Welcome to the St Charles Singers
"One of those wonderful, down-home Midwestern American ensembles offering solid technique and shimmering, well-balanced choral textures." — American Record Guide
ST. CHARLES SINGERS SETS AUDITIONS
FOR AUGUST 19–20
Professional Ensemble Recently Celebrated Its Debut
On the Worldwide Naxos Record Label
ST. CHARLES, Ill., July 16, 2008 — The St. Charles Singers, which recently celebrated its debut appearance on the worldwide Naxos classical record label, will hold auditions for sopranos, altos, tenors, and bass-baritones Tuesday, August 19, and Wednesday, August 20, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. both days.
Auditions for the 34-voice professional choir’s 2008-2009 concert season will be held at its principal concert venue, Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, 307 Cedar Ave., St. Charles.
The choir, which was hailed by ClassicsToday.com as “one of North America’s outstanding choirs,” typically presents three different concert programs at multiple venues during the performance season, starting with a Christmas holiday concert in December.
Programs for 2008–2009 will be announced later this summer, according to Jeffrey Hunt, the ensemble’s founder and artistic director.
Ensemble members are paid for rehearsals as well as performances.
Audition details and requirements can be found at www.stcharlessingers.com/auditions, where there is also an online form to set up an audition. Auditions also can be arranged by e-mailing Hunt at mmsdir1@aol.com or calling the St. Charles Singers at (630) 584-4251.
This spring, the international Naxos classical record label released a CD of music by composer Aaron Copland, on which the ensemble performs Copland’s "Old American Songs " with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Robert Hanson.
About The St. Charles Singers
Founded in 1984 by Jeffrey Hunt, artistic director, the St. Charles Singers is one of America’s preeminent professional choral groups. In a CD review, ClassicsToday.com called the St. Charles Singers “one of North America’s outstanding choirs,” citing “charisma and top-notch musicianship” that “bring character and excitement to each piece.”
“They never fail to touch the heart while pleasing the ear,” said American Record Guide in its review of the ensemble’s Christmas in St. Charles CD on the Proteus label.
Another critic for American Record Guide wrote of the choir’s “shimmering, well-balanced choral textures” and “consistently lovely, beautifully nuanced performances.”
In a review of the St. Charles Singers’ 2007 performance of Copland’s American Songs with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Tribune critic John von Rhein praised the ensemble’s “winning warmth and charm.”
The ensemble’s repertoire comprises more than 600 works.
