The History of the Lexington Choral Society Lexington SC

Mission Statement

The mission of the Lexington County Choral Society (LCCS) is to provide a talented vocal ensemble for Lexington County which will actively prepare and perform varied and challenging repertoire representative of our diverse global communities for the purposes of enriching the lives of others and promoting cultural heritage.

Italy 2001

History

LCCS began as most things do - simply as an idea in the minds of two individuals, Harold and Linda Scott McIntosh. The idea was to have a community choral group that would specialize in not just major choral works, but in the vast repertoire of choral anthems that exist. It was hoped that forty people or so would be interested in starting the first season. On the first night of auditions, August 6, 1996, around twenty-six people came out. "So we're on our way!" Then... a week later... on the second night of auditions... an overwhelming sixty-three people came out! The word had gotten out!!! The first rehearsal was held on September 3rd, 1996, at St. Stephen's Lutheran Church in downtown Lexington, SC.

Our first concerts, December 12, 13, and 14 of 1996 were performed by a group of seventy-two singers. In the spring of 1997, our group had grown to around eighty-two. In the fall of 1997 our group grew to ninety-two. Now we average between 60-70 members in this exciting organization.

During our first two years we presented two concerts per year, a holiday concert in December and a general concert in May. The American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) invited us to perform in their October 1998 Convocation at the Koger Center for the Arts in Columbia, SC. We traveled to Charleston, SC in June 2000 to participate in Piccolo Spoleto by presenting a concert at St. Matthews Lutheran Church. Maestro Nicholas Smith invited us to perform as guest choir with the SC Philharmonic on their "Blue Jeans Night" concert in February 2001. A few months afterwards, the choir toured Italy performing in Venice, Rimini, Pontedera, Siena, and Acila, Rome. Then again in February 2005, we were asked to sing with the SC Philharmonic for the "Be My Valentine" concert. LCCS has featured many local elementary, middle and high school choral ensembles on our concerts, as well as, invited such renowned guest conductors/composers/musicians such as Mark Hayes, Raymond Hughes, Joseph Martin, Dr. Timothy Powell, Dr. Larry Shackley, Dr. Porter Stokes, and the Dick Goodwin Big Band to share their indelible talents with us and our community.

LCCS believes in perpetuating the musical arts in the Midlands, as well as in Lexington County. As a result of this, two scholarship opportunities were originated to assist aspiring high school singers and pianists. Scholarship recipients receive a monetary award to better prepare them for college auditions and are given an opportunity to perform as a guest artist on one of our regular season concerts. To ensure continued funding of these endeavors, it is LCCS's policy to allocate a percentage of its general fund each year specifically for these scholarships. In addition, LCCS has been the parent sponsor to two musical groups, the Lexington County Youth Chorale and the Lake Murray Symphony Orchestra.

Membership

No person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination by LCCS based on race, sex, age, or disability.

Membership is open to men and women of reasonable vocal and musical ability who request membership and successfully complete an audition process designed and administered by the director. All individuals of high school age who are interested in LCCS must contact Hal McIntosh, Founding Director, directly to explore the possibility of membership.

Auditions for new membership are conducted the first two rehearsals of each concert season with LCCS's conductor and/or assistant conductor.

Membership dues are collected each season to support general operating expenses that includes music purchases, facility fees, and other necessary administrative fees. All repertoire is on loan to the membership and is collected after each final season concert.

Uniforms are ordered by Linda McIntosh, Administrator, in September and January, and all expenses are the responsibility of each member.

By voluntarily joining LCCS, all members grant LCCS permission to record their voices and to distribute and publish said images or audio recordings of individual singers and/or of the group taken during rehearsals/performances for the purposes of education, advertising, and promotion of the organization.Such distribution and publishing of these images may be in all conventional and electronic media formats, such as radio, television, print, the LCCS website, the Internet, as well as any future media. See the LCCS Constitution below.

Please also note that members who are under 18 years of age MUST HAVE PARENT(S) and/or LEGAL GUARDIAN(S) sign Audio/Visual Release Forms and submit them to the membership chairman, Russell Ricard, once per each concert season within the first two weeks of rehearsals. These forms may be obtained from the membership chairman or downloaded from this website on the Audition Information page .

Attendance Policy

Voluntarily joining LCCS implies a sincere commitment on the part of its members to sing all concerts scheduled for the year that usually includes a Christmas Concert, a Winter Concert, and a Spring Concert. A calendar with rehearsal and concert dates is issued in music folders at the beginning of each concert season so members may arrange personal schedules.

Attendance at all rehearsals is vital to the continued health of our organization, and so members are expected to be at all rehearsals for the entire rehearsal time. Rehearsals are held every Tuesday evening from 7:00-9:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall of Saxe-Gotha Presbyterian Church, 5503 Sunset Boulevard, Lexington, SC. In addition, a dress rehearsal is also scheduled for Thursday during the week of each concert from 7:00 – 9:30 pm. If needed, a Saturday Retreat may also be scheduled in the middle of a concert season usually from 9:00-12:00 noon. Roll is taken at all rehearsals, and it is the member’s responsibility to sign in each week at the beginning of each rehearsal AND to inform his/her Section Leader of an absence preferably before rehearsals/concerts.

If two (2) consecutive rehearsals are missed without having contacted your Section Leader, the member will be regarded as having terminated membership. If more than four (4) rehearsals are missed within a fifteen (15) rehearsal concert or more than two (2) rehearsals are missed within a six-eight (6-8) rehearsal concert, then the member may not be permitted to sing at the concert.

Constitution

To read the LCCS Constitution, click here.

Links to Business Associates

SC State Flag South Carolina's official state song, Carolina, performed by LCCS and Southern Bronze Handbell Choir on the SC State House Student Connection webpage - http://www.scstatehouse.gov/studentpage/coolstuff/music.shtml