Call for Auditions: Professional Choral Section Leads

Call For Auditions: Professional Choral Section Leads 

The Choir of Metropolitan United Church invites professional bass, baritone and tenor section leads to audition to join us as staff ensemble members for the 2023-24 season. Our ideal candidates will have excellent skills as choral singers and soloists, a good knowledge of performance practice and lyric diction, and will enjoy engaging with both amateur and professional singers, musically and socially.

The Met Choir sings Sunday morning services (rehearsal 10:10-10:30, service 11:00-12:15 approximately) from September to the end of June inclusive, and rehearses on Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. during that time. In addition to the regular choral singing, there is frequent opportunity for leads to perform solo repertoire with keyboard or small ensemble accompaniment. Several additional seasonal services are included in the annual contract, including the December Lessons and Carols service (December 17, 2023, evening); Christmas Eve 11:00 p.m.; Good Friday morning (March 29, 2024); and one additional community-building, fundraising-style concert. Significant additional income is possible through extra services, concerts, weddings and funerals, which are remunerated separately at competitive rates. Sundays in July and August are sung by soloists, also paid above the base contract amount of approximately $6,400 per annum.

Audition Requirements

• One aria of your choice (please send a .pdf with your application–an accompanist will be provided);
• Some brief excerpts to sing at sight;
• Two prepared choral excerpts (click here for a .pdf):
  • J.S. Bach: Johannes-Passion, BWV 245, opening chorus: mm. 86-95. Tempo: quarter note ca. 72 bpm;
  • Amy Summers: Nunc dimittis: mm. 1-30, tempo quarter note ca. 84 bpm
• A brief interview with a small group that may include representatives of the choir’s volunteer and paid membership; the music committee; and the Minister of Music.

The prepared choral excerpts may be sung within a professional SATB vocal quartet, or with piano accompaniment, at the discretion of the Minister of Music.

Interested candidates are requested to send a cover letter and curriculum vitae to Minister of Music Dr. Jonathan Oldengarm at jonathano@metunited.ca, by Friday, June 2 at 6:00 p.m. EST. Auditions will be held no later than Friday, June 9, with results communicated to applicants by Monday, June 12.