Auditions

The choir offers an important format for many people who do not earn a living through their art, but who still want to use their talent and training making music. The technical demands of presenting unfamiliar and often difficult repertoire, as well as the special requirement of learning early-music performance styles, challenge our members to grow musically. Although we are a community-based, volunteer organization, we adhere to high musical standards and ask that people who join us share our commitment to upholding those standards.

You do not need to have had formal voice training in order to sing with us (though we do encourage you to develop your vocal skills in private study). However, basic musical ability, a voice that will blend into the texture of the choir, and some facility in sight-reading are essential. Our ambitious concert schedule and the difficulty and unfamiliarity of much of what we sing make rehearsal time scarce and precious. All regular rehearsals and dress rehearsals are, therefore, considered mandatory, although two absences per quarter are permitted on arrangement with your section leader. The main purpose of our rehearsals is to work on problems of ensemble and interpretation and to blend and shape the music, not to learn the notes. Note learning is the responsibility of each choir member and must be done outside regular rehearsals.