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Lawton Chiles High School     •    7200 Lawton Chiles Lane    •    Tallahassee, Florida    •    32312    •    Main Office (850) 488 1756    •     Choral Department (850) 488 6818 ext. 415
About our Choral Program

The Lawton Chiles High School Choral Program opened under the direction of José Rivera in 1999, joining a rich tradition of choral music in Tallahassee. For the last 6 years, under the direction of Tucker Biddlecombe, Chiles High School has become one of the premier choral programs in Florida.  In 2009, Mary Biddlecombe took over as choral director to continue the tradition of excellence.

The choral program at Chiles consists of seven performing ensembles. Curricular choir offerings include an entry-level women's chorus; a combined men's chorus that performs for many campus events; an auditioned upper class women’s choir which combines with the men to create the large mixed ensemble Chiles Singers; an auditioned a cappella choir called Pardon our Dust, and the award-winning advanced choir Belle Chantique. Belle Chantique has performed for conventions of ACDA at the state and division level, most recently in Louisville, Kentucky during March of 2008. Extracurricular choirs are led by student conductors as part of the mentorship portion of their honors credit in advanced music classes.

 The music program at Lawton Chiles High School is comprehensive and offers multiple classes in Chorus, Orchestra, Band, Guitar, Piano, and AP Music Theory. The drama department offers a full technical theater program as well as a full sequence of dramatic and stagecraft classes.

 Lawton Chiles High School also has become widely known for its musical theater productions. In 2007, the Chiles Choral department presented The Taffetas.  Students were the actors, musicians and conductors of the show.  Also in 2004, the Chiles Choral department presented a fully-staged student production of Gian-Carlo Menotti's opera Amahl and the Night Visitors. The combined performing arts department has recently presented productions of Pirates of Penzance, 42nd Street, Oklahoma, Swing, Seussical and this year, Pippin.