Children’s Chorus announces final day of auditions

Date: 8/14/2013

SOUTH HADLEY – The South Hadley Children’s Chorus announces a final day of auditions for its 2013-14 season, to take place Sept. 4 between 4 to 6 p.m., at All Saints Episcopal Church.

Enrolling boys and girls from many Pioneer Valley towns, the chorus is divided into two groups: “East” (grades two to four) and “West” (grades four to nine, depending on musical readiness). The chorus rehearses on Wednesday afternoons from early September to mid-May in South Hadley. Annual tuition is $175, with scholarships available.

During the past year, both divisions of the chorus performed public concerts in South Hadley, Springfield and Northampton, sang the National Anthem at a televised UMass men’s basketball game in the Mullins Center, participated in Big Sing West and WGBY TV’s Together in Song series, and toured to local schools. The older SHCC West Choir sang Britten’s St. Nicolas in MIT’s Kresge Auditorium with the Cambridge Community Chorus and professional orchestra.

Big Sing West adjudicator Dr. Christine Noel praised the younger East Choir’s excellent intonation and stage presence, and the West Choir’s rhythmic precision, clear diction and beautiful tone quality: “Sophisticated music-making and a high level of singing.”

Sponsored by the adult South Hadley Chorale, the South Hadley Children’s Chorus provides a structured, fun, encouraging and safe environment for children who enjoy music. The children sing age-appropriate music from a variety of cultural traditions, and perform for inter-generational audiences in exciting venues throughout the Pioneer Valley.

Anyone with a child interested in joining the South Hadley Children’s Chorus for the 2013-14 season should contact director Cathy Melhorn, to arrange an informal 10-minute audition/interview. Children need not prepare anything ahead.

Tryouts for “East” choir test a child’s ability to match pitch (correctly echo bits of melody) and read words; tryouts for “West” choir test those skills, as well as the ability to clap or speak simple rhythmic notation and hold their part in a round.

For more information contact Melhorn at 548-1098 or cmelhorn@mtholyoke.edu.