ABOUT
Located in a suburb of Iowa's capital city of Des Moines, Ankeny High School is one of two comprehensive high schools serving grades 10-12 in the Ankeny Community School District. Ankeny was recently named the third fastest growing city in the United States and The Ankeny Community School District is also one of the fastest growing school districts in the state of Iowa.
The Ankeny High School Choral Music Department is proud of its tradition of excellence in both curricular and extra-curricular ensembles. Ankeny High School choral ensembles receive many awards, honors, and accolades each year and operate with a deliberate focus on growth and on our collective vocal music department values. Our department pillars (values) are: EXCELLENCE, COMMITMENT, PRIDE, COMMUNITY, and FUTURE. The department, directed by Ben Walters and Adam Brown, is home to six performing ensembles involving approximately 275 students with numbers that continue to grow.
The Ankeny High School Vocal Music Department is composed of approximately 275 students participating in six choirs. Three curricular (core) choirs are offered during the school days for academic credit: Concert Choir: (auditioned mixed), Cantorei: (auditioned treble) and Ankeny Singers: (non-auditioned mixed). The Ankeny Concert Choir has been recognized with prestigious invitations to perform at state and regional conventions of the American Choral Directors Association and were also the grand champions of the Worldstrides Heritage Music Festival in New York City 2018 in addition to receiving consistent division 1 (superior) ratings at the IHSMA State Music Festival. Cantorei was named the treble division champions at the Heritage Music Festival in New York City and alsoreceive consistent division 1 (superior) ratings at the IHSMA State Music Festival. The three curricular ensembles offer opportunities to preform a wide variety of music in a number of concert settings. Including the annual holiday production of “Julefest” featuring members of the Des Moines Symphony.
In addition to our curricular choir offerings, approximately 70% of students also participate in Ankeny High School’s award-winning show choir program. The varsity show choir, Visual Adrenaline, has a long tradition of excellence; most recently garnering multiple grand championships, class championships, and awards for best vocals, best choreography, and best band. Perpetual Motion (junior-varsity mixed) and Intensity (junior-varsity treble) also have successful performance records regularly finishing in the top of their divisions. AHS show choirs perform competitively across the state and beyond.
Order tickets to events at www.seatyourself.biz (code: ankenychoralmusic). The vocal music department is led by Ben Walters (Director of Choral Activities) and Adam Brown (Assistant Director of Choral Activities.)
