Staff Singers, St. James Cathedral, Chicago

The Saint James Cathedral Choir has Staff Singer positions vacancies for the remainder of the 2015–16 choral season and beyond. At this time, we are interested in hearing auditions for each section, including male countertenors for the alto section. We would also love to hear from experienced singers who may be interested in participating in our unique choral program on a volunteer basis.  

 

The Cathedral Choir is a semi-professional ensemble comprised of around 30 dedicated amateur and professional singers who come from both the Cathedral parish and the wider Chicagoland area. Our singers––staff and volunteer alike––seek and are nourished by both the experience of working collaboratively towards excellence in ensemble in the execution of a vast repertory of sacred choral music, and by the interpersonal and social engagement which such an experience fosters and engenders.

 

In a typical week, the choir rehearses from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday evenings, and arrives on Sunday mornings at 10:00 for a 10:10 warm-up preceding the 11 a.m. Choral Eucharist, which is the principal service of the Cathedral each week. This liturgy is offered every Sunday of the year, although at 10:00 a.m. June through August, with the choir meeting only on Sunday mornings at 9:00 to rehearse.

There are many services and performances in addition to the two weekly calls of the typical schedule (Choral Evensong at 4:00 p.m. every first Sunday of the month, Holy Week liturgies, a concert in April with the Choir of Royal Holloway, University of London, and more), all of which contribute to an extremely dynamic choral experience. 

 

The ideal candidate for a Staff Singer position at Saint James has (or is working towards) a formal music/vocal degree or other certification which has equipped them with reliable aural, sight-reading, performance practice, and music theory/analysis skills. S/he has vast choral experience, a dynamic, versatile voice and possesses both the technique to control/suppress vibrato and other vocal colorations, and the intuition to know when it is necessary to do so, all without the need for constant direction. S/he is as motivated to accomplish the best possible result in a choral setting as in solo work, and is as conversant in the stylistic singing of Josquin as Bach, Mendelssohn, Howells, Pärt, and Cage (to name but a few). 

 

Saint James Cathedral is prominently located just one block off the Magnificent Mile in Downtown Chicago, easily accessible by all public transportation. Participation in the choir is open to all, regardless of religious affiliation. To schedule an audition, please contact the Interim Director of Music by email at .