St. Cecilia Chamber Choir will hold auditions for December’s Lessons and Carols. Bruce Cowan photo

NEWCASTLE — St. Cecilia Chamber Choir is holding auditions for all voice parts it begins preparing its December “Ceremony of Lessons and Carols” concert.

Rehearsals are set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays starting Sept. 11, at St. Andrew’s Church on Glidden Street.

Drawing inspiration from the King’s College Cambridge Service of Lessons and Carols, the program blends carols both sacred and secular with seasonal readings, accompanied by a professional string quartet and performed in the Bowdoin College Chapel and Damariscotta Baptist Church.

St. Cecilia Chamber Choir is a fully auditioned group of singers that includes youth and seasoned performers. The choir performs the choral repertoire spanning the centuries from medieval to modern, under the direction of husband-and-wife team Linda Blanchard and Sean Fleming of Damariscotta.

In the English choral tradition, members sing with a straight tone, enabling attention to fine-tuning rich harmonies. Much of the repertoire is a cappella, frequently accompanied by a professional chamber orchestra. The choirs present two to three concerts per year, typically in December and May.

Choir members are a dedicated and friendly bunch, eager to welcome new members, and they especially encourage gifted students to audition. Rehearsals are high-energy and challenging, according to a news release from Fleming.

Singers wishing to audition should have good vocal control, and sopranos and altos should be able to sing without vibrato. The ability to read music is preferred, but those who cannot read may participate by spending extra time learning the music at home with the aid of provided practice materials.

To schedule an audition, call Blanchard at 207-315-9740 or email audition@ceciliachoir.org.

For more information, visit facebook.com/stceciliachamberchoir and ceciliachoir.org.

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