Audition Information & Submission

Choristers need to have two songs prepared for auditioning: Happy Birthday and a favorite hymn of their choice. Should you, the chorister, wish to submit a video audition, you will need to sing Happy Birthday in your lowest range & your highest range along with a hymn of your choice. At the onset of your video, please provide your name, voice part (if known) and sight reading ability. Fall video submissions are due by 11:59 Monday, August 1, 2024. Video submissions provided after that date/time will be considered for Spring 2024.

Chorister Expectations

SEASON:

CVU begins auditions in August and holds rehearsals in September – November, breaks for Christmas and resumes January – May There may be other opportunities for concerts or other events as the occasions present themselves.

DUES:

The Board determines the amount for dues and may change yearly. Dues are applied toward music, stipends for the director and accompanist as well as any additional instrumentalists for concerts or events. The dues for 2024-2025 are $30 per concert or $50 for the year. The Board reviews dues annually and any changes will be announced prior to the onset of the following year.

Choristers must pay the full amount of the fees specified for the year before they can bring their music home. Please see the treasurer or your section leader privately for any concerns regarding dues. Dues will not be refunded for any reason.

CONCERT DRESS:

Concert dress includes white tops and black bottoms: capris & T-length skirts are permissible, however, miniskirts and shorts are not. Black dress shoes and black socks or hosiery may be worn at your comfort.

Black concert folders will be used with music in concert order. If you do not have a concert folder, please purchase one. All iPads must be in a black case.

There is to be no worn fragrances other than deodorant or soap. Please be considerate to those around you and refrain from wearing perfume or aftershave.

SOLO OPPORTUNITIES:

Our Director wants to provide as many solo opportunities to feature specific styles of voices that compliment and enhance the particular pieces that are selected for concerts. Soloists may come from the choir or depending on the balance of the choir, outside professional soloists may be brought in. Soloists are determined by the Director and may be assigned or auditions will be held.

NAME TAGS:

Please wear name tags at rehearsals so that we can all get to know each other without feeling anxious about remembering names from week to week.

ATTENDANCE:

Choristers are expected to attend all rehearsals however, sometimes life gets in the way. Each season, Choristers are allowed two unexplained absences with the exception of the two rehearsals just prior to the concert. Should a Chorister accumulate more than two absences per concert, the Director reserves the right to allow or deny that individual the ability to participate.

It is imperative to understand that just because you know your music, your absence still affects the entire choir. Please review our rehearsal and concert schedule and prayerfully consider your time so that you give God your best which allows those singing around you to give their best as well.

REHEARSAL EXPECTATIONS:

1. Stay Healthy! Singing is a physical activity and takes energy to accomplish. We need you to be at your best to give your best so if you get sick, please email [email protected] or contact your section leader.
2. Be on Time and Focused! Rehearsals begin at 1:00 p.m. at Community UMC 309 College Ave Fruitland Park, FL in the choir room. The choir room is a distance from the parking lot. Please plan accordingly and be in your seat before 1:00. Arriving late is disruptive and doesn’t allow for you or those around you to do their best.
3. Be Prepared! Our Director works extra hard to provide rehearsal aids that will allow you to work privately and independently of our time in rehearsal together. Use only pencil to make notes in your music as some of our music will be borrowed. Not even the Director can remember all the articulations, breath marks, consonant exaggerations that need to be made. Use your pencil freely and often!
4. Be Quiet! If you have a question or suggestion, ask the Director privately at an appropriate moment- please refrain from shouting out questions or comments during rehearsals. If you have an organizational concern, present it to your section leader or appropriate board member. If your section is waiting to sing, follow along in your music without singing or humming. Please come early or stay late if you want to visit with your neighbor. Visit with your friends during our break time.
5. Be Flexible! The Director’s job is to make us sound our most beautiful! Remember that the Director has the “big picture” and as such, focuses on certain aspects that need refining. Questions asked during rehearsals, corrections, adjustments or private discussions can cause distraction that need not arise. Feel free to write down questions and email them to [email protected]. Stay open minded to the Director’s suggestions as there will often be constructive criticism intended for the choir as a whole to sound better. You may be asked to change seats, voice parts or even solos! Please refrain from directing your fellow Choristers even when your suggestions may be helpful. Instead, take an opportunity to talk with the Director at another time.
6. Respect our Host Church! Community UMC is very gracious to allow us to rehearse and perform in their space. Of course, we’re always willing to perform someplace else if your home church would like to host a concert. Please be good stewards of the facility. Leave your personal area free of debris – especially water bottles! Let’s leave the rehearsal space better than we found it.
7. Respect our Fellow Choristers! Please silence your cellphones prior to rehearsal. Refrain from wearing perfumes or aftershave. Please no gum and bring water if you need to stay hydrated (and we all do!) There is water in the choir room fridge and all are welcome to a bottle of water. Please make sure you place your donation in the basket provided.
8. Have Fun! Christ calls us into fellowship with each other. What better way than with a voice of singing? Our Mission Statement reads, “CVU exists to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ through Christian choral music so that all may know God’s unending love in a non-denominational musical setting”. We are called to share the gospel and there is no better way than through music. Please show the hope, peace, joy and love Christ instills in your heart on your face while singing!