Sacred and Profane Chamber Chorus Auditioning for SATB: 2015 - 16 Season

Sacred & Profane has openings for voices in all sections (SATB). If you are an experienced singer with a healthy voice & a great attitude, please audition with us for this extraordinary 2015 - 2016 season.

Our season begins with our December concert set, "O magnum mysterium: Creatures of Christmas." The program will feature well-known settings of the O magnum mysterium text, including Victoria’s masterpiece, Poulenc’s haunting rendition, and Lauridsen’s moving contemporary turn. We will also sing lesser-known settings of the text, including a grand polychoral version by Gabrieli, an inspiring setting by local composer David Conte, and a beautiful piece for choir, two flutes, and tuned wineglasses by Jennifer Higdon. In addition, our concert will include performances of Tavener’s The Lamb, audience favorite I himmelen by Karin Rehnqvist, and more.

Our March 2016 concert, "Motion," will begin with William Byrd’s sixteenth-century Mass for Five Voices, a transportive masterpiece that is among the most poignant works of the Renaissance era. The program will also include Ralph Vaughan Williams’ mystical Mass in G Minor. Composed in 1921 for unaccompanied double chorus and soloists, this Mass is considered one of the greatest works of English polyphony written since Byrd’s time.

In May of 2016, soar with us as we sing songs of birds, insects, and all things that take to the sky. Our program will feature classic songs of flight such as Janequin’s Le Chant des Oiseaux, Gibbons’ The Silver Swan, and Stanford’s The Blue Bird, as well as works by Monteverdi, Mendelssohn, and Hindemith. In the contemporary vein, we will present Sami Joik, a piece written by Jan Sandström in the style of the folk music of Lapland, as well as Eric Whitacre’s thrilling Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine and other fanciful works.

Concerts will take place in Berkeley and San Francisco. Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings 7:30-10 PM in downtown Oakland, with one additional Wednesday and one Saturday rehearsal per set. Dress rehearsals occasionally fall mid-week as well.

For more information about the choir, participation requirements, the audition process, or to schedule an audition, please e-mail the chorus administrator, Katherine McDonald, at [email protected].

About Sacred & Profane

Founded in 1977, S&P is a chamber chorus that performs a wide variety of choral music. Concert repertoire includes sacred and secular works from the middle ages to the contemporary period, drawing from classical, ethnic, and folk traditions, with an emphasis on a cappella repertoire. We aim to provide an inspiring and educational experience for audiences and chorus members through innovative programming, intensive preparation and high quality performances. S&P is composed of approximately 24 singers (SATB), each bringing a high level of experience & musicianship to the chorus.

For more information about the ensemble and to hear recordings go to our website at www.sacredprofane.org.