SRJC has a rich tradition in choral music that currently includes our Concert Choir and Chamber Singers. Additional courses are available in vocal technique and diction. Applied Voice (private instruction) is available for students intending to major in music.
CONCERT CHOIR (MUSCP 21A–D)
Jody Benecke, Director
Audition required (conducted in first day of class). Concert Choir meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 12-1:15 p.m. Students should be familiar with the choral experience and should be able to match pitch and learn and perform vocal parts in an SATB ensemble. Some students who are accepted are not strong music readers, but the first weeks of class are spent on music reading exercises, allowing students to learn and/or polish this skill. Most students who meet these expectations will be able to pass the audition for Concert Choir.
CHAMBER SINGERS (MUSCP 23A–D)
Jody Benecke, Director
Audition required. Chamber Singers meet Mondays and Wednesdays from from 1:30 – 2:45 p.m. This is a select (more advanced) ensemble of experienced choral singers, many of whom are voice majors. Members of Chamber Singers are expected to co-enroll in Concert Choir, with some exceptions at the discretion of the director. Non-majors are welcome, but the time commitment to both Concert Choir and Chamber Singers is standard for this ensemble (MW 12:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. with a 15-minute break between classes).
Students who wish to audition for this ensemble must be capable music readers and should enroll only upon instructor approval. Those interested in enrolling in Chamber Singers should attend the Concert Choir class at 12:00 on the first day of classes.
Each November, members of the Concert Choir and Chamber Singers participate in the Music Association of California Community Colleges (MACCC) conference choir under the direction of outstanding guest choral conductors, including Shawna Stewart (San Diego 2006), Magen Solomon (San Francisco 2007), Iris Levine (San Diego 2008), and Ragnar Bohlin (San Francisco 2009).
For more information, contact Jody Benecke [email|707.527.4665]