Staff Report
The Santa Ynez Valley Master Chorale is recruiting new singers as it plans not only its traditional seasonal concerts but also a trip to a choral festival in Salzburg, Austria, in June 2020.
Rehearsals for the choir’s annual holiday concert in December will begin on Tuesday, Aug. 27. The program will include many favorites as well as new music celebrating “Christmas Around the World.”
Singers (17 and older) who are new to the chorale can meet the director and other chorale members at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 2672 Janin Way, Solvang, at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 27 for a brief, low-key audition. Returning members will arrive at 7 p.m.
Auditions will also made also be held, by appointment, from Aug. 20 – 27; call Director Michael Eglin at 805-757-9482.
Rehearsals are every Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m., with two or three additional practices just prior to concerts in December.
The chorale has accepted an invitation to perform Mozart’s “Coronation Mass” in Salzburg, Austria, in June 2020 along with several other choral groups from around the U.S. The cost per person will be approximately $4,200 for a six-day, four-night stay in Salzburg. Transportation, lodging and most meals are provided and singers may invite a guest to join them on the trip. Extended travel may be arranged individually.
The Chorale will be holding a fundraiser so that scholarships will be available to singers who need financial assistance to be able to go. Rehearsals for the “Coronation Mass” will start in January. For more information, call Eglin at 805-757-9482.
The chorale’s new governing board for 2019-20 will be led by President Erica Miller, an accomplished vocalist and musician. Other officers include: Dr. Michel Elgin (director), Casey Bemis (vice president), Richard Lane (treasurer), Dana Stewart (secretary), Edna and Shane Berg, Kay Dominguez, Ted Dorsey, Vida Gustafson, Inge Plier and Becky Reid.
The board is committed to making the chorale accessible to all who want to sing regardless of financial status. The seasonal fee to cover music and rehearsal costs has been reduced to $50 per semester, and scholarships are available.
“My goal is to help the chorale be a group that has fun collaborating together to make beautiful music — the fun part is very important! I hope you will join us,” Miller said.
The chorale’s director, Dr. Michael Eglin. has a bachelor’s of music degree in composition and piano performance as well as master’s and Ph.D. degrees in composition.
He teaches music at Santa Barbara City College and was the founder and artistic director for the Adelfos Men’s Ensemble. Some of his compositions have aired on NPR’s “Performance Today.”
The chorale is a member-supported nonprofit organization that performs diverse choral music accompanied by professional musicians. More information is available at www.syvchorale.org or by emailing info@syvchorale.org.
