Music for a While

One of the things that sold us on moving to the Triangle when we were weighing the moving options was the knowledge that there are plenty of musical opportunities here in the area. Now that we've been here a little over a month, we're starting to explore them fairly actively. Dan and I have together signed up to audition for two groups: the North Carolina Master Chorale and the Choral Society of Durham.

We were invited to join the Choral Society of Durham for a sing-through of some of the music they will be performing this season. The season features Charpentier’s Midnight Mass & Carols, Mozart's Coronation Mass, Bach's St. John Passion and Britten's War Requiem. We did some reading of the Charpentier and the Britten. Let me tell you... we did some of it at concert speed on only the second read. Holey Moley, that's not easy music. Both of us were quite impressed by the quality of the singers and their musicianship. Even rough sight reading produced a nice sound, and while there were some notable flubs, there were always a fair number of people who got it spot on. They were also very good with direction... when the director asked for something, he got it.

They had some social time afterwards, which led to our second pleasant surprise of the evening: the people were very welcoming and several of them stopped us to tell us how glad they were that we had joined them and that they hoped to see us when rehearsals begin. They were a nice bunch of people, and they felt like a warm, friendly, supportive bunch... much like the choirs we loved so much at Saddleback College.

The director had a style that both Dan and I liked (though Scott is a hard act to follow!) and was very approachable. He also took time to greet and talk to us, which brings me to the third pleasant surprise of the evening. He asked if we had heard the Pacific Chorale, and when we said yes, Dan added that I had even auditioned for them. My face fell a bit, and the director asked, "Was it not a good night for you?" I replied that it wasn't that it was a bad night, it is that I was asked to do things that really made me a bundle of nerves and that I had not made a good showing because my musicianship is just not that good. I went on to explain that the call I received afterward said, "We loved your voice and wish we could use you, but your musicianship is just not up to par. Go learn some musicianship and come back." His reply? "And that is hard to do, isn't it? The best way to do that is to sing in choirs." I got the impression that he's willing to see potential. He also explained that they do everything they can to make people auditioning feel at ease.

Honestly, I would be disappointed if we didn't make it into this group. It seems very much like what we loved so much in CA. We talked about it, and the deal is that we come as a pair. If Dan and I both make a choir, great! If not, we'll keep looking until we find something we can do together.

The North Carolina Master Chorale also looks like a great group, though we haven't had an opportunity yet to really get to know much about it. It also has a great program for the year, and it has the advantage of being somewhat closer to home. They'll be performing quite a bit of lovely music, but they are also a bit more showy, in that they have special guest artists with greater frequency, televised concerts and a core of professional singers. I am not sure, to be frank, that we (or I, at least) are up to their standards.

So, wish us luck! We're up to Raleigh on Monday for the NCMC auditions, and then Labor Day brings our Durham auditions! The rehearsal and performance schedules of these two large groups conflict enough that we'd have to choose between them in any event.

I have also arranged to check out a third group myself, the Musicians Royale, who do Dickens-style Christmas music in various locations, perform at a Celtic-themed Halloween event and, most notably, are a fixture at the North Carolina Renaissance Faire: singing for the Queen's banquet in the morning, wandering and singing in smaller groups through the day, and leading a rowdy pub sing in the evening. I'm just insane enough to think that sounds like lots of fun. I am told I passed my audition while just talking on the phone, so unless formalities remain, joining officially may just be a matter of desire and coming up with costumes. Hmmm... so maybe next spring will find me at the faire.

That's all for now. We'll keep singing and we'll keep you posted!