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Elgin Children’s Chorus singing holiday cheer

On Saturday, Dec. 15, and Sunday, Dec. 16, members of the Elgin Children’s Chorus Concert Choir will perform in collaboration with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra and the Elgin Choral Union, in a holiday favorite, “’Tis the Season” at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way in Elgin.

Performances will be at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16. Tickets may be purchased at Hemmens Box Office, or by calling (847) 931-5900.

Midseason auditions for the Elgin Children’s Chorus will be held from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 17, and from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 18, at Elgin Community College Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive in Elgin.

Contact Beth Boelter, executive director, at (847) 931-7464, to schedule an audition, or email at bboelter@elgin.edu. Rehearsals are on Monday evenings, and begin again on Jan. 7.

In 2012-13, the Elgin Children’s Chorus will celebrate 27 years of teaching life through song. Boys and girls, ages 7 to 16 with unchanged voices, are invited to audition for the 2012-13 season. The program features music educators, weekly fun and challenging rehearsals, and live performances. The chorus members develop music reading skills, critical listening abilities, and vocal skills. Singers also acquire teambuilding skills, discipline, and self-confidence. The chorus members are from 29 cities (53 schools) throughout the Fox Valley area.

They have five choirs: Treble Choir, an entry level group; Intermezzo Choir, an intermediate group; Concert Choir, the principal performing ensemble and touring choir; Chamber Choir, a select group of singers who learn advanced choral techniques; and the Boys Ensemble, a group made up of all the young men from all the ensembles.

Auditions are easygoing and children do not need to read music. The essential chorister attitude is a desire to have fun learning great music and a commitment to regular attendance at rehearsals and performances. To prepare for the audition, you may want to brush up on the round “Are You Sleeping?” and the song “My Country ‘tis of Thee.”

Rehearsals are once a week on Monday evening at the Elgin Community College Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive in Elgin.

The Elgin Children’s Chorus is an in-residence ensemble at the Elgin Community College Arts Center. The program is also supported, in part, by grants from the Grand Victoria Foundation, EFS Foundation, the Elgin Cultural Arts Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council, and the Cornelia A. and Florence B. Palmer Foundation.

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