Weekend Information

Selected Participants

  1. The All-State Chorus will be composed of up to three ensembles (SATB, SSAA, TTBB) chosen randomly from the highest-scoring students. No alternate All-State Chorus members will be selected, nor may any teacher make any substitutions. Failure to comply with the substitution rule will result in the substituted students not being allowed to participate in the All-State Chorus Weekend and their school being suspended for the next academic year.
  2. Selected participants and score sheets will be posted on the lyricscore.net website. Cut-off scores and other information will be emailed to each director after auditions have been completed. It is the responsibility of the director to double-check the scores and notify students of their acceptance into the All-State Chorus. If you do not receive an email or have questions about scores, please contact Lizzi Elliott, Audition Coordinator.
  3. Schools with no students selected may be invited to bring their top-scoring students to participate in the All-State Chorus weekend. The highest score from the school must be over 134 in order for an invitation to be extended. The student will be a part of the All-State Chorus but will not be eligible to receive scholarships from colleges due to All-State Chorus acceptance.
  4. Teachers are responsible for the preparation of the music by their students prior to the

All-State Chorus Weekend. In the event an unbalanced group is chosen from any one school, cooperative learning rehearsals may be conducted by combining two or more schools. Teachers should not expect students to learn the music entirely independently. Rehearsal tracks will be provided for each student.   

  1. Music Screening/Part Check: There will be a music screening/part check event at the beginning of the first rehearsal. All-State Chorus Committee members will walk through while the choir sings each piece to ensure that singers have prepared the repertoire. If there is any question about their preparation, singers will be given an opportunity to privately demonstrate that they know the music. If singers cannot demonstrate proficiency, they will not be sent home, nor will we provide tutorials on-site. They will become an Auditor. If singers are significantly late to a rehearsal, miss an entire rehearsal, or commit some other major infraction of rules decided upon by the choir managers, they will become an Auditor. Auditor: Any singer who becomes an auditor will be allowed to attend all rehearsals, be seated in the back of the rehearsal hall, and learn as the other singers do; however, they will not be allowed to sing in the concert. Thus, they will continue to learn and be allowed to attend guest performances and social activities but will lose the privilege of singing in the concert.
  2. Attendance: All students that have been selected for the All-State Chorus must attend 100% of the All-State Chorus Weekend. All absences will be reviewed by the All-State Chorus Committee and could result in consequences to the school and/or student involved. All written documentation pertaining to absences must be submitted to the All-State Chorus Weekend Coordinator two weeks prior to the All-State Chorus Weekend. In an emergency, you must provide documentation at All-State Chorus registration.

**PLEASE NOTE: We will provide information about the All-State Chorus Weekend as it becomes available. The current plan is for All-State Chorus to be held February 27-March 1, 2025 at Winthrop University. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

All-State Chorus Weekend Rules

TEACHERS AND STUDENTS MUST BE PRESENT AT ALL ALL-STATE CHORUS ACTIVITIES, i.e., general auditions, rehearsals, special auditions, performances, etc. TEACHERS MUST STAY AT THE SAME HOTEL AS THEIR STUDENTS.

