Auditions Logistics
WHEN: New member auditions are scheduled for August 20 and 26, 2019. Applicants notify us of when they are available, and we schedule them in small groups, in one hour blocks beginning at 6:30, 7:30, and 8:30 pm.
WHERE: To be determined.
WHO: August auditions are for all parts and are held by appointment. Rehearsals for the full chorus begin August 27 for the 2019-20 season and continue every Tuesday night through mid-May. (For your interest, our 2018-19 performance schedule is here.)
HOW TO SIGN UP FOR AN AUDITION: Email the completed Audition Questionnaire, below, to Barbara Baker, Chorus Manager, at bbaker37@verizon.net or let her know that you are sending it via US mail (find our address on the Contact Us page). The questionnaire is posted below in .pdf and .doc formats. Also notify her of the time you prefer. She will either confirm this or respond with a suggested alternate time. Please submit the questionnaire by the Friday before the audition date.
If the current auditions have passed, email Barbara Baker, Chorus Manager, at bbaker37@verizon.net and ask to be notified about the next audition dates.
WHERE: To be determined.
WHO: August auditions are for all parts and are held by appointment. Rehearsals for the full chorus begin August 27 for the 2019-20 season and continue every Tuesday night through mid-May. (For your interest, our 2018-19 performance schedule is here.)
HOW TO SIGN UP FOR AN AUDITION: Email the completed Audition Questionnaire, below, to Barbara Baker, Chorus Manager, at bbaker37@verizon.net or let her know that you are sending it via US mail (find our address on the Contact Us page). The questionnaire is posted below in .pdf and .doc formats. Also notify her of the time you prefer. She will either confirm this or respond with a suggested alternate time. Please submit the questionnaire by the Friday before the audition date.
If the current auditions have passed, email Barbara Baker, Chorus Manager, at bbaker37@verizon.net and ask to be notified about the next audition dates.
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Auditions Details and Materials
For the audition, we will ask you to perform prepared repertoire, to vocalize, and to demonstrate skill in rhythm, ear training, and language acquisition. The first 10 minutes of your audition will be in a group/choral setting. Then, you will individually visit rooms for vocalizing, rhythm, ear training, and language. We believe that the breadth of this list gives each singer the opportunity to demonstrate what they would contribute to the Richmond Symphony Chorus. See below for details, materials, and guides to help you do your best. There will be a few minutes between each of these sessions when you will need to wait while others are being auditioned, so feel free to bring a book, Kindle, crossword puzzle, or anything else quiet to pass the time. We will certainly try to keep your wait to a minimum and hope to finish hearing everyone within one hour. Our chorus members and the audition committee fully understand the stress of going through an audition and will do all they can to put you at ease. We hope you may even enjoy the audition! Thank you for your interest in joining the Chorus and for your willingness to audition. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Contact Barbara Baker at bbaker37@verizon.net.
IN A GROUP
PREPARED REPERTOIRE
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In a group of about 8-10 people, you will sing through and participate in a 10-minute mini-rehearsal of "Since by Man Came Death" from Handel's Messiah (posted to the right). You should learn the music ahead of time, but you don’t need to memorize it. (If you’re unsure of whether you’re a soprano or alto, tenor or baritone, please learn both parts.) Sopranos: please note the change in one note, marked in red on the printable score. It should be a C, not an E on "tion" of "resurrection."
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PRINTABLE SCORE
(or, you may use your own score to Messiah if you have one)
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ON LINE HELP
- CYBERBASS (Scroll down the page to find the audio help for "Since by Man")
- Soprano Part (link to a YouTube) - Alto Part (link to a YouTube) - Tenor Part (link to a YouTube) - Bass Part (link to a YouTube) | ||
INDIVIDUALLY
VOCALIZATION
You’ll meet with our director, Erin Freeman, our accompanist, Michael Simpson, and our four friendly and encouraging section leaders. You may be asked to do any or all of the following:
You’ll meet with our director, Erin Freeman, our accompanist, Michael Simpson, and our four friendly and encouraging section leaders. You may be asked to do any or all of the following:
- sing “My Country ‘tis of Thee,” with piano accompaniment, beginning on various pitches; we’ll provide the lyrics if you need them
- sing through the Handel Messiah selection again with the four section leaders joining you.
- perform warm-up style vocal exercises, at the direction of Erin Freeman, to determine where your range lies
RHYTHM SKILLS
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You’ll meet with a member of the Chorus to sing the rhythm exercise you prepared on your own (posted to the right in .pdf and .doc formats). You’ll sing that on a comfortable pitch, using a syllable of your choice (such as “dee” or “da”). When you first arrive for your audition, we’ll give you a second rhythm exercise to study and sing as well. You have the opportunity to study that second exercise before you enter the rhythm skills room.
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EAR TRAINING: A member of our Chorus will play a series of pitches on the piano and ask you to sing those back to evaluate how well you hear intervals.
GERMAN
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You’ll meet with another member of the Chorus who will listen to you speak the German text you prepared prior to the audition and may coach you to improve your pronunciation. This is not to assess how well you speak German but rather your ability to learn lyrics in a foreign language. The German excerpt (from Beethoven Symphony 9) with sound clips to help you are posted to the right.
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TEXT:
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RECORDINGS:
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