Chorus

Auditions are currently open to new singers!

Rehearsals:
mid-September – mid-December
mid-January  –  mid-May

2023 - 2024 Concert Dates

Saturday, December 9, 2 PM: Holiday Concert
Thursday, March 21, 7:30 PM - Haydn - The Creation
Friday, April 5, 7:30 PM - The Music of John Williams

Rehearsals are on Monday nights from 7:00 - 8:30 PM at Broadmoor Methodist Church. Additional weeknight rehearsals precede a concert.

Baton Rouge Symphony Chorus
Our chorus is comprised of volunteer singers who work toward a high standard of performance, often with a professional orchestra, to present choral masterpieces in various styles and languages. For this reason, we audition singers who have the necessary vocal skills, music reading, and pitch matching abilities to sing at an advanced level.

Recent works with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra have included Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Brahms’ Nanie, Poulenc’s Gloria, Mozart’s Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Orff’s Carmina Burana. Also, with the BRSO, we perform the annual Home for the Holidays concert, including excerpts from Handel’s Messiah, along with traditional carols, hymn arrangements, and secular pops settings. We have been invited to sing major works with the Acadiana Symphony and Chorus in Lafayette. We have also collaborated with Opera Louisiane in programs of opera choruses and musical theater choruses.

Our chorus is dedicated to making great music together as well as making new friends. We welcome you to join us!  Audition information is below.

Members of the chorus are expected to sing for the entire season, if possible; a limited number of excused absences are allowed. 

Chorus members pay dues each season. Currently, this is $50. These fees go towards paying the chorusmaster and the professional accompanist as well as the production and publicity fees for our concerts. There are also some extra fees for concerts in which singers purchase their own music scores.

The Audition Process
Auditions are available by appointment throughout the year, but priority is given to those who audition before the start of each new season.

For more information or to schedule an audition, please contact the Chorusmaster, David Shaler, at dashaler@gmail.com.

The audition process is about 10-15 minutes and is done by the chorusmaster who will make it as friendly and encouraging as possible. The goal is to get to know the singer as a person (background, musical training, experience) and to assess vocal skills (pitch, rhythm, range, volume, vibrato, etc.)

• You will begin with some warm-up exercises, and then sing a prepared piece that you bring. This can be a hymn, folk song, art song, or aria. This piece is your chance to show your vocal strengths. It does not need to be memorized, but please bring an extra copy for the chorusmaster to read.

• The next part of the audition will be to sight-read a few measures of one or two melodic lines. This can be done on a vowel sound, by using scale numbers, or solfege syllables.

• Finally, various series of pitches will be played on the piano and you will be asked to sing the tones that were played.

Concert Attire
Women will need to purchase a uniform, black concert attire (various pricing options); men will need to purchase a tuxedo (variable pricing, depending on the style).
Financial assistance is available for those who may need it. Please ask the chorusmaster.