No monetary compensation will be given as this production is comprised of volunteers, and the event is free for the community to attend.
All rehearsals, solo auditions, and performances are held at 6240 UTSA Blvd unless otherwise noted.
See your group below for 2017 rehearsal schedules, or click here for the PDF version.
Sectional Rehearsals: Sunday, Oct. 8 and Oct. 15, 6:30-8:00pm.
Full Choir Rehearsals: Sunday, Nov. 5, Nov. 12, and Nov. 19 6:30-8:00pm.
Dress Rehearsal: Sunday, Nov. 26 from 6:30pm-8:00pm. A Dessert Potluck will follow.
Performance Call Times: Friday, Dec. 1 at 5:45pm and Saturday, Dec. 2 at 2:15pm and 5:45pm.
Performance Times: Friday, Dec. 1 at 7:00pm and Saturday, Dec. 2 at 3:30pm and Dec. 2 at 6:00pm.
The Messiah Choir is primarily for adults age 18 and older and no auditions are required for adults. However, youth age 16-17 may participate by auditioning at the first sectional rehearsal. Youth should simply come and participate in the sectional, meet with the section leader after the rehearsal, and decide together with the section leader if they will be able to learn the music with the limited number of rehearsals we have or if it’s best to wait for a future year.
Please bring your own music. If you do not have your own music, we have extra music available and ask that you reimburse us the cost, which is normally $9.50 but may change depending on our purchase price.
The choir book we use is: "The Messiah, An Oratorio," edited by T. Tertius Noble, published by G. Shirmer. However, if you own a different arrangement it shouldn't be necessary to purchase a new one because there are minimal differences. The Messiah choir will perform the following choruses from Handel's Messiah: #'s 4, 7, 12, 17, 24, 44, 46, 53.
Please use these practice files. We are performing a major work with limited rehearsal time, so please practice. As such, we would ask that new participants not join after the 4th rehearsal unless they already know the Messiah music very well. Participants who join after the 4th rehearsal are not guaranteed to be listed in the program.
Performance dress is: black and/or white for all (preferably a white shirt and a black or dark colored skirt or pants, but any combination of white and black is fine). Men, please wear neutral colored ties and a dark suit jacket if you have one. Please dress modestly for the performances and rehearsals.
Instruments needed: Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Bass, Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Clarinet, French Horn, Trombone, Trumpet, Timpani (only one), Organ (only one), Piano (only one).
If youth under the age of 18 wish to play in the orchestra, they may email us to set up an audition time.
Sectional Rehearsals: Sunday, Oct. 8 and Oct. 15, at 6:30-8:00pm.
Full Orchestra Rehearsals: Sunday, Nov. 5, Nov. 12, Nov. 19 at 6:30-8:00pm.
Dress Rehearsal: Sunday, Nov. 26 from 6:30-8:00pm. A Dessert Potluck will follow.
Performance Call Times: Friday, Dec. 1 at 5:45pm and Saturday, Dec. 2 at 2:15pm and 5:45pm.
Performance Times: Friday, Dec. 1 at 7:00pm and Saturday, Dec. 2 at 3:30pm and Dec. 2 at 6:00pm.
Please bring your own music stands.
Please bring your own music. If you do not have your own music, we have extra music available and ask that you reimburse us the cost, which is normally $5.00 but may change depending on our purchase price.
The orchestra music we use is: "The Messiah" published by G. Shirmer. The Messiah orchestra will perform the following pieces from Handel's Messiah: #s 1, 4, 7, 12, 13, 17, 24, 44, 46, 53.
We would ask that new participants not join after the 4th rehearsal unless they already know the Messiah music very well and have discussed with the conductor what rehearsals they will be able to attend. Participants who join after the 4th rehearsal are not guaranteed to be listed in the program.
Performance dress is: concert black for the ladies and black suits for the men. If you do not have concert black, please try to wear a combination of black and white. Please dress modestly for all rehearsals and performances.
Auditions: Sunday, Oct. 22 from 4:30pm-7:30pm (Institute Room).
Dress Rehearsal: Sunday, Nov. 26 from 5:00pm-6:00pm. Specific times for each soloist will be assigned. A Dessert Potluck will be held at 8pm.
Performance Call Times: Friday, Dec. 1 at 6:45pm and Saturday, Dec. 2 at 2:30pm and 5:45pm.
Performance Times: Friday, Dec. 1 at 7:00pm and Saturday, Dec. 2 at 3:30pm and Dec. 2 at 6:00pm.
Please prepare any solo from Handel’s Messiah. If you are performing a longer solo, you may only be asked to sing a portion of the solo you have prepared. You may also be asked to sing small portions of other Messiah solos that you already know if we feel your voice might be well suited on a different piece or if you are auditioning on the same piece as someone else. Similarly, you may also be asked to sight read Messiah solos that you do not know if you feel comfortable doing so.
A pianist will be provided, but you are welcome to use your own pianist or sing with a background recording. Callbacks are not usually necessary, but if they are needed that will be communicated within one week of auditioning.
A panel of 5 judges will evaluate each audition on predetermined criteria; the lowest and highest score will be dropped, and then the remaining three scores will be averaged. Based on these averages, soloists will be ranked from highest to lowest and these scores will be used when selecting soloists. Judges will score soloists on the following criteria: intonation, rhythm and counting, tone, technique (including diction, articulation, and breath control), interpretation (including dynamics, phrasing, and tempo), artistry, and the overall performance.
