Alexandria Choral Society Audition Information
2008-09 Season

New Audition Dates Announced!
Saturday, August 23 from 11am-4pm
Saturday, August 30 from 11am-4pm
Tuesday, September 2 from 6:00pm-9:00pm
To schedule an audition, please click here

CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE YOUR AUDITION TIME

Letters signifying whether or not you have been selected for the Adult Chorus of the Alexandria Choral Society will be sent by September 6, 2008. The first rehearsal for the Alexandria Choral Society will be Tuesday, September 9th from 7:30pm - 9:30pm

View the Concert Repertoire for next season

Thank you for your interest in the Alexandria Choral Society. Please read the following information regarding the audition process and for additional information about the Alexandria Choral Society, prior to signing up for an audition for the Adult Chorus (the link for audition sign-up is listed below).

Singers will be asked to sign up for an 8 minute audition time. You need to arrive at least 10 minutes before the scheduled audition to fill out an information sheet. In order to keep the audition times moving on schedule, singers must be vocally warmed up before going into the audition. The only vocalizing during the audition will be the opportunity to demonstrate your range. The auditions will be blind – this means the director will not be able to see who is auditioning; only hear them. Each person will be assigned a number, which will be given to the director at the time of your audition. Our new accompanist, Jennifer Jackson, will be at the piano, actually running the auditions. Audition dates are as follows:

• Saturday, August 23 from 11am-4pm
• Saturday, August 30 from 11am-4pm
• Tuesday, September 2 from 6:00pm-9:00pm
• To schedule an audition, please click here

The auditions will take place at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, located at the corner of Collingwood and Fort Hunt Roads in southern Alexandria (1301 Collingwood Rd., 22308). Please enter the building at door # 8 (the northwest corner of the building, off of Collingwood Rd.). Just inside the doorway a Choral Society Board member will greet you and answer any questions you have about the audition process.

During the audition you will be asked to do the following:

1. Vocalize, using two simple vocal exercises to determine your range and vocal flexibility.
2. Match several pitch sequences of four to six notes, beginning easier and becoming progressively more difficult.
3. Bring a prepared piece (or section of a piece) of no more than 2 minutes length that shows off your voice in terms of range and vocal quality. This can be a choral piece, singing the part you know. Please remember, if you do a choral piece, there will be no other parts, and the selection must demonstrate your range! Jennifer will play the accompaniment, ONLY!
4. Sight read a brief selection without accompaniment. This is done to see how many people in the choir can sight read. This knowledge helps in deciding what repertoire can be (and shouldn't be) programmed. People who lack sight reading ability are not excluded if the other priorities (listed below) are met!<.li>

Priorities for choosing singers are the following (from most important to least important):

1. Intonation (ability to sing in tune)
2. Ability to blend (not singing like a diva soloist!), which relates to…
3. Tone Quality (beauty of voice; timbre [pure sound, no brassiness or pinched quality in women, no shouted high notes in men, control of tessitura changes in altos from chest/head blend to pure head voice], control of excessive vibrato in all voices)
4. Innate musicianship, as displayed in your prepared selection (attention to expressive elements, particularly in the text as it relates to the music; dynamics). Bring 3 copies of your prepared selection: one for you, one for the accompanist, and one for the director.
5. Sight reading.

Your Responsibilities if selected are to:

1. Make timely payments of your dues, as directed by the Board. Financial hardship cases should be brought to the attention of the President of the Board of Directors.
2. Attend at a minimum 80% of the rehearsals for any given concert. If you miss a rehearsal, you must get the markings you missed by contacting your section leader prior to the next rehearsal. Your attendance at rehearsals, your commitment to review that material through the week, and your commitment to learn the material you missed while absent can make the difference between the exceptional and the ordinary. All of us need the dedication of each person to help guarantee our joint experience is wonderful!
3. Be a working member of one of the committees. We all need to take these tasks seriously! The choir survives on the dedication of everyone, not only in rehearsals, but in the tasks that make us a successful and healthy organization (such as fund raising, concert logistics, communication, and all other aspects of being part of a community-based, not-for-profit ensemble). We not only need your voice – we need your hands-on help if we are to guarantee our survival in this demographic where choirs compete for members, venues and dollars!

Rehearsal/Performance Schedule: Fall '08-Spring '09

Rehearsals will be every Tuesday from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m., from Sept. 9, 2008 through June 2, 2009 (except Dec. 23 and Dec. 30). Extra rehearsals will be scheduled as needed for each concert.

Concerts:

Saturday, December 13, 2008 and Sunday, December 14, 2008: Christmas Concert with Aldersgate Church Choir, Aldersgate Church, Alexandria
(Dress Rehearsal: Friday, Dec. 12, 7:30-9:30 pm)

Sat., Mar. 28, 2009: Endings and Beginnings Concert, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Alexandria
(Dress Rehearsal: Friday, March 27, 7:30-9:30 pm)

Sat., June 6, 2009: Fly Me to the Moon, concert with TCWilliams HS choir; TCW HS, Alexandria
(Dress Rehearsal TBA). We have the use of the Planetarium as part of concert evening, with multiple Planetarium shows before and after the concert.

By auditioning you are indicating your availability for these rehearsals and performances.

Choir Dues/Music Fees

The Board of Directors has established choir membership dues for the 2008-2009 season at $250. This figure INCLUDES the amount for the purchase of your music for the year. A deposit of $50 will be required at the time of your audition, and, if selected for the choir, the remaining $200 will be due at the first rehearsal, or in two equal installments of $100 at the first rehearsal and $100 on November 4th. Letters signifying whether or not you have been selected for the choir will be sent by September 6, 2008. If not selected, your $50 deposit will be returned within the letter.

Thank you for your interest in the Alexandria Choral Society. If you would like to schedule an audition, please click here to schedule.

Don't forget to bring these items to the audition:

1. 3 copies of your prepared piece (no more than 2 minutes in length)
2. Your check for $50 made out to "The Alexandria Choral Society." Please note, if you fail to bring your check, you will not be permitted to audition!

Sincerely,
Janet Davis, Artistic Director
and
Donna Kamm, President; Board of Directors

Alexandria Choral Society

CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE YOUR AUDITION TIME

back to top