ENCORE

Both groups are adult recreational choirs. SECOND CHANTS is open to people with any level of (or no) music or dance background. Adult beginners are welcome! There is a larger choreography component to SECOND CHANTS, with weekly choreo rehearsals and a combination of musical theatre-style performances and more traditional choral singing.

ENCORE is geared towards more experienced singers with previous choral experience. The ability to read music is an asset, and the repertoire is at a more challenging level. There is less choreography in ENCORE, although movement and creative staging are a part of the Youth Singers experience for all groups.

Adult singers in SECOND CHANTS do not require an audition or an interview. ENCORE requires an informal placement interview to assess your voice part and level of experience. Style, vocal range and previous experience are unique attributes to every performer. Please prepare a song of your choice to sing at your interview.

ENCORE and SECOND CHANTS each work toward a year-end show, open to family and friends, that caps off the season in the spring. During the Christmas season, SECOND CHANTS performs as a part of one or two community events, and ENCORE has 3-4 additional performances.

ENCORE rehearses from 7-9 on Monday evenings, and SECOND CHANTS rehearses from 7-9 on Tuesday evenings. Rehearsals are weekly from September to May, with breaks for Christmas, spring break, and holidays.

SECOND CHANTS has four workshops (1 in the fall, 3 in the spring) on a weekend afternoon. ENCORE has a fall retreat and a spring one-day workshop.

The performance weekend for each division’s year-end show includes a dress rehearsal and show call. These dates are all on the calendar at the time of registration so you can plan accordingly.

Singers in ENCORE and SECOND CHANTS do not have required fundraising or volunteer commitments, but there are many opportunities to get involved with Youth Singers, and all singers are encouraged to support the organization.

There are ways to volunteer within your specific group to help your program run smoothly, as well as with the organization at large. Many members of these choirs are involved in areas such as the board of directors, planning and event committees, design and production work for our shows, photography and videography, and more.

Other ways to support Youth Singers include Purdy’s Chocolates, donating to support our silent auction, purchasing AdMazing coupon books, and attending our fundraising gala. Members are made aware of these opportunities throughout the year and we encourage everyone to participate, but they are not required as part of registration.

Most wardrobe pieces for SECOND CHANTS and ENCORE are supplied by the singer, although Youth Singers has a vast wardrobe stock and can assist where necessary.

Costumes for SECOND CHANTS are often character-driven and provide fun ways to express your creativity. The SECOND CHANTS wardrobe team provides support, guidance, and ideas, and certain items are assigned to all singers from Youth Singers’ wardrobe stock. Costumes are designed to be created from items that you can find in your closet or at a thrift store.

ENCORE’s wardrobe tends toward specific colour palettes and styles of everyday clothes. Guidance is given from the wardrobe team, but items are generally supplied by singers from within a specified colour palette and style. Members in ENCORE can expect to have 3-5 looks for the year, although specific looks are often used from year to year, so your wardrobe pieces will see repeated use.

At the beginning of the season, you will receive a login for the Youth Singers Choir Genius page, a website that acts as our complete information hub. Calendars, notices, important links, music learning resources, and other information are posted here.. We recommend logging in weekly. You will also receive the weekly Youth Singers newsletter, which is an important way to receive information about the big picture of Youth Singers.