Sing This Spring
with Ellen Oak
TO REGISTER FOR AN AUDITION AND FOR MORE INFORMATION
Email Ellen Oak: ellenoak@wisdomatplay.com
DESCRIPTION
Ellen Oak is now inviting auditions for a choral singers' workshop to begin in mid-April. The workshop will include mastery of repertoire, development of vocal technique, and exploration of singing as a spiritual practice and a way of life which enhances health of body, mind, and spirit, strengthens community, and incites new vision. The repertoire explores fiery images of love and Spirit; revelations of the divine in the daily which break down barriers, change paradigms, and fuel joy. Composers include Carnahan, Sweelinck, Raminsh, and Hildegard.
Ms. Oak brings to this offering decades of experience as a conductor and singer. Trained at Swarthmore College and Yale University, she has been founding Artistic Director of the Boston Women's Rainbow Chorus and the KAIROS Vocal Ensemble, and repeated guest conductor of the Boston Gay Men's Chorus. She has released several recordings of choral music, including Songs of the Love of God, and Deep Within Deep. Ms. Oak is known for her inspiring leadership, depth of soul, exquisite artistry, commanding technique, and lively rehearsals filled with laughter and hard work.
THERE ARE A LIMITED NUMBER OF PLACES AVAILABLE. 30% ARE ALREADY FILLED.
AUDITION
You will be given a 15-minute slot on Thursday, February 19, 6-9pm, OR Sunday, February 22, 1-6pm.
At chapel on campus of Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge. Map and directions:
http://www.eds.edu/sec.asp?cat=16&page=16
I want to hear everyone, even if you've sung with me before.
Your audition IS YOUR COMMITMENT TO SING in the session if you are accepted.
Please do not audition unless you are sure you are able and willing to participate.
The audition will consist of vocal, pitch, and rhythm exercises and explorations, and your singing, unaccompanied, a brief piece of your choice. Previous choral experience is required.
ACCEPTANCE NOTICES
Will go out by email Monday, February 23.
PAYMENT
$250 fee is due by March 1.
Please make checks payable to Wisdom at Play, and mail to: 14 Lincoln Street, Maynard, MA 01754.
RECEIPT OF MUSIC
I will mail music out to each participant by March 15.
INDIVIDUAL PREPARATION
Given the brief rehearsal time, participants will do note-learning on their own.
I will do by best to post online mp3's of complete pieces and individual parts by March 15; I'm not guaranteeing anything.
REHEARSALS
Sunday afternoons, 2-5pm. April 19, 26, May 3, 10, 17, 24 (this is the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, and yes, we will meet that Sunday) Rehearsals will be in the chapel of Episcopal Divinity School. We can park in the divinity school parking spaces. Check out for map and directions:
http://www.eds.edu/sec.asp?cat=16&page=16
DRESS REHEARSAL
Saturday May 30, 9:30am-12:30pm. Also at EDS.
PERFORMANCES
Two of them on Sunday, May 31.
3:00pm (1:30pm call) at EDS chapel. This concert will be about 60 minutes long. Tickets for this performance will be $10. You can keep the money from any tickets that you sell before the event. If you sold 25 tickets, you would cover your entire workshop outlay; and we would have an awesome audience. Proceeds from tickets at the door will support the development of this venture.
7:00pm (following sung evening prayer) at Holy Family Parish, 12 Monument Square, Concord. This concert will be 30-40 minutes long. Donations received will benefit the Heifer Project.
Performance dress will be concert black.
REPERTOIRE
Women:
Asola Deus Canticum Novum
Carnahan I Am An I Am
Hildegard O Nobilissima Viriiditas
Oak Bakerwoman God
Mixed:
Chant Sequence for Pentecost
Raminsh The Energies of Love
There Will I Stay with You, Whirling
Sweelinck Cantate Domino Canticum Novum
Tamm Give Us the Life
Men:
TBA
LONG TERM GOALS (BEYOND THIS SPRING)
+ Make art from under-expressed aspects of women's lives (for instance, women's experience as refugees . . . soldiers . . . corporate executives . . . balancing careers with mothering . . . single parenting . . . aging . . . the face the breath of God . . . )
+ Partner early and often with men's voices in performance
+ Collaborate with wonderful composers to sing into being music which makes a wide variety of life experience accessible to a wide variety of people.
+ Continue to develop mutually inspiring, creative, productive relationships with fantastic visual artists, dancers, instrumentalists, poets, who dream of collaborating with such a group.
+ Engage with emerging technologies in making and performing and disseminating art
+ Clarify and develop organizational infrastructure
CORE VALUES
Artistic excellence, spiritual imagination, cultural courage.