The Senior Wind Ensemble , SWE, directed by Mr. Snider-McGrath, is our auditioned senior concert band.  It uses standard instrumentation: piccolo, flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax, bari sax, trumpet, french horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, acoustic bass and percussion.  Since students have to audition to be in the group, it can include musicians in grades 9 - 12.  Auditions take place every June.

The band rehearses Tuesday evenings from 7 - 9 p.m.  They perform at Commencement in November, our feeder schools in early December, the Christmas Concert, the Sunderland Festival, our Family of Schools Concert in April, and Spring Rhapsody in May.

SWE also goes on tour each year with the other senior groups: Jazz Injection, Senior Chamber Choir, Peapods, Jazzmerize, and Girls' Ensemble.  This year they're travelling to Halifax, Nova Scotia.  In past years they have travelled to Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, Boston, Cleveland, Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Vancouver, Washington, DC, and New York City.  They have even toured through Northern Ontario to Parry Sound, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie.                                                                                                                                               

Jazz Injection,  Port Perry's senior jazz band, is directed by Mr. Snider-McGrath.  They meet for rehearsals every Wednesday and Friday morning from 7:00 - 8:40 a.m.  Auditions for the band take place in late June and are open to students coming from grade 8 to grade 12.  Instrumentation is standard: 5 saxes, 4 trombones, 5 trumpets, piano, guitar, bass, drumset, and auxiliary percussion.  There have been years when trombone parts have been covered by French horn or tuba players.  To be involved in the band, students must also perform in a large ensemble:  concert band, concert choir or guitar ensemble.

In past years, Jazz injection has performed at retirement parties, company Christmas and year end celebrations, Ocala Orchard's Blossom Festival, the SOuthern Ontario Jazz Band Festival, Musicfest Canada, and the Rocky Mountain Music Festival in Banff.  They have worked with jazz musicians like Kelly Jefferson, Neil York-Slater, Mark Promane, Alex Dean, Chase Sanborn, Brian Lillos and Kevin Turcotte.

Injection will be travelling to Halifax, Nnova Scotia this April where they will be taking part in the Atlantic Festival of Music.

Any grade 9 student may join the Grade 9 Concert Band as long as they have at least one year of playing experience on their instument, and they can read music.  They do not have to be taking a music class this year.  It uses standard instrumentation: piccolo, flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax, bari sax, trumpet, french horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, acoustic/electric bass and percussion. 

The group meets Tuesday as a full band from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.  Sectionals run on Monday from 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. This means the flutes meet one week, the clarinets the next  week, and so on.

Mr. Snidre-McGrath directs the band, and has since he came to Port Perry High back in 1995.  He feels that the Grade 9 Concert Band is all about commitment.  If a student signs up for band, then he expects them to be at all rehearsals and to have practised their music between those rehearsals.  The band plays four major gigs a year: Recognition Assembly - the first Friday in November, Christmas Concert, Sunderland Festival in February and Spring Rhapsody in May.

Mr. Snider-McGrath directs our junior jazz band, Jazz At Work, also know as JAW.  The band has students in grades 9 - 11. Instrumentation is standard with 5 saxes, 4 trombones, 5 trumpets, piano, guitar, bass and drums.  Auditions are held during the first two weeks of September.  The band rehearses on Monday mornings from 7:00 - 8:40 as a full band, and then there are sectionals on Thursdays at lunch from 12:00 - 12:30 p.m.  This means that each section meets once a month: saxes, trumpets, trombones, and rhythm.

The band performs throughout the year at the following gigs:  Port Perry Nursing Home in early December, feeder schools also in early December, PPHS Christmas Concert, Southern Ontario Jazz Band Festival in February, and Spring Rhapsody in May.  The band has also performed at assemblies and BBQs run by the students' council throughout the year.

 Jazzmerize is the senior vocal jazz ensemble at Port Perry High School.  It consists of 16 to 20 auditioned voices, accompanied by a rhythm section of piano, bass guitar, and drums.  The group is directed by Ms. Rensink. 

Vocal Jazz at PPHS has had a long and interesting history.  In the late 70s to early 80s, the extra-curricular choir varied from girls' triple trio to mixed voices.  In 1981 a jazz choir competed at the Canadian Stage Band Festival in Hamilton.  At this time there were a few jazz choirs starting up in Ontario and they all had catchy names, so in the fall of 1982 the students came up with the name Jazzmerize (jazz + mesmerize), and the name stuck.  Their first concert took place in the old gym at R.H. Cornish in late October and the concert was shared with the O'Neill Jazz Disciples.  The choir performed regularly at Musicfest Canada (formerly the Canadian Stage Band Festival) until the mid 90s, when we began to involve all of our senior groups in an annual concert tour.  There was a junior vocal jazz ensemble in the mid 80s as well. 

In the early and mid 80s the choir sang mostly vocal jazz, but in the late 80s they lived a double life as a jazz choir and chamber choir.  In the late 90s to present, Jazzmerize became the core of the Senior Chamber Choir. 

Over the years, Jazzmerize has performed in several festivals, and concerts in and around the community, receiving great reviews.  They participate every year in the annual spring tour, and at all of our school concerts.                                                                                                                                                                                       

The Senior Chamber Choir, directed by Ms. Rensink, is the legit half of our jazz choir.  All vocal jazz members must also be part of the senior chamber vocal group.  Starting out with the same roots, this choir has grown over the years to 20 to 24 auditioned voices with piano accompaniment.  Our focus is concert repertoire ranging from 16th century madrigals to contemporary concert selections.

Over the years, Senior Chamber Choir has performed in several festivals including Sunderland Lions Music Festival and the Ontario Vocal Festival.  They also perform several concerts in and around the community on a yearly basis, and receive great reviews.  Senior Chamber Choir participates each year in the annual spring tour, and at all of our regular school concerts.

The Girls' Ensemble, under the direction of Ms. Rensink, consists of anywhere from 24 to 40 auditioned voices, singing three and four part treble harmony, and accompanied on piano.

It began in the mid to late 80s, with a group of young women singing three and four part harmony under the direction of Mrs. Heather Penner, and it has taken several forms since then.  The current choir format was decided on in the late 90s to accommodate all the great female voices auditioning for the senior chamber choir and vocal jazz ensembles at PPHS.  Under the direction of Mr. Charles White, the group came to be know as "Charlie's Angels".

Over the years, this group has now come to be known as the "Angels", or simply, as the PPHS Girls' Ensemble.  They perform each year in several festivals and also take part in the annual spring tour.  They also perform in and around the community on a yearly basis, and have received great reviews.

The Concert Choir, under the direction of Ms. Rensink, consists of anywhere from 50 to 75 students in any given year, and focusses on singing in three and four part mixed voice harmony.  It is a non-auditioned group made up of music students in grades 9 through 12, which means any music student may come out and sing for the fun of it!

The group allows students to sing in a non-threatening environment, and lets them discover first hand how amazing and fun it is to sing in harmony with others.  It serves as a great stepping stone experience for many students wishing to audition for senior groups in later years.

Over the years, our repertoire has included traditional concert selections, as well as contemporary and pop classics.

Each year the concert choir performs in the Sunderland Lions Music Festival, as well as in and around the community with events such as the annual Christmas Tree-Lighting ceremonies in downtown Port Perry.  Concert Choir also performs in our feeder school concerts in December, and at all of our regular school concerts.  It's a great way to learn how to sing in harmony, and have fun with your friends!