For the 168 years that Baltimore City College has stood as the “Castle on the Hill,” a legacy of musical excellence has been maintained. Initiated years ago with the triumphant voices of the male glee club barreling the hymn, “Castle on the Hill”, the tradition of singing has continued with the development of the SATB Choir and an elaborate choral program that, over the years, has garnered a reputation as one of the finest student ensembles in the region.

The Baltimore City College High School Choral Program consists of over one hundred students ranging from grades 9 through 12. The choir takes pride in music from the classics of Handel and Praetorius, to the spirituals and works of Dawson, Hogan, Ellington and Smallwood. In an effort to reach all members, according to their abilities, The Full/Mixed Chorus has been divided into several groups and ensembles. They are: The Concert Choir, an auditioned group of about 50 students, that serves as the main performing group; The Singing/Swingin’ Knights Ensemble, consisting of 25 students with advanced levels of music training, who perform literature written for small ensembles from the Renaissance period to the present; and finally, The Knights and Daze Show Choir perform jazz, pop, and show literature with choreography.

The Baltimore City College Choir has delighted audiences on television, radio, and stages in the Baltimore Metropolitan area and along the Eastern seaboard including South Carolina, Georgia, Canada, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, and a host of other states. The choir has also participated in numerous competitions and adjudications in which they have consistently received superior ratings with numerous awards and trophies.

In June of 1999, the choir made their debut performance in Europe, performing in Rome, Italy; Nice, France; and Barcelona, Spain. The Singing Knights braved the elements in February 2000 to perform at The Eastern Division ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) Regional Conference. In the spring of 2001, the choir competed in the Fiesta-Val Competition and brought home 19 first place trophies and plaques.

2002 was a big year for the BCC Choir. They performed at the 2002 MMEA (Maryland Music Educators Association), and at the 2002 ACDA Voices United Summer Conference, where the choir was privileged to act as a demonstration group for the late Moses Hogan. In that same year, the Singing/Swingin’ Knights were afforded the honor of performing for the MBNA Corporation at various venues, including the MBNAManagement Conference and at The Grand Opera House in Wilmington, Delaware.

With the support of the MBNA Foundation, selected members of the choir toured Milan, Venice, Verona, and Dolce, Italy in April 2003. They performed at an Italian High School and competed with 31 international choirs, winning the gold trophy in the sacred music category. In December of 2003, the choir made an unprecedented second trip to Milan, Italy to perform for the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

  The years 2004, 2005 and 2006 were equally great for the BCC Choir. In December 2004, selected choir members performed at the Christmas in Washington Celebration. In April 2005, the BCC Choir was selected through an arduous process to participate in the highly prestigious Disney Honors Invitational Festival in Orlando, Florida. Subsequently, the Concert Choir has been featured in several music magazines, photographic advertisements, in the Disney Honors 2006 promotional package and on the website for the Disney Honors Program. In May 2006, selected choir members performed with other high school choir members at the All Eastern Gospel Festival at Ithaca College, featuring the music of Glenn Burleigh and Dr. Diane White. In June 2006, the BCC Choir was afforded the opportunity to tour in several communities in Barcelona, Spain, which was sponsored by the Caixa Manlleu Foundation. Despite the language barrier, the tour consisted of six astounding gospel concerts that proved to be heartwarming and quite inspirational to the packed audiences as expressed by their positive feedback and numerous requests for encores.

Throughout the years, the BCC Choir is grateful to have performed with such prestigious organizations as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Gallagher Fest, the Morgan State University Choir and the Baltimore Choral Arts Society. City College joined with Morgan and Baltimore Choral Arts again in the fall of 2006 to perform “Let My People Go”: Journey of the Underground Railroad. On several occasions, the Concert Choir has performed at a number of U.S. Presidential Inaugural Balls and Ceremonies. In addition to these accomplishments, the Singing Knights were honored to present an impressionable performance at the White House.

The choir has also recorded four CD’s: Vision for the Millennium; Living the Vision: The Europe Tour; A New Vision: Great Things; and Livein Milan.

 As a member of a challenging preparatory school, the choir members must balance a rigorous schedule designed to develop their academic and music skills to the fullest potential. The students must work hard to adhere to the standards of the choir: commitment, consistency, conditioning, cooperation, communication, character and confidence.

The choral program is under the direction of Linda R. Hall.

 

Programs
The Mixed Chorus
The Mixed Chorus consists of 100+ members ranging from grades 9 through 12 enrolled in chorus classes and dedicated auxiliary members within the student body. The repertoire for the Mixed Chorus includes spirituals, patriotic music, seasonal and gospel literature. This group performs primarily in the school setting and as needed at large-scale performances. There is no audition required for the Mixed Chorus but members must have the willingness and desire to work hard, rehearse after school and adhere to the standards for the choral program.

The Concert Choir
The concert choir is a select group of 50 students, preferable with previous choral experience, who server as the primary performing group. Performances include concerts and competitions on the local, national and international level. The music literature for the Concert Choir encompasses all idioms including 'art' music, spirituals, gospel and major works at the intermediary level. Audition is required to be in the class.

The Singing/Swingin' Knights
This highly selected, premier ensemble is comprised of young musicians of about 25 students, who exude superior musical ability and skill. The repertoire consists of quality, advanced literature geared toward a small ensemble, sound from the Renaissance Period to sophisticated harmonies of the Contemporary Period. The Singing/Swingin' Knights represent the choral program of the most 'elite' performances. This ensemble is the 'heart' of the Baltimore City College Choral Program. Audition is required!!!!!!