The Monmouth Civic Chorus
Dr. Mark Shapiro, Artistic Director
Close to Perfect, Close to Home

Becoming a Member of The Monmouth Civic Chorus

You will find information below about becoming a member of the Monmouth Civic Chorus. If you have any further questions or are ready to join, you may either:

• Contact us by email or
• Leave a message on our voice-mail at (732) 933-9333.

Who can be an MCC member?

Membership is open to adult singers and students above 16 years of age or are in at least their junior year of high school, whichever comes first, who meet audition requirements. We also welcome non-singing members who volunteer to support our organization's many technical and administrative tasks. If you'd like to do this, please contact the Membership Chairperson for more information.

What's the audition like?

The Membership Chair, Music Committee Chair and Artistic Director will hear you. You may be asked to do some vocalizing, sing a short prepared piece (preferably classical - any language), and sight-read a passage from the upcoming concert repertoire to show that you'll be able to learn the music. Please don't be discouraged by the sight-reading! A rudimentary knowledge, beautiful voice, good music memory, and lots of enthusiasm are usually all that's required.

The audition may have one of three outcomes: acceptance as a full member, acceptance as a conditional member, or non-acceptance. Conditional members are asked to re-audition prior to the performance to demonstrate that they've learned the music. To schedule an audition, send email to the Membership Chairperson or leave a message on our voice-mail at (732) 933-9333.

Orientation:

When you're accepted, an experienced member will be assigned to act as your "mentor" to help you get oriented.

What costs are involved?

Annual membership dues are $85 for singing adult members, $25 for singing high school or college student members, and $50 for non-singing adult members. Dues do not include the cost of concert attire or music.

What's Expected of Members?

• Practice - "Say, Officer, Can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?" (We've sung in Carnegie Hall, several times.) Members are expected to spend some time at home reinforcing the work done in rehearsals. For the more challenging music, we'll provide rehearsal recordings or offer extra sectional rehearsals as needed.


• Attendance - Rehearsals are held each week on Tuesday evening from 7:30 to 10:00 PM at Trinity Episcopal Church, Red Bank, NJ. The rehearsal is followed by refreshments, and most people leave by 10:30. When additional rehearsals are needed, they will be announced by the Artistic Director and in our monthly newsletter.
  
  There is one all-day (Saturday) rehearsal for each of the three subscription concerts during the season, starting at 10:15 AM. One or two "dress" rehearsals, for which attendance is especially critical, will be held before each concert. Attendance at all rehearsals, for the full length of each rehearsal, is required. It is your responsibility to check your name off on the sign-in sheet when you arrive. If you are unable to attend a rehearsal, you must notify your membership representative, your alternate membership representative, or the Membership Chairperson
  
  If you miss three rehearsals for one of our concerts (for any reason), you'll need the Artistic Director's permission to perform in that program. This may require an audition on the current works to demonstrate that you are prepared.


• Helping out behind the scenes - The administration of the Chorus is handled entirely by volunteers. We rely not only on the musical talents of the members, but also on their efforts to sell tickets, publicize performances, recruit new members, serve on committees, and take on special projects of all sorts. For concerts, our members help set up our chairs, risers, and other equipment, and load it all back on the truck when the concert is over. It's easy when everyone helps. We're an organization of volunteers, and so each member is expected to help in some way.

What'll I wear?

Women wear long black dresses or a long-sleeved black blouse with ankle-length black skirt or flowing black dress pants, black hose, black closed shoes, and a string of pearls. Men wear black single-breasted tuxedos, white shirts (no ruffles), narrow black bow ties, a traditional black cummerbund, black shoes, and black socks. Keep jewelry simple, and please don't wear cologne or perfume. For the holiday season and occasional special events, we encourage jewel-toned blouses for the women and vibrantly colored bow ties and cummerbunds for the men.

Auditions are by appointment

Auditions may be arranged by appointment throughout the season. To schedule an audition, send an email to the Membership Chairperson or leave a message on our voice-mail at (732) 933-9333. Interested singers are encouraged to "sit in" on the first rehearsal for each concert to assess if they might be interested in participating before signing up for an audition. Please check the season schedule for concert dates and contact the Membership Chairperson if you have any questions.