Sing

The Chorus

The Canton Symphony Chorus, founded in 1984, is a volunteer adult ensemble which rehearses

weekly August through April under the direction of C. M. Shearer. The Chorus performs major choral works with Music Director Gerhardt Zimmermann and the Canton Symphony Orchestra. In addition, the chorus appears on the Symphony’s About Magazine Showcase Series.

This year’s performance with the Canton Symphony Orchestra will be on the Symphony’s February MasterWorks series concert - “Student & Teacher” - performing Hadyn’s Mass No. 12 in B-flat Major.

Representative works performed by the Chorus include Brahms, Berlioz, Mozart and Verdi Requiems, Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, Orff’s Carmina Burana and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

General Information

Rehearsals begin August 22, 2011. Unless otherwise stated, rehearsals are held in the Arts

in Stark Education Center, 1014 Cleveland Ave NW, adjacent to the Cultural Center for the Arts, from 7:00-10 pm.

Interested singers may attend Open Rehearsals on Aug, 22, 2011, Aug. 29, 2011, Oct 24, 2011 or Jan. 2, 2012 prior to auditioning. This gives interested choristers a “sneak peak” into a typical CSC rehearsal.

Chorus Officers 2011-12 Season

Julia Dunster, PresidentMardy DiGiacinto, Secretary/TreasurerAnn Ferrell, Membership ChairFred Linxweller, Librarian

Auditions

Membership in the Canton Symphony Chorus is determined by an audition, held in the

summer. The audition is simple, non-judgmental, and designed to give the conductor an idea of how he can best utilize the auditionee’s talents in the chorus. The audition consists of three parts:

Singing a solo: The auditionee will be asked to sing a solo of his/her choosing. The solo may be any type of song (such as a church hymn, folk song, show tune, art song, or an opera aria) and in any language.

Vocalizing: The auditionee will be asked to vocalize to determine his/her range, flexibility, and vocal timbre.

Assessing Musical Skills: The auditionee will be asked to demonstrate his/her ability to learn music. Each person may determine how he/she wishes to demonstrate musical skills. This may be done in one of two ways:

Preparing a new piece: The auditionee may select the audition music in advance from the Symphony website. He/she may learn the work in whatever manner he/she chooses and be prepared to sing it at the audition.

Sight reading: The auditionee will sight read a piece of music at the audition.

In both cases, the accompanist will play all voice parts or piano accompaniment as the singer sings his/her part.

Please call the Canton Symphony Orchestra Office at (330) 452-3434 to schedule an audition.

Acceptance and Commitment

Acceptance into the CSC implies a commitment to attend and be prepared for all rehearsals and

to sing the complement of concerts for the season. Each member is expected to review his/her notes and music during the week, thoroughly learning any specific musical passages, texts, or notations assigned by the conductor. Attendance at all dress rehearsals and performances is mandatory.

Dues: Each season members are asked to contribute $25 to support various social activities of the chorus.

Attire: Performance attire is formal. Men wear tuxedos and women are required to purchase a dress and pearls.

Scheduled Performance Dates

Sunday, Oct 23, 2011 - 3 pm“Songs of Love & Romance”St Paul’s Episcopal Church

Sunday, Dec 18, 2011 - 3 pm“Holiday Favorites”

St Paul’s Episcopal Church

Saturday, Feb 26, 2012 - 3 pmHaydn’s Mass No. 12 in B-flat Major

with Canton Symphony OrchestraUmstattd Hall, McKinley Senior High School

Sunday, April 22, 2012 - 3 pm“The Birds, The Bees andThe Chewing Gum Trees”St Paul’s Episcopal Church

Photos courtesy of Just Us Two Photography

1001 Market Ave NCanton OH 44702

330.452.2094www.cantonsymphony.org

chorus@cantonsymphony.org

C. M. Shearer, Choral Director

C. M. Shearer, recently retired Director of Choral Activities at Kent State University, was named Choral Director of the Canton Symphony Chorus in September, 2000.

Shearer has distinguished himself as a conductor, composer, teacher and clinician. His choirs have performed for state and national choral and music education organizations; he has prepared choruses for the Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Mexico City National Symphony, Corpus Christi Symphony, Omaha Symphony and many others.

He has over 100 published choral compositions and commissions from the Texas Choral Directors Association, The Texas University Interscholastic League, North Carolina Music Educators Association, Ohio Music Educators Association and the American Guild of Organists.

Shearer has a Master’s degree from the University of North Texas and a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He and his wife, Barbara live in Silver Lake. They have two children, Deborah and Christopher.

“The Canton Symphony Chorus consists of persons who are dedicated, hard-working, and passionate about singing fine choral music. They have a desire to continue developing their musical and vocal skills, and they eagerly embrace musical challenges, whether it is a new work consisting of unfamiliar musical elements or a traditional work by one of the masters.” S

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