St. Cecilia Chamber Choir Holds Auditions For Spring Concerts

St. Cecilia Chamber Choir is holding auditions for tenors and basses as the chorale begins preparing for its 30th anniversary spring concerts in Damariscotta on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3. Sopranos and altos may join the choir’s waiting list.

The 30th anniversary concerts will feature two works honoring the choir’s namesake, including a stunning work by Maine composer Richard Francis which was composed for the choir in its second year.

Also on the program is Ola Gjeilo’s “The Lake Isle” for chorus, guitar, piano and string quartet, the stirring spiritual “John the Revelator,” as well as works by Herbert Howells, Eric Whitacre, and Gwyneth Walker.

To schedule an audition, email audition@ceciliachoir.org.

St. Cecilia Chamber Choir is a fully auditioned group performing 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, St. Cecilia Chamber Choir sings with a straight tone, enabling attention to the fine-tuning of rich harmonies. Rehearsals are high-energy and challenging.

“We work hard, but we keep the rehearsals upbeat and fun,” Blanchard said. “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 fluently may participate by spending extra time learning the music at home with the aid of provided practice materials.

The choir rehearses on Wednesdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, at 11 Glidden St. in Newcastle. For more information, go to ceciliachoir.org or find St. Cecilia Chamber Choir on Facebook.