. Maybe you would like to lead music at weekly Mass, take the stage in a musical, or just have fun singing with your friends.

You will find countless vocal performance opportunities during your time on the hilltop—from ensembles and productions to CMEA Regional and All-State Honors Choirs to cantor at Sunday Mass to off-campus performances.

Instrumental Music

Your PASSION, Our Program

Canterbury’s diverse Instrumental Music program lets you follow and develop your passion for music through a variety of performance opportunities. These include fall, winter, and spring concerts; “pop-up” performances around campus; and off-campus concerts. We also offer a variety of academic music electives such as Computer Music, Contemporary Music Theory, and Making Music with Logic Pro and Improvisation.

Vocal Courses

Choral Ensembles

The two main choral ensembles at Canterbury are Varsity Voices and Chorale. Both are featured at Lessons and Carols in December and the Songs of Spring concert in April. Additionally, they can both be heard at on-campus events such as Parents Weekend, Board of Trustees visits, Grandparents Day, Honors Assemblies, and Sunday Mass. Students from all grades are encouraged to participate in making music together and forging lifelong friendships.

Varsity Voices A Cappella Ensemble—Join Canterbury’s high-level vocal a cappella ensemble, specializing in contemporary and popular music. Explore tight vocal harmonies, complex rhythms, and advanced vocal techniques in this challenging and fast-paced environment. Varsity Voices is an auditioned ensemble for all voice types, as well as students who have experience in vocal percussion/beatboxing.

Canterbury Chorale—Find your voice in this choir, which emphasizes the healthy habits of ensemble singing through a variety of genres and styles. Canterbury Chorale is open to all students, without audition, and performs at various concerts and special events throughout the school year.

Liturgical Music

Solo Opportunities

If you relish the opportunity to challenge yourself further by performing a solo, these activities can help make it happen for you.

Chapel Cantor

The Chapel Cantor is part of the music ministry team. If you have strong musical skills, public speaking ability, and passion for your faith, you may be asked to be a cantor for weekly Sunday Mass. Working closely with the Director of Liturgical Music and Chapel Organist, you will lead the congregation in lifting their voices to enliven mass and deepen their expression of faith.

Voice Recitals

Students who take private voice lessons participate in annual studio recitals in the L. Michael Sheehy ’56 Choral Classroom. You will present solo pieces before a full house, followed by food and fellowship with the audience. It is a much-anticipated yearly event enjoyed by members of the singers’ families and friends alike.

CMEA Regional and All-State Honors Choir

All students enrolled in an ensemble are eligible to audition. You will prepare for fall auditions by working on an Italian Art Song, scales, and sight-reading. The Choral Director works with all interested students both as a group and individually to help singers have the opportunity to perform with other singers from the state under the baton of master conductors. It is a great way to make new friends off campus.

Spring Musical

Spring Musical is an activity where the work is fun, friends become family, and everyone has a role. All members of the Canterbury student body are encouraged to audition. Students work with full-time faculty and industry professionals to bring the show to life. Rehearsals take place between dinner and evening study hall to ensure every student has the opportunity to perform. Whether you are ready to take on a lead role or want to be part of an ensemble, the voice and theater faculty are ready to help make your dreams come true!

Instrumental Courses

Contemporary Music Band

The Contemporary Music Band pursues in-depth study of a variety of contemporary music styles, including R&B, Pop, Jazz, and Rock titles. Music students of intermediate skills or higher audition for membership, and the band performs regularly throughout the year on the Canterbury stage and at off-campus venues.

Sample Repertoire

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough—Ashley Simpson

Perfect—Ed Sheeran

Hallelujah—Leonard Cohen

Dust in the Wind—Kerry Livgren

Valerie—Amy Winehouse

Don’t Know Why—Norah Jones

Superstition—Stevie Wonder

Uptown Funk–Bruno Mars

Jazz, Rock, Pop Ensemble

The Jazz, Rock, Pop Ensemble gives a larger group of musicians the opportunity to perform modern music while honing their craft. Students focus on learning to improvise and play in a rhythm section. This ensemble plays in a fall, winter, and spring concert.

Sample Repertoire

Can’t Stop This Feeling—Justin Timberlake

Brown Eyed Girl—Van Morrison

Any Way You Want It—Steve Perry, Neil Schon

Long Train Runnin’—Tom Johnston

Locked Out of Heaven—Bruno Mars

Rock Band

Orchestra

Chamber Ensemble

Chamber Ensemble is an audition-based performing group. Students practice and perform a variety of music genres in small groups. In addition to performing in large fall and spring concerts at the end of each term, the ensemble performs and is showcased at other Canterbury events.

Sample Repertoire

Dust in the Wind—Kerry Livgren

Game of Thrones—Ramin Djawadi

Brandenburg Concerto No. 3—Bach

Ave Verum, Menuet—Mozart