News: Singers Wanted

The King’s Chorus is the choral society of the University of King’s College, Halifax. We learn and rehearse major choral works from various traditions, and share what we’ve learned with the Halifax community in a concert each semester. The Chorus brings together students, staff and faculty from Dalhousie and King’s, as well as other community members, to share in the joy of music making each semester.

The King’s Chorus is committed to fostering a supportive environment where singers of all levels can improve their musicality and enjoy themselves in the process. We sing challenging and beautiful music, and we make sure to have fun while we do, cultivating an inclusive and non-competitive atmosphere in which to participate.

Section Lead positions are awarded to professional singers in an annual application and audition process: one each of Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass. We meet on Wednesday evenings from 7-9pm during the academic year from September to April. Termly concerts are usually held on a weekend evening in November and March – the dates are confirmed prior to the start of each term.

To apply as a Section Lead for the 2024/25 season, please send a musical resumé, specifying your choral voice part and previous choral experience, to:
music@ukings.ca

A review of applications and scheduling of auditions will begin on Monday June 24, 2024. Applications will remain open until all positions are filled.

For further information, visit:

https://www.kingschorus.com/news

Cantatrice Ensemble Honour Choir Auditions

Auditions for new members for the Cantatrice Ensemble Honour Choir will be held on June 3 at Georges P. Vanier School, June 10 at Madeline Symonds Middle School and June 17 at Cavalier Drive School, starting at 6:30 pm each evening. Auditions are open to treble voice singers (soprano, second soprano, alto) who will be in Grades 7-12 in September 2024. Previous vocal experience is an asset but is not required. Audition appointments can be booked at https://schoolinterviews.ca/code/dqbba . Membership is open to HRCE students, home-schooled students and private school students. Singers or parents are welcome to contact the director, Karen Newhook-MacDonald, at KNewhook-MacDonald@hrce.ca with any questions about the choir or the audition process. Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings at Cavalier Drive School in Lower Sackville from 6:30-8 pm from September to May.

Are you interested in a short 9- week opportunity to have a SPRING SING? 

Maureen McGee is forming a treble voiced choir at Rockingham United Church from May 5- June 30! This choir is open to all treble voices in the community and will rehearse on Sundays at Rockingham United Church from 11:45- 1 pm. Learning both secular and sacred inspirational and uplifting music, the group will present a gift of music in church on two occasions and have at least one other opportunity to present their music in the community. There is no cost to be involved.

Would you like more information? Contact Maureen McGee at paulandmaureenmcgee@gmail.com or 902-877-5971

Seton Conservatory Choir is looking for singers, particularly within the tenor and bass sections. This accomplished choral ensemble, under the direction of Garth MacPhee, is very friendly, welcoming and is currently preparing for its spring concert to be held the afternoon of May 26. The repertoire includes “In Windsor Forest” by Vaughan Williams, “Nocturnes” by Lauridsen, as well as some Bob Chilcott arrangements for choir and guitar. Rehearsals take place 7:00 Wednesday evenings at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts. Interested applicants should possess musicality and vocal ability as well as an appropriate level of sight reading skill. Fees are $160 per term. For further information please contact Garth MacPhee at macpheegl@hotmail.com

Choirs for Change’s chamber choir Eastern Horizon is holding auditions for an upcoming project, Pathways. Under the direction of co-conductors Amelia McMahon & Thomas Burton, Eastern Horizon is a high-level chamber choir that performs music by Canadian composers and composers that are often underrepresented in the choral canon. Pathways explores themes of joy, justice, liberation, and the journeys we undertake to reach those states of being. 

We are currently auditioning soprano, alto and tenor voices for our upcoming project. Here are the details:

Rehearsals:  June 24, 25, 26 and July 2, 3 from 6:30-9:30pm in Halifax/Kjipuktuk

Evening concerts: 

July 5 in Lunenburg/E’se’katik 

July 6 in Halifax/Kjipuktuk

July 7 in Wolfville

Recording (pending funding): 

July 6 full day

Singers must demonstrate a strong musicality. They must be able to sing challenging melodies, harmonies and rhythms and work well with others in a professional setting. Following a successful audition, each singer will be given access to the digital scores along with part assignments which they will be expected to learn prior to the first rehearsal. Printed music can be made available upon request. For this upcoming project, singers will receive an honorarium of $400 upon completion of the project. 

The program includes works by Tracy Wong, Andrew Balfour, George Chung, Stuart Beatch, Aaron Manswell, Christopher Ducasse, and Sydney Guillaume. We will workshop several of the pieces with the composers ahead of time and share some videos from previous workshops.

To audition, singers are asked to prepare a song of your choosing, vocalises that demonstrate your vocal range, and an excerpt of a choral score provided in the form below. Here is the link to the submission form: 

https://forms.gle/uTvSZgF19tHfrYSp8

Deadline: 

Friday, April 19, 2024

If you have any questions about Eastern Horizon or the audition process, please reach out to us at choirsforchange@gmail.com.