News and Notices

Paul Ayres’s new piece “I stand upon the seashore” has been awarded first prize in the Six Degree Singers composition competition. For SATB choir and piano, it sets the anonymous text below, and will be premiered by the Six Degree Singers, under the direction of Rachel Carlson, on 26 January 2020, at Hughes UMC, Wheaton, Maryland

more details are available here:

https://www.singsix.com/composers-competition

https://www.paulayres.co.uk/catalogue/483

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come down to meet and mingle with each other. Then some one at my side says, “There! She’s gone!” Gone where?
Gone from my sight, that is all. She is just as large in the mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side, and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of her destination. Her diminished size is in me, and not in her. And just at that moment, when some one at my side says, “There! she’s gone!” there are other eyes that are watching for her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, “There she comes!” And that is dying.

The Rochester Oratorio Society Chorus 

Our sixth annual free holiday concert to benefit charity returns to Rochester’s iconic Stardust Ballroom. Special guests include ROCMusic Collaborative, the Hochstein Youth Singers, Spiritus Christi Gospel Choir and the Rochester Academy of Irish Dance. Donations of food and personal care items accepted at the door benefit Action for a Better Community.

Free
November 24 – 3:00 pm
Stardust Ballroom at the Edgerton Rec Center
41 Backus St., Rochester, NY 14614

Mozart: Requiem, completion by Dr. Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs (American premiere)
Runestad: Ave Verum (Regional premiere)

Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 7:30 pm
(Pre-concert discussion explaining the new completion begins at 6:45 pm)

Christ Episcopal Church
435 Church St; Reading, PA 19601
(610) 374-8269

$15/Adult & $5/Student
Tickets available on-line at www.berkssinfonietta.org or at the door.

Vox Philia and Berks Sinfonietta join together to perform the regional premiere of Jake Runestad’s Ave Verum, as well as the American premiere of Benjamin-Gunnar Cohr’s completion of Mozart’s unfinished Requiem.

Make your professional debut or add to your resume of professional experience.

Performance: Wednesday, December 11, 2019



FINAL DEADLINE for emailing of application(s):
Monday, October 21, 2019. 

Complete information: http://theamericanprize.org/coa.html

Questions? email: 




PERFORM
Perform Handel’s MESSIAH in December 2019 as a soloist with The Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra and the CBA Chorus, under the baton of CBA Chorus Director, Maestro Stephen Blackwelder, at St James Episcopal Cathedral / Chicago. This is a “Do-It-Yourself” performance, where those in the audience who wish are invited to sing along with the chorus and orchestra.
 
OVERVIEW:
For the ninth consecutive year, The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts, David Volosin Katz, chief judge, is sponsoring an online contest to select vocal soloists to be winners of The American Prize Chicago Oratorio Award. This season TAP and the CBASO are offering four $200 prizes in open competition, one each for soprano, mezzo-soprano (alto), tenor, baritone (bass), to be awarded as performance fees to soloists selected to appear under Maestro Stephen Blackwelder’s baton in concert with The Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra and the CBA Chorus, performing the Christmas portion of Handel’s MESSIAH (sung in English) at St James Episcopal Cathedral, Chicago.

The CBASO and CBA Chorus, sponsored by the Chicago Bar Association, are Chicago’s unique ensembles made up almost entirely from members of the city’s legal community. The orchestra, David Volosin Katz, founding music director, was formed in 1986. The chorus, Stephen Blackwelder, director, is now in its thirteenth season.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE:
Although this year’s contest is geared primarily to provide professional debuts (or early professional experience) to skilled college-age singers or young professionals eager to add to their professional resumes, applications will be accepted from any soprano, mezzo-soprano (alto), tenor, and baritone (bass) interested in being considered. There are no age limits. There is no live competition. Be sure to apply for the Chicago Oratorio Award by Monday, October 21, 2019.  

SCHEDULE, APPLICATION FORM and PROCEDURE, COMPLETE INFORMATION: http://theamericanprize.org/coa.html

“TRADE WINDS”
Songs from exotic climes and the music of seagoing peoples

Including works by Monteverdi, Gesualdo, Grieg, Victoria, Parry, Magalhães, and Zhou Tian.

Tickets $35 through Eventbrite at rrcb.org/chanticleer. Free parking.

Press Release: For immediate release: Registration for National Jazz Festival is now open:

1st Annual National Jazz Festival on Saturday, February 15th, 2020 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City Philadelphia!

The National Jazz Festival will feature instrumental ensembles, vocal ensembles, individual vocalists, and pianists performing and competing in various categories and divisions. We anticipate approximately 150 schools to participate in this inaugural event. At this point (Monday, September 30th), registration has been open for 1 week and we already have 50 schools from 9 States/Territories fully registered to attend this February! We formally invite you to join us in Philadelphia!

About The National Jazz Festival:
The National Jazz Festival was created by instrumental and vocal jazz directors, caring parents, and supportive jazz musicians in an effort to fill a void and lack of a major national jazz festival with an educational philosophy. Upon the cancellation of other festivals, the National Jazz Festival team saw a need to create an event that allows thousands of students to continue to share their talents and hard work with their peers from around the country.

What the National Jazz Festival has to offer:
(visit www.nationaljazzfestival.org/events for detailed information.
Instrumental Large Ensemble & Small Ensemble Categories
Vocal Large Ensemble, Small Ensemble, & A Cappella Categories
“Pop-Cappella” Category for your pop-based a cappella groups
Solo Jazz Vocal Category
Solo Jazz Piano Category
Jazz Composition
Middle School Invitational category (10 Ensembles Only)
Jazz Educator Award
The NJF LOVE Award for Students for community service/activism.
An optional “Welcome Event” on Friday, February 14th
An optional “After Party Jazz Session” on Saturday, February 15th

Official registration is open now through November 31st. Schools and ensembles will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis. We hope that you can attend the National Jazz Festival this February! If you have any questions or desire more information, please email us anytime at:

You can also visit our site at: www.nationaljazzfestival.org