St. Cecilia Chamber Choir begins auditions

St. Cecilia Chamber Choir is holding auditions for all voice parts as they begin preparing for their May and June concerts. On May 6 and 7, St. Cecilia will present Bach to the Future. The featured work on the program will be the Bach motet Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden. Selections from Fauré’s Messe basse for three-part women’s chorus will also be performed.

On June 10 and 11, St. Cecilia will join with Tapestry Singers to perform John Rutter’s Gloria and Requiem, two of his more popular works.

St. Cecilia Chamber Choir is a fully-auditioned community group of singers, from talented youth to seasoned performers. They perform the very finest challenging choral repertoire spanning the centuries from medieval to modern, under the direction of husband-and-wife team Linda Blanchard and Sean Fleming, of Damariscotta. In the English choral tradition, they sing with a straight tone, enabling attention to fine-tuning rich harmonies. Much of the repertoire is a cappella, and they frequently are accompanied by a professional chamber orchestra. They present two to three concerts per year, typically in December and May, with the additional concert this year in June.

They are a dedicated and friendly bunch, eager to welcome new members, and especially encourage gifted students to audition. Rehearsals are high-energy and challenging. “We work hard,” says Blanchard, “but we keep the rehearsals upbeat and fun. We provide practice materials to use at home, so singers can come to rehearsal feeling prepared and ready to go!”

Singers wishing to audition should have good vocal control, and sopranos and altos should be able to sing without vibrato. The ability to read music is preferred, but those who cannot read may participate by spending extra time learning the music at home with the aid of provided practice materials.

Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings at 6:45 p.m., starting on Wednesday, January 18, at St. Andrew’s Church, on Glidden St., in Newcastle. Choristers are vaccinated.

To schedule an audition, call Linda Blanchard at (207) 380-2768 or email audition@ceciliachoir.org. For more information about the Choir, please visit our website at ceciliachoir.org.