Westminster Summer Choral FestivalJuly 21 – July 26, 2019
2020 Registration Coming Soon!
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The Westminster Summer Choral Festival provides an opportunity to live, study, and perform in a professional-level choral ensemble composed of singers and conductors from around the globe. Under the direction of Guest Conductor Dr. Z. Randall Stroope, as well as several other renowned conductors from universities around the United States, Westminster's 2019 Summer Choral Festival will focus on rehearsals and a performance of masterworks from the western choral repertory. Other features of a typical daily schedule include conducting master classes, scholarly lectures and classes, round-table discussions, and one-on-one time with the conducting faculty.
The festival chorus will comprise 40 - 50 voices, with soloists chosen from among them.
As some visitors to this site might know, Dr. Joseph Flummerfelt was scheduled to serve as Guest Conductor for Westminster's 2019 Summer Choral Festival. The entire Westminster Choir College community mourns the passing of this great conductor, and we are dedicating the 2019 Festival to his memory. We are grateful to Z. Randall Stroope for agreeing to step in a Guest Conductor. He will announce the repertoire that this year's Festival will explore by June 1.
Performance
Friday, July 26, 2019
Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall
Princeton University
Repertoire
William Averitt
Fire (No. 6, Afro-American Fragments)
J. S. Bach
“Jauchzet dem Herrn, Alle Welt” (BWV Anh. 160)
Johannes Brahms
Sehnsucht, Op. 112
Ēriks Ešenvalds
Swans
John Hopkins
Descendit Sicut Pluvia
Anders Öhrwall
Fäbodpsalm Från Dalarna
Arvo Pärt
Sieben Antiphonen
1. O Weisheit
4. O Schlüssel Davids
Jake Runestad
Alleluia
William Schuman
“To All, to Each” (No. 3, Carols of Death)
Charles Villiers Stanford
“Coelos Ascendit Hodie” (Three Motets)
Z. Randall Stroope
Odysseus and the Sirens
Four Spanish Sonnets of Garcilaso de la Vega
1. En tanto que de rosa azucenda
3. Hermosas ninfas que
4. Amor de mi alma
Information about purchasing music will be post shortly.
Faculty
- Z. Randall Stroope, Guest Conductor
“Of all my formative experiences as a conductor, I can think of very few that served me as greatly as the Westminster Summer Choral Festival. I have been going for several years now and each time I return I continue to be inspired and driven as a conductor by this amazing program and its faculty.”
— 2016 participant
“What a great week this was: preparing and performing challenging repertoire among the best of the best: rehearsals, one-on-one conducting coaching, and more, among superb colleagues.”
— Jerry (WCC ’70)
“This is an experience and a privilege unlike any other. The opportunity to share music and my life with these people is worth more than anything. More than career growth, this has allowed me to grow as a human. Thank you, I will definitely return again.”
— Justin U, 2014
“This is one of the most professionally and musically inspiring and challenging weeks I’ve ever experienced. The instructors are incredibly gifted and generous with their time. The atmosphere is challenging and friendly. Invaluable program.”
— 2014 participant
Audition Information
Step One: Click the “Register Now” button to register electronically through RegOnline.
Applications are still being accepted.
Step Two: Submit a recorded audition via YouTube.
Video (rather than just audio) is encouraged, but not absolutely required.
To submit a video:
First, you must have or create a Gmail or YouTube account.
Second, go to YouTube.com, click on the “upload” button at the top right of the page and follow the instructions. Make certain that the video is set to “unlisted,” not “private” or “public.”
The link to your YouTube video should accompany your online application AND be emailed to [email protected]
The audition recording should include:
- Your name and voice-part announced at the beginning.
- Prepared Solo: An aria from the Baroque or Classical period, which may be taken from opera, oratorio, or other vocal work.
- Prepared Choral Excerpt: Schönberg’s Friede auf Erden: Sing a cappella from rehearsal number 2 (measure 21) to the cadence at the bottom of the page. The excerpt should be sung in German at a tempo of approximately 60 to the quarter note. You may sing either note of the divisi. Download the excerpt here: Schönberg’s Friede auf Erden.
Step Three: Acceptance Decisions
Upon acceptance into the Choral Festival, you must make a 50% tuition payment to reserve your place.
If you have any problems or questions about the audition process, please contact Matthew Lee, graduate assistant for the Summer Choral Festival at [email protected].
Tuition
We offer three levels of participation:
Audit only (observing rather than participating, no audition required): $300
Regular fee: $795
With 2 graduate credits: $1,385
Housing
Housing is available on campus (see Registration Form) or at area hotels.
Westminster Office of Continuing Education
609-924-7416
[email protected]
