Tradition. Talent. Excellence.
Grosse Pointe South Choir has a reputation of excellence and is one of the most successful choral programs in Michigan. The program has consistently received top accolades from various state and national organizations including the highest ratings at MSVMA, a featured choir at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival and four-time national show choir champions, most recently in 2019 and has received numerous awards for choral sound, choreography, technical assistance, costuming and show.
The Grosse Pointe South Choir Department is built on three important pillars: tradition, talent and excellence. The South Choral Department has a tradition of excellence and is comprised of four choral ensembles incorporating students from grades 9 – 12. These students feature their talent in major workshops, concerts and competitions throughout the school year and travel internationally bi-annually. Past International performances include Spain, Italy, Greece, England, France, Ireland, Spain and the French Riviera, Poland and Austria!
Congratulations to the Grosse Pointe Singers and Mr. Matia for their Grand Champion Win, Best Vocals and Best Choreography at Walsh Jesuit Great Lakes Invitational 2023 !!! Top Performer for Pointe Singer - Spencer Yonkus, Top Performer for Serendipity - Alex Carter. In addition, Lillian Hunwick was awarded the top soloist in the soloist competition.
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Congratulations to our choirs and Mr. Matia for all the hard work they put in to get to the finals and being awarded the Best Crew for Grosse Pointe Singers, Overall Best Male Performer - Nolan Eszes, Grosse Pointe Singers Best Performer - Hannon Gunnell, and Serendipities Best Performer - Alexander Cline at Solon Show Choir Invitational.
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Congratulations to Grosse Pointe Singers, Mr. Matia, Mr. Wolf, and Mr Pritt for all the hard work and dedication during the Heart of America - Nashville competition. Always bringing their best.
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Meet the Choirs
Grosse Pointes South Choirs
Pointe Singers
Pointe Singers are Grosse Pointe South's Premiere Show Choir. Composed of students in grades 10-12, this group of talented performers have earned top placements across the Midwest and nationally for the past 30 years. In 2019 the Pointe Singers were crowned FAME Show Choir National Grand Champions.
Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue is Grosse Pointe South's new Traditional Concert Choir. Composed of students in grades 9-12, Rhapsody in Blue performs music of a wide variety of genres and styles. From Classical to Contemporary and everything in between, these talented performers are excited to begin a new tradition of excellence as a part of the Grosse Pointe South Choir Family.
Serendipity
Serendipity is Grosse Pointe South's new select Show Choir. Composed of students in grades 9-12, this group of talented performers are excited to begin a new tradition of excellence as a part of the Grosse Pointe South Choir family. Serendipity will be traveling this year to compete at various Show Choir Competitions across the Midwest.
Extracurricular Choirs
Tower BellesTower Belles are Grosse Pointe South's Treble Ensemble. This extracurricular choir is composed of women in grades 9-12. Originally founded in 1928, the Tower Belles have maintained a high caliber of performance representing Grosse Pointe South at competitions and festivals around the Midwest and nationally for the past 90 years.
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SuspensionsSuspensions are Grosse Pointe South's Pop Acapella Ensemble. Directed by Alum Nick Kuhl, this group performs a wide variety of music in the style of Pentatonix, Straight No Chaser and Pitch Perfect. This auditioned group is composed of students in grades 10-12 who are a proud part of the Grosse Pointe South Choir program.
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Planned Choral Events During the Year 2022-2023
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They make everything happen, for the students.
The Creative Team
Vince MatiaChoral Director
Vince Matia earned his degree in Music Education from Baldwin Wallace University in 2015. He then taught Vocal Music and Theater at his alma mater, Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. In addition to directing the Chamber Choir, Beginning Choir and A Cappella Choir, Vince also served as the Assistant Director of the Harmony Gold Show Choir and Technical Director of Walsh Jesuit Centerstage Theater. When not directing students, he also performed with the Baldwin Wallace Men’s Chorus, Medina Chorus, and was a featured actor at theaters around the Cleveland area. In his spare time Vince enjoys cooking, baking, reading and listening to podcasts.
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Richard WolfAccompanist
Richard has served as the accompanist for Grosse Pointe South choirs since August 2004. Prior to South, he served for nine years as the accompanist at Rochester High School. Richard also served on the full board of the Michigan School Vocal Music Association (MSVMA) in various capacities from 1999 to 2013. He is also the organist at First Congregational Church in New Baltimore and has worked in church music for over 20 years. A graduate of Ball State University, he has worked with Gordon Nelson, Thomas Sheets, Steve Zegree, Charlene Archibeque, Neeme Jarvi, John Morris Russell, Jeff Tyzik, Thomas Wilkins, and Leonard Slatkin. He has also had the opportunity to participate in High Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City as a singer in July 2004 and an organist in February 2012.
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Nick KuhlA Cappella Director
Nick Kuhl has worked for several years as a private vocal instructor and freelance choral director for Grosse Pointe Public Schools, and is currently the co-director of vocal music at Seneca Middle School in Macomb, Michigan, where he has the pleasure of teaching nearly 500 choir students each day. He has been a professional musician and freelance vocalist throughout the Detroit area for over a decade. Nick has received numerous awards for singing, including the National Showstoppers Vocal Competition in Disney World and the Toronto Vocal Competition for Classical Singing. He has been a featured soloist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Michigan Pops Orchestra, and the Rochester Symphony Orchestra. Nick has performed and recorded in New York and Nashville under Warner Music Group, performed in X Generation and other Tangerine Moon Productions acts, and currently performs in Nick Kuhl and the Gang, one of Detroit’s leading wedding bands.
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Dallas J. PrittChoreographerDallas J. Pritt works as a choreographer, show designer, and vocal coach for ensembles in Alabama, Indiana, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Maryland, Illinois, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Ohio. His groups have won many awards including Best Choreography, Best Show Design, and Best Vocals along with becoming consistent finalists and top placers both in their divisions and nationally. He is the recipient of the national 2018 FAME Aspire Award for Best New Choreographer, after being nominated in 2017. As an actor, singer, and dancer, he has been seen across the country at regional theatres, theme parks, and on television. He is recognized for starring in the award-winning short film. 'A Heart's Calling', the national Toyota Tacoma Mall Terrain commercial, the online Curology Pimple commercial, and co-starring as Chet alongside Billy Ray Cyrus in season two of 'Still The King' on CMT. You may also recognize him from performing at off-Broadway's York Theatre Company, Theatre West Virginia, Huron Playhouse, Cedar Point, Six Flags Over Georgia, Valleyfair, Kings Island, and Coney Island. Dallas holds a BFA in Musical Theatre after studying at Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts and Lipscomb University's College of Entertainment and the Arts.
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Jerome S. Manning Choreographer
Jerome Stephen Manning is a freelance performer/artist based in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as an alumnus of the prestigious GPS choir family. Freshly graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre from Rider University, Jerome aims to take on a multitude of creative and artistic projects in various mediums, whether it be performing, directing, choreographing or producing. Jerome has directed and choreographed multiple shows and cabarets that featured dance styles such as jazz, tap and musical theatre. Jerome is currently in Atlanta, Georgia beginning his on-camera career, with projects having been filmed with release dates as early as next month and as late as 2023. Go to JeromeStephenManning.com to follow the journey.
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Photo Credit: The Portrait Place
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