Choirs are open to all Gettysburg College students regardless of major. All choirs have students who are not music majors, and you don’t have to be a “music student” to sing in choir. Many of our finest singers are majors in other areas.
The College Choir is a mixed chamber choir with 24-36 experienced singers. It rehearses twice a week, 4:00-6:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The choir sings a broad repertoire in many styles and languages, including music by celebrated contemporary composers. The group performs 3-5 times per semester, at concerts and events on campus and in the community. This group tours annually, and this year we’re planning an international tour TBA for spring break in March.
The Concert Choir is a large mixed choir with 40-60 singers with varying levels of experience and expertise. It rehearses once per week, Wednesday 7:30-9:30, and usually performs twice each semester. This choir focuses on larger works for choir and instruments, orchestra, and opera. Last Spring they performed For a Breath of Ecstasy by Michael John Trotta, a multi-movement work based on poetry of Sara Teasdale, for choir, string quartet and oboe. They also performed as the chorus in the opera production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers. This is a good group for singers who want to perform sophisticated music, but with a small time commitment.
Audeamus is a choir for sopranos and altos with 24-30 singers. It rehearses once per week, Tuesdays from 11:30am-1:00pm. There is enough time to travel to classes before and after. The Latin word audeamus has connotations of boldness, daring, courage, and audacity: “Let us be bold.” Audeamus performs 2-3 times per semester. With just one rehearsal per week, it’s a perfect place to sing the great music for upper voices with a small time commitment. It’s also great to combine the larger-scale projects in Concert Choir with the more intimate approach in Audeamus.
The Camerata is an advanced ensemble with eight singers. They sing vocal chamber music, everything from madrigals to vocal jazz. Camerata rehearses once per week, Wednesdays 4:00-6:00, and each member also sings with the College Choir. With a small number of singers, the Camerata provides exciting possibilities for few-on-a-part singing, and many combinations of voices. They sing at the major concerts each semester, sing with the College Choir on tours, and at special performances on campus and in the region. They perform often with the Gettysburg College Jazz Ensemble.
All choirs are quarter-credit classes, and four semesters participation can satisfy the liberal arts core requirement for the arts. Enrollment happens during the first week of classes – there is no need to pre-enroll.
Here is a link to some frequently asked questions about singing in choir at Gettysburg.
When we ask singers why they sing in choir, they often say that they enjoy singing great music with their friends, and that singing provides a welcome change from other kinds of classes. Come be a part of a great community of musicians and friends.