  1. In addition to the names of students selected for each choir, the following will be posted on the website: Registration, Parent Permission/Rules,T-Shirts, Schedule.
  2. Teachers must submit All-State Chorus Weekend Registration through the process designated by the All-State Chorus Chairperson. The registration process is completed online.
  3. In addition to the non-refundable audition fee, a non-refundable All-State Chorus Weekend registration fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) will be required of each student participating in the All-State Chorus. This registration fee must be remitted by December 13, 2024. Registration fees should be paid using only one school check, personal check, money order payable to SCMEA Choral Division, or through the online registration. If your school district is submitting a check, please make sure that your school information is indicated and mailed with the check.
  4. Registration forms must be completed online and appropriate fees must be paid online or payment check postmarked by Friday, December 13, 2024. (Late payments will result in a Level 1 rule violation.) The link for online payment may be found on the Choral Division Website. www.choraldivision.org If mailing one check for payment, please send to: Ashlee Poole. Direct any questions about the weekend registration to Ashlee Poole or NeTorrian Patton.
  5. T-shirts and pins will also be available for purchase ahead of time on the registration form. These items will not be available for purchase at All-State Chorus Weekend.
  6. Director packets: A link will be provided for director’s to order music directly from the distributor.  Director packets will not be automatically provided.
  7. The following items will be available for purchase at All-State Chorus Weekend;
    • CDs and DVDs of the concert performance
    • Plaques with individual student names, voice part, and choir.
  8. Rehearsal Guidelines:
    • Dress for rehearsals will be informal-regular school clothes. Hats, sunglasses, or any other item that would interfere with rehearsal are prohibited.
    • No gum, no talking, no tobacco, no vaping, and no illegal substances of any kind.
    • Each student is expected to devote his/her full attention to the director at all times in all rehearsals and performances.
    • Each student must bring a pencil and his/her music to ALL rehearsals, even if the music is memorized.
    • Each student will need a black folder for use at the concert.
  9. General Guidelines:
    • Students will be dismissed from All-State Chorus participation on the following grounds:
      • Vandalism of any kind- the student’s school will be held responsible for damages.
      • Possession of drugs without a doctor’s prescription.
      • Possession and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages.
    • Disciplinary action, not excluding dismissal, will be taken on the following grounds:
      • Failure to adhere to attendance, housing, and rehearsal regulations.
      • Violation of curfew.
      • Any behavior found to be unbecoming by the All-State Chorus Chairperson or his/her representative.
      • Cell phones, iPods, MP3 players, CD players, and any device with headphones are not to be present during rehearsals. If a student is found to be in possession of these items during the rehearsal, the student’s name will be taken and the director will be notified. If the same student is found to be in possession of the items for a 2nd time, they will be removed from participation in the All-State Chorus, will be turned over to the director as an “Auditing Singer,” and the school will be given a level 1 violation.
      • Teachers are responsible for the conduct and behavior of their students throughout the entire All-State Chorus Weekend.
    • Any dismissed student may cause his/her school to be suspended from participation for one year. An explanatory letter will be sent to the student’s parents, choral director, school principal and district administration.
    • Members of the All-State Chorus will adhere to the following concert dress. All attire will be checked for compliance prior to the concert. Students not in compliance with the dress code WILL BE PROHIBITED FROM SINGING IN THE CONCERT and will put the school in jeopardy of suspension from All-State Chorus participation for one year. If you are unsure that your uniform is compliant, contact the All-State Chorus Weekend Coordinator.
      • Concert Attire: Tuxedo consisting of a white or black button down shirt, black tie, black tuxedo pants, black tuxedo jacket, black socks, black dress shoes. Tails and a WHITE or BLACK vest/tie/cummerbund are acceptable. Students may also wear a black sports coat with black slacks accompanied by a white dress shirt and solid black tie with black socks and black dress shoes. Alternatively, a black ankle-length concert dress or an ankle length black skirt with a black top of similar or complementary fabric. (No cocktail or formal [prom] dresses allowed, no denim, no show choir dresses); medium- to low-heeled black shoes no more than 2 inches in height. No spaghetti straps on blouses or dresses allowed. No bare midriffs, no bare backs. Necklines should be modest and appropriate for a concert. No slits in dresses or skirts above the bottom of the knee cap. Students may also wear black dress slacks with a black dressy blouse, black pantsuit/skirt suit (skirt must be ankle length) with medium-to low-heeled black shoes no more than 2 inches in height.
    • The All-State Chorus will present a public concert at Winthrop University on March 1st, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. Only participants will be allowed to attend any activities of the All-State Chorus Weekend. No one other than All-State Chorus members, official chaperones, and teachers may be present at hotels, rehearsals or facilities connected with the All-State Chorus events. No children, even those whose parents are choral directors, will be allowed at any All-State Chorus rehearsal. All chaperones must be at least 21 years of age – preferably older. All SCMEA members are welcome to attend any part of the All-State Chorus weekend even if that member does not have students participating in these events.
    • All incidents or exceptions pertaining to the All-State Chorus rules and regulations will be subject to review by the All-State Chorus Committee and could result in consequences to the school and/or student(s) involved. Requests for exceptions due to extenuating circumstances must be submitted in writing to the All-State Chorus Committee Chairperson two weeks prior to the All-State Chorus Weekend.