ADULT CHORUS AUDITIONS, May 28-29, 2010

for three productions in the 2010-2011 season: The Christmas Revels, ‘Songs of the Sea and Shore,’ and new Civil War-era (including African-American) programs

Who: Men and women of all ages and ancestries (18 and over *) -- SATB
When: Fri., May 28, 5:00-9:00pm & Sat., May 29, 9:30am-12:00pm
Where: Washington Revels Office, 531 Dale Drive, Silver Spring, MD <view map & directions>
             APPOINTMENT REQUIRED -- please call 301-587-3835 after 5/3 to schedule
What: Prepare 2 short audition pieces of your choice without accompaniment.
           Please Note: Your selection can be from any era or genre with the exception of "pop" music or show tunes.            Traditional songs, carols, folk tunes, hymns, and early vocal works are recommended. **
           First-time auditioners - call Susan Lewis (Company Manager) at 301-657-2343 before scheduling
           your audition appointment.

* High school students should audition for the teen chorus in September. Seniors graduating this Spring are eligible to audition as an adult.

The entire audition process takes about 1 1/2 - 2 hours and includes performing some simple dance steps and singing with others. Please note: The Washington Revels community reflects our larger community; we therefore seek to create a diverse cast consisting of strong performers of all backgrounds and ancestries.

Download Audition Form: MS Word Version | PDF Version
* please print, fill out, and bring with you to your audition appointment.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Washington Revels auditions adult performers for the three productions described below.

The Christmas Revels

The Christmas Revels is our largest production each year. We select a balanced chorus made up of approximately 40 adult singers. Performing in the Christmas Revels is a large commitment. There is no “standing” chorus for the Christmas production; we audition each cast anew for each show, and value the inclusion of a substantial number of new singers in each ensemble. For this production there are 11 weeks of rehearsals (one rehearsal per week and three additional all-day Saturday rehearsals). Tech Week runs one Sunday afternoon, plus four nights in the theater from 5 to 10-11 p.m. The Christmas Revels has a run of 9 performances, spanning a period of 2 weekends. <View The Christmas Revels schedule for 2010>

** The music for the Christmas production will include 4-part English anthems, fuging tunes, and folk music from the "West Gallery" tradition, as well as seasonal carols and traditional Revels pieces like Lord of the Dance and Sussex Mummers.

For our 28th annual Christmas Revels in Washington, D.C., we travel to novelist Thomas Hardy’s beloved “Wessex” to the little town of Mellstock in the countryside of nineteenth-century England. We'll celebrate an English Country Christmas with traditional carols, anthems, rounds, country dancing, and a hilarious mummer's play. This year's guest artists, The Mellstock Band, come from England replete with a wonderfully eclectic collection of string and wind instruments, including the haunting “serpent,” a snake-like ancestor of the tuba. All performances take place in George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium in Washington, DC.

Songs of the Sea and Shore

Washington Revels’ ‘Songs of the Sea and Shore’ comprises sea chanteys and other nautically themed songs, including those depicting the lives of the men, women and children ashore. The production schedule is not pre-set, but is anticipated to include between 8 and 12 performances during the year. During the 2009-2010 season, the group performed at such venues as the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of American History, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, National Harbor, and other locations in the metropolitan Washington, DC area. Rehearsals are scheduled based on the needs of each upcoming performance. Singers learn a body of material, including songs, skits and characters, and are not required to sing in every performance. Performances may be inside or outdoors, are lightly costumed, and vary in length from 20 minute sets to full-length productions of 90 minutes in length. The chorus is not auditioned anew every year, so the number of openings will be limited.

Proposed Civil War-era Programs

Washington Revels anticipates that it will partner with Heritage Montgomery to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. We plan to have a small professional ensemble (separate audition process) as well as a larger chorus of 18–24 singers; there may also be a need for a few actors and instrumental musicians. The larger ensembles will focus on two styles of music from the era: 1) parlor music and popular published songs (e.g, the music of Stephen Foster); and, 2) Civil War-era African American music (e.g., traditional shouts, hollers, and spirituals using African-American singers). Performances will take place at various historic sites throughout Montgomery County, MD over the next two to five years. Rehearsals and performances TBD.