Audition Requirements

Chamber Choir

Obligations to MCS

Concert Dress

Attendance Policy

Fall Retreat

Concert Information

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2007 Audition Requirements (by appointment)

The yearly auditions are designed to assess your capabilities and to place you appropriately in the choir. This year, continuing altos and basses, as well as new singers will be asked to audition. Auditions are private. Please prepare the attached excerpt in your preferred voice part in German or on a neutral syllable. You will also be asked to vocalize and sight-sing, in addition to performing basic tonal memory and hearing exercises. We want as many singers as possible – we really want you to do well! Prepare the excerpt as well as you possibly can. It’s normal to be nervous for an audition, but we promise to do everything we can to make your experience pleasant! Notification will be made by phone. Auditions are by appointment and take place at Grace Episcopal Church.

Chamber Choir

If you are interested in auditioning for the MCS Chamber Choir, please indicate this on your audition form. This select group will rehearse just prior to the regular Monday evening rehearsals, probably every other week.

Obligations to MCS

  • Dues = $125 per year, paid at first rehearsal in September (Students = $75; scholarships available)
  • Purchase of music = approx. $35 for concert series
  • Purchase of concert dress, see description below
  • Assist with selling tickets to concerts
  • Assist with selling advertisements for program booklet
  • Serve on committees and volunteer to help where needed - be prompt, bring a pencil, practice at home
  • Attend a minimum of two sectionals per concert series.
    Four hard-scheduled sectionals (2 for SA and 2 for TB) are scheduled per project (see calendar). Section leaders will also schedule additional sectionals. These sectionals may be led by section leaders or a capable designee. Sectionals should be at least 1 hour in length preferably not on Monday evenings.
  • Do your best to memorize music according to the assigned schedule. Committing some of our music to memory will enhance the level of communication between choir and conductor, and provide greater interpretive nuance and freedom.

Concert Dress

Women: MODEST, elegant black concert attire (no off-the-shoulder, no cleavage, no bare belly; scarf (supplied by MCS)
Men: black tux/suit, white shirts with black bow tie, black socks, black shoes

Attendance Policy

  • Rehearsals are held Monday nights, 7:00 – 9:15 p.m., Great Hall, Grace Church
  • No more than two absences during the fall semester; additional absence approved by the Music Director
  • Mandatory attendance at dress rehearsals; singers participate in rehearsals only if they plan to sing in concert

Fall Retreat

Please reserve 9am-1pm on Saturday, October 13th for our second annual MCS Retreat. Exciting details TBA!

CHRISTMAS TAPESTRY

December 1-2, 2007 at St. Joseph’s Cathedral
Mendelssohn        Vom Himmel hoch (This beautiful work for orchestra, choir, soprano and baritone soloists is based on Martin Luther’s Christmas chorale tune.)
Schütz                Lobe den Herren, meine Seele SWV 39
Hassler               Verbum caro, factum est
Biebl                   Ave Maria
Wilberg               Whence is That Goodly Frangrance Flowing; What Shall We Give?
Rutter                 Carols for choir and audience

We will be joined in portions of these concerts by the Select Choir from Manchester West High School (Sue Wilkes, director).

SPRING CONCERTS

May 17-18, 2008 at St. Joseph’s Cathedral
Karl Jenkins        The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace
This work for choir, incidental solos, and chamber orchestra is based on the Renaissance secular war song, L’homme armé (which many 15-16th century composers used as the basis for their mass cycles). The texts are in French, Latin, and English, including poetry by Rudyard Kipling, John Dryden, Jonathan Swift, Toge Sankichi, The Mahàbhàrata, and more! We hope to include a dance component through collaboration with Terminal Hip Dance Company.

To schedule an audition, contact Anne Harvey, Membership Chair at aharvey48@yahoo.com -- 434-9863.

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Manchester Choral Society, PO Box 4182, Manchester NH 03108-4182 Tel: (603) 472-6627
The Manchester Choral Society endeavors to perform in venues that are physically accessible to persons with disabilities.
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