Come Sing With Us!

This page is titled Auditions because that’s what people expect to hear when they ask about joining a choir. The truth is, we don’t care for the term. When we meet with people who would like to sing with us, we call them Vocal Introductions. It’s not a test to see if someone’s “good enough.” It’s a gentle consideration of whether what a potential singer has to offer meets up with what our group has to offer.

Here’s how it works. New singers schedule an appointment to meet with Rhodd, our artistic director. They spend a little time getting to know each other, run through a few exercises like singing back a pattern of notes, clapping a rhythm, learning a melody and singing it in a round with a couple of choir members, singing a song familiar to most everyone.

We don’t require that you’ve previously been in a choir or even that you know how to read music. Obviously those are things we like but we are happy to help you learn more skills once you join our ensemble. We do look for a great attitude, a willingness to try hard, and a commitment to participate in all aspects of our organization.

We offer Vocal Introduction appointments twice a year, a week or two before the start of our fall and spring seasons. An occasional exception to this schedule might be considered at the director’s discretion as long as there’s sufficient time before a performance to be truly concert ready. Our spring 2024 season Vocal Introductions have concluded. The next opportunities to join the choir will be in late August of 2024 for our fall season. Thank you for your interest and we hope to see you then.

Here are some things you might need to know if you’re considering joining us:

  • We have two concert series per year, in May and December. Weekly rehearsals begin in mid-September for the December series, and again early in January for the May series. We typically perform at four venues each concert season and cover Lincoln County: Yachats Community Presbyterian Church, the Newport Performing Arts Center, Lincoln City Chapel by the Sea and the Lincoln City Cultural Center. Performances are always matinees, and fall on two consecutive Saturdays and Sundays. For continuity, we ask that choir members be at the majority of rehearsals and sing in all performances.

  • We rehearse Tuesday evenings, 6:00 to 8:30, normally at the Performing Arts Center (PAC) in Newport. Due to the renovations at the PAC, our spring 2024 rehearsal home is the Elks Lodge in Newport. Additional special rehearsals, if needed, are usually announced at the start of the rehearsal season.

  • Singers do pay a fee to participate. The fee can be paid by series (Fall and Spring) or by year. There are a limited number of scholarships available for singers who cannot afford the fee.

  • This is a participatory choir. All members are expected to contribute time to committees that keep the choir running, such as publicity, finance, concert set up/break down, or fundraising.