We will be filming all auditions to help the judges remember those who are auditioning during the selection process. The videos will be deleted as soon as Messiah soloists are selected and will not be used for any other purpose other than selecting soloists. An online information form and video/ picture waver will need to be filled out and signed prior to auditions.
Those who audition will be notified via e-mail within one week indicating whether they have been selected for a Messiah solo or not. Each soloist will only be assigned to one solo (or traditional grouping of solos) in order to give more people the opportunity to perform. If chosen, soloists may be assigned to a piece other than the one they auditioned on. Soloists will be asked to submit a bio and photo of themselves to be used in social media advertising and in the concert program.
There are many videos and recordings online to assist with preparing for auditions. If you wish to practice with pre-recorded accompaniment, most solo accompaniments can be found on Youtube simply by searching for the name of the solo followed by the word “accompaniment.”
The Youth & Children's Choirs will perform a fifteen-minute "opening act" to Handel's Messiah. They are not prelude; they are part of the performance. Youth will not be required to stay for the remainder of the performance and will be excused to sit with their parents upon completion of their portion of the program. Parents are responsible for picking up their youth as they exit the stand. If youth are not picked up by parents upon exiting the stand because the parents are performing in the Messiah, the Youth either need to sit in the audience and quietly watch the Messiah performances (not wander in and out which is distracting) or go to the Institute Room to help watch the Children's Choir members who are watching a movie and playing games.
Youth Choir Rehearsals: Sunday, Nov. 12 and Nov. 19 from 6:30-8:00pm.
Youth Choir Dress Rehearsal: Sunday, Nov. 26 from 6:00-8:00pm. A Dessert Potluck will follow.
Performance Call Times: Friday, Dec. 1 at 5:45pm and Saturday, Dec. 2 at 2:15pm and 5:30pm.
Performance Times: Friday, Dec. 1 at 7:00pm and Saturday, Dec. 2 at 3:30pm and Dec. 2 at 6:00pm.
Please try to arrive early so we can start each rehearsal on time. Music will be available to check out at each rehearsal.
Practice tracks will be available here. We don't have many rehearsals, so please practice.
Youth ages 16-17 who audition for, and are selected to sing in the Messiah Choir, may not sing in the Youth Choir as the rehearsals conflict with each other.
Concert dress is: any combination of red, green, and white (preferably red, green, or white shirts if you have them and black or dark colored skirts or pants, but any combination of red, green, and white is fine).
The Youth and Children's Choirs will perform a fifteen-minute "opening act" to Handel's Messiah. They are not prelude; they are part of the performance. Children will not be required to stay for the remainder of the performance and will be excused to sit with their parents upon completion of their portion of the program. Parents are responsible for picking up their children as they exit the stand. If children are not picked up by parents upon exiting the stand because the parents are performing in the Messiah, all remaining children will be led to the Institute room to watch a movie and play games. All children must be picked up immediately following the Messiah performances.
Children’s Choir Rehearsals: Sunday, Nov. 12 and Nov. 19 from 6:30-8:00pm.
Children's Choir Dress Rehearsal: Sunday, Nov. 26 from 6:00-8:00pm. A Dessert Potluck will follow.
Performance Call Times: Friday, Dec. 1 at 5:45pm and Saturday, Dec. 2 at 2:15pm and 5:30pm.
Performance Times: Friday, Dec. 1 at 7:00pm and Saturday, Dec. 2 at 3:30pm and 6:00pm.
Music will be provided at each rehearsal.
Practice CDs are available for all Children's Choir members. We don't have many rehearsals, so please practice.
Practice tracks will be available here.
Concert dress is: any combination of red, green, and white (preferably red, green, or white shirts if you have them and black or dark colored skirts or pants, but any combination of red, green, and white is fine).
The Senza Orchestra is typically the first stand players in the orchestra, or players as invited, who accompany the solo pieces which require a smaller orchestra accompaniment. As these pieces are in addition to the music the full orchestra is playing and there will be very limited rehearsal time for the Senza orchestra, Senza members should already know their parts well and practice often at home.
Senza performers will be selected by invitation only.
Senza Rehearsals: Sunday, Oct. 29 from 6:00pm-8:00pm.
Senza Dress Rehearsal: Sunday, Nov. 26 from 5:00pm-6:00pm. A Dessert Potluck will be held at 8pm.
See the Full Orchestra tab for call times and performance times.
Prelude music will be held before each Messiah performance to set the tone for guests as they enter the building. The prelude music this year will be provided by a Youth String Orchestra. No audition is necessary, but string players who wish to participate should have 2+ years of experience and must be able to play well all of the Christ-centered pieces from the Christmas Kaleidoscope books 1 & 2 by Robert Frost before the first rehearsal.
Youth Orchestra Rehearsal: Sunday, Oct. 29 from 6:00-8:00pm.
Youth Orchestra Dress Rehearsal: Sunday, Nov. 26 from 4:30-5:30pm. A dessert potluck will be held at 8pm.
Performance Call Times: Friday, Dec. 1 at 6:15pm and Saturday, Dec. 2 at 2:50pm and 5:20pm.
Performance Times: Friday, Dec. 1 at 6:30pm and Saturday, Dec. 2 at 3:00pm and Dec. 2 at 5:30pm.
Please bring your own music stand for rehearsals and call times.
The Youth Orchestra will play all Christ-centered pieces from the Christmas Kaleidoscope books 1 & 2 by Robert Frost. Each piece has three different parts: A, B, or C, so please choose the line that is best suited for your skill level. If too many players choose the same line, some may be asked to play a different part to better balance out the orchestra.
Performance dress is Black and White.
See Maryl Johnson for all questions regarding prelude.