FAQs
Q. When are rehearsals?
A. Voices rehearsals take place on Tuesday nights from 7:00-8:20 pm, and Cantari rehearsals will take place after a short 10 minute break from 8:30 – 9:30 pm on Tuesdays. We rehearse in the Friends and Family Hall at St. Thomas More Catholic Church.
Q: How do I sign up?
A: Voices often offers a summer chorus which is open to anyone who’s interested, no audition required!
Our fall and spring chorus semesters do require a one-time audition.
You can decide to audition only for Voices, or for Cantari (our smaller ensemble).
Once a member, always a member!
To start the audition process, please fill out our audition submission form and our Membership director will reach out.
Q. Who is conducting for Voices and Cantari?
A: Our wonderful current conductor Dr. Stephen Futrell leads our choruses!
You can read more about him here: https://www.voiceschapelhill.
Q: I’m going to have to miss a couple rehearsals; should I still join?
A: We ask that members make every effort to be at rehearsals so that we can all practice together and stay in sync. But we know that life happens! If you have to miss a rehearsal, you can practice the music on your own time and follow up with someone in your section to get any updates.
Q: How much does it cost to participate in the chorus?
A: Dues are $120 for Voices and $150 for Voices and Cantari, and $75 for students. This includes the cost for your music packet. Please don’t ever let cost be the reason you don’t participate! There is an option on the sign-up form to request financial aid as well as sponsor-a-singer. We never turn away a singer for lack of funds. You’re welcome to reach out to membership@voicechapelhill.org with any questions or concerns at any time about this topic.
Q: What are the mask and vaccination policies for this chorus?
A: Vaccinations are required. Weekly guidance on masking will be provided by the board via email based on CDC Community Levels:
- Low community level = mask optional
- Medium community level = mask strongly recommended
- High community level = mask required
Q: Will music be provided?
A: Yes! You’ll get your music at our first rehearsal.
Q: Is this intended to be a religious choir?
A: No. We practice at a church because it is an inexpensive space for our rehearsals. And as you can see from our diverse repertoire at our holiday concert, we try to be inclusive in the kinds of music we sing. We seek to make everyone feel welcome and we certainly don’t require any particular faith affiliation for you to be part of our choir.
Q: I’m not sure what voice part I am. Does my gender matter? Are there particular parts you need more / less of? Does Stephen help with this?
A: We welcome all parts, but we can always use more tenors and basses! And your gender doesn’t matter at all – your vocal part in our choir is based on your voice and your preference. Stephen absolutely can help with assessing what part might be a good fit for you. So if you’re a new member, talk to him at your audition with any questions. And if you’re an existing member that might like to switch parts, you’re also more than welcome to reach out to Stephen.
Q: What will choir members wear for the concert?
A: No need to purchase anything extra unless you want to, we just ask that choir members wear all black. That can look like: black dresses, a black top with black pants, black tuxedos or suits with a white shirt underneath with black pants / jacket / tie or bowtie, etc. We’ll communicate more about this and other concert details as we get closer to the concert. For summer chorus, we often have a more casual uniform of jeans and a Voices t-shirt.
Q: What will the mask policy be for the concert?
A: As it stands now, concert mask policy will be decided by the Voices Board closer to the concert date.
Q: What is the status of the NYC Voices trip in 2024?
A: Voices is planning a trip to NYC in June 2024 to sing the Mozart Requiem in Carnegie Hall. More details will be provided to choir members this season. If you’re not planning on singing with Voices this season but are still interested in the NYC trip next year, please reach out to membership@voicechapelhill.org.