June 15, 2018

Greetings,

I hope this letter finds you enjoying your summer vacation.

If you have opened this document it means you are considering auditioning for the 2018-19 NEC
Chamber Singers. To that I say, congratulations! You are seeking an opportunity which will
challenge you, and leave you feeling musically fulfilled in ways you have yet to experience or
think possible through communal singing.

Please read the following pages of this document carefully, taking in every detail. It is attention
to these details that will make all the difference for you during your audition in approximately 3-
months’ time.

Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me via email over this summer
break.

I wish you the best of luck as you begin your Chamber Singers audition studies.

Sincerely,

--
Erica J. Washburn
Director of Choral Activities
New England Conservatory
290 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA. 02115
Phone: (617) 585-1341
Email: erica.washburn@necmusic.edu

[1]
AUDITION INFORMATION:
Audition Dates:

* For new incoming students – During NEC Orientation Week (Aug. 28 – Aug. 30). You will be
assigned a Choral Department Hearing time/date by Ms. Sally
Millar. This hearing will serve as your audition slot, should you
wish to use it in that manner. You will not need to sign up for an
additional audition time. Be sure to bring all required audition
repertoire with you.

* For all returning students – Tuesday, September 4 10:30AM – 4:30PM

Wednesday, September 5 1:30PM – 3:30PM

The returning student audition sign-up sheet will be posted on the chorus bulletin board by June 15.
All returning students are welcome to sign-up for an audition slot any day between June 15 and September 4.
If you are unable to sign up for a time in person, please email Ms. Sally Millar to ask for a slot.

N.B. – Ms. Millar will be away from her office from mid-June until mid-August, but your audition time slot request will be fulfilled
according to the order in which your emails are received, and according to which slots remain empty on the sign-up sheet.

Performance Commitments:
All NEC Chamber Singers (CS) must be available for the following *2018-2019 performance dates:

October 29 Jordan Hall CS & Concert Choir

December 4 Boston Athenaeum CS Holiday Concert (private event)
December 5 Mechanics Hall CS, Symphonic Winds, Navy Band Northeast Holiday Concert
December 7 Church of the Covenant CS, Concert Choir
December 10 Jordan Hall CS, Symphonic Winds, Navy Band Northeast Holiday Concert
March 11 Jordan Hall CS, Concert Choir & Symphony
April 22 Jordan Hall CS & Concert Choir
May 4-5 Glens Falls, NY CS & Glens Falls Symphony

* performance dates are subject to change up until Sept. 5 for F18 semester, and Jan. 14 for S19 semester

Concert Attire:
All NEC CS members must purchase the required performance attire. This is to be done *after* the
2018-19 CS member list has been posted on September 5. Necessary purchase information will be
provided at that time.

[2]
Audition Requirements:
All auditioning students must be able to successfully demonstrate the following skills to be considered
for admission to the NEC Chamber Singers ensemble:

- At-sight sight reading example, to be provided

- At-sight rhythm reading example, to be provided
- The ability to perform the following scales, ascending & descending, in tune:
▪ Natural minor
▪ Melodic minor
▪ Harmonic minor
▪ Phrygian
▪ Whole-tone
▪ Chromatic

- A prepared sing through (not memorized) of the following repertoire. A PDF of each piece is
included in the Zip file:

Pápainé – G. Ligeti
Owls (An Epitaph) – E. Elgar -
Six Epitaphs – R. Beckhard
The Earl of Kildare
Martha Gwynn
Susan Lowder

** Please learn these pieces on a neutral syllable of your choice, i.e. [du], [di], [na], etc. You will
be expected to not only demonstrate your ability to correctly learn the fundamentals of each
piece (pitches and rhythms), but also demonstrate your musicianship with composer requested
articulation, dynamics, tempi, etc.:

N.B. – whichever voice part you choose to learn for the above selections is most likely the voice
part you will be assigned for the concert, on that particular piece, if you are selected to perform
in the ensemble. Though I often shift singers between voice parts for ease of durational singing, I
suggest you carefully consider which part you would most like to be considered for as a Chamber
Singer and understand that you may not always be assigned to that voice part.

[3]