2024–2025 Season Auditions
Auditions for all voice parts
We are inviting new singers to audition for the Back Bay Chorale.
All auditions will take place from 6:00 pm–9:00 pm and will be held at Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury Street, Boston.
Sunday, August 25
Thursday, August 29
Tuesday, September 3
Wednesday, September 4
Regular Rehearsals
Our regular weekly rehearsals are Mondays, from 7:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m., from September through early May. Most of our rehearsals are held at Emmanuel Church, on Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay. Exceptions to this schedule will be given at the beginning of each concert rehearsal cycle. NOTE: All singers are required to be up-to-date on the vaccination and booster schedule recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention against the COVID-19 virus to minimize the risk of exposure and spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Auditioning:
Singers of all voice parts are invited to audition for the Back Bay Chorale. The audition is a moment to get to know you as a person, to learn about your interest in singing, and for you to share the best of your skills as a musician.
1. A piano-accompanied solo of your own choice, preferably sostenuto. Choose a piece with which you feel comfortable and that will illustrate the quality of your voice. An accompanist will be provided; please bring two copies of your chosen piece; one for the pianist and one for the music director. Art songs or arias are preferred, as this repertoire demonstrates a vocalism most closely used in symphonic choral singing.
2. Vocalizing (with and without piano) to determine range and evaluate tone.
3. A pitch memory exercise. We will play a pattern on the piano and ask you to sing it back.
4. A sight-reading exercise to evaluate your music reading skills.
You will also be invited to share any unique skills and experience that you would bring with you, including (but not limited to) other musical proficiencies (instruments, direction, composition, etc.) experience with languages, non-profit experience, and anything else you would like to share.
The actual audition will take 15 minutes. Please allow an additional 5-10 minutes to have your questions answered and to look over our Member Handbook.
Dues for Back Bay Chorale singers are typically $200 per season, and singers are also expected to purchase their own music packets. A limited number of scholarships are available.
Qualifications:
Singers in our membership range from enthusiastic post-college (and in some cases, current collegiate) singers to those with professional vocal training and careers in music. All our singers are expected to have a solid foundation in staff notation, including how to read and interpret key signatures, time signatures, clefs, pitches, and rhythms.
Singers must pay a refundable deposit of $25 for your audition time. Your deposit will be refunded immediately after your audition, or if you need to cancel your time up to seven days before your audition day.
Please contact BBC Operations Manager, Kendra Comstock, with any questions at .