Fine Arts

The Choirs of Walther Christian Academy are devoted to continuing the Lutheran Church’s long tradition of choral music intended to encourage congregational song and enhance worship. Almost thirty percent of Walther’s student body is involved in the choral program, which includes beginning, intermediate, and advanced curricular and extracurricular choirs.

 

The Concert Choir provides a starting point for young singers to focus on fundamental skills such as music reading, healthy vocal technique and confidence in performing. The Gospel Choir and Praise Band provide music for worship at Walther. Chamber Choir, A Cappella, and Christian Minstrels are the advanced auditioned choral ensembles which tour biennially, provide music for worship at Lutheran churches in and around the Chicago area, lead Lutheran grade school chapel services regularly throughout the school year, and record for Worship Anew, a Lutheran Media Ministry.

 

The choirs are comprised of freshmen through senior students who, though of varied backgrounds and musical experiences, are centered around a common goal: sharing the gift of Christ’s love expressed through music.

 

Walther Curricular Choral Ensembles
A Cappella Choir*
Chamber Choir*
Concert Choir

 

Walther Extra-Curricular Choral Ensembles
Christian Minstrels*
Praise Band*
Gospel Choir

 

* indicates audition requirement
The Walther Bands take pride in a long history of excellence. Holding true to Martin Luther’s conviction that music is a treasure from God, Walther has a place for instrumentalists of all ability levels, so that everyone can develop and share in this gift.
 
The Walther Wind Ensemble is an auditioned group of instrumentalists who rehearse and perform the best literature available for the modern concert band. The Wind Ensemble meets daily and plays several concerts per year and provides entertainment at football and basketball games. Every other year, the Wind Ensemble tours a region of the country in March. Places traveled include Florida, Georgia, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
 
The Walther Concert Band is a place for bother beginning students who have never before played an instrumet and intermediate students who are refining their technique. Through weekly private lessons from the music department staff and daily practice and rehearsal, many concert band students go on to join the Wind Ensemble for their remaining years at Walther within only a year of playing their instruments.
 
The Walther Jazz Band is an auditioned group of high school students who enjoy playing swinging big band sounds. The Jazz Band performs a regular schedule of concerts, tours the country with the Wind Ensemble, and also performs school, church, and civic events upon request.
 
Walther Curricular Instrumental Ensembles
Wind Ensemble*
Concert Band
String Ensemble
Pep Band* (members from the Wind Ensemble and Concert Band)
 
Walther Extra-Curricular Instrumental Ensembles
Jazz Ensemble*
 
*indicates audition requirement
 
Downloadable practice form is available here »

 

If you are playing percussion in Wind Ensemble or Concert Band, you will need a stick bag with certain mallets and sticks. A list of required sticks is available below. You can purchase these by calling Luscombe Music at 630-833-7381, paying over the phone with credit card, and the mallets will be delivered to Walther. 

Downloadable mallet list is available here. »

The Walther Grade School Instrumental Program offers a comprehensive music program aimed at developing the whole child. No previous musical experience is required to reap the benefits of this fantastic program. The professionally trained, dedicated teachers in the band, string, and piano programs strive to help every child grow in multiple facets through music. 


 
Why join Walthers Band?
Your child will receive a weekly private 15-25 minute lesson (depending on the instrument) at school during the school day. No running around to lessons after school or on the weekends. We come to your child’s school and work with his or her classroom teacher to find the best time for lessons during the school day. Our instructors are professionally trained musicians with advanced degrees. He or she will form friendships with children from 16 other area schools during rehearsals, 2 concerts per year, enrichment programs, and a biennial festival. Best of all, your child will be able to participate in Monday Night Band at Walther Academy: a fun, relaxed, energetic evening of playing as a group with new friends.
 
 

Contact Us & Enroll NOW!​​​​​​​

To contact the directors and register for an audition, click here.

 
To play or sing in a curricular music group at Walther, you must first audition. The curricular groups are Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, String Ensemble/Orchestra, A Cappella, and Concert Chorus. Auditions are not required for Concert Chorus or Concert Band.
 
In order to play in an extra-curricular music group, such as Christian Minstrels, or Jazz Band, you must be a member in good standing of a curricular ensemble. Students interested in either group should contact the director.
Contact the director of the group that you wish to participate in to arrange an audition time.
 
Audition music for band students is available below. Each link will open up sheet music in a PDF format.
 

 

Students auditioning for String Ensemble will play a short solo demonstrating their technical and musical abilities, and they should be prepared to sight read.

The Directors

Miss Samantha Rose, director of Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, and Pep Band: samantha_rose@waltheracademy.org

Ms. Lori Boyer, director of A Cappella, Concert Choir, Praise Band, and Christian Minstrels: lori_boyer@waltheracademy.org

Mr. Cheldon White, director of Jazz Ensemble: cheldon_white@waltheracademy.org

 

We appreciate your willingness to donate. Currently we have over 150 instruments in our instrument inventory, many of which have been serviced and are in the hands of students. Last year, we had nearly 80 students in our band program using an instrument that was donated. Many of these students would not have been able to participate in band without generous donations from people like you.

To donate, fill out the form below and we will contact you to get your instrument.

Non-Discrimination Statement

Walther Christian Academy is operated for the purpose of providing Christian Education at the secondary level for the families of Lutheran congregations. However, it admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, and religion to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin and religion in administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.