In general: The women's choir, founded in January 2004, is directed by Jaye Churchill, and is affiliated with Musica de Filia Girlchoir. Membership is approximately 50-60 women. We sing in up to four voice parts, with piano accompaniment. Our repertoire includes classical, sacred, American and foreign-language folk music, Gospel, Broadway, and more. You should be aware that our fall program often includes a fair amount of Christmas music. For specific questions about the repertoire, please speak to the director during your audition.
Audition schedule: Auditions are scheduled prior to and at the beginning of each semester. The audition is scheduled by phoning 767-4815. Auditions take place at our studio, 550 Forest Avenue, LL5, Portland, Maine. The building is on the corner of Forest and Ashmont Streets; parking lot is available behind the building and the entrance is on Ashmont Street. Follow signs for Musica de Filia.
Audition procedure: The audition is about 5 minutes long, one-on-one with Jaye. She will run you through some vocal warm-ups and would like to hear you sing 16 measures of a song of your choice. Please bring the piano accompaniment. If you don't know what to sing she will probably have a copy or Amazing Grace or the like there for you to use. She is generally able to let you know on the spot about the results of your audition.
Who can audition? Women 18 and up. Anyone within geographic reach of a weekly Portland rehearsal is welcome. All voice parts invited to audition. While the ability to read music would certainly help you as a choir member learning new pieces, there is no requirement or test of this skill for the audition.
Choir membership: Following a successful audition, you will be invited to register for the current semester. Tuition is $175.00 per semester. Women wear their own black clothes during performances, but it is possible that there might be a "uniform" in the future. Rehearsals are weekly, on Monday evenings, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. If know that you will be missing more than three rehearsals per semester, you may have trouble keeping up with the music, and should speak to the director regarding membership.
Performances: We will perform at the end of each semester along with the girl choirs. Appearances will vary depending on who invites us to sing for them! Please discuss with Jaye at audition for more information.
For more information, please email musicagirlchoir@verizon.net