An R & W Club

The NIH Chamber Singers is a small group of men and women who enjoy singing all styles and genres of a cappella choral music: Fa la la to to the Beatles. Programs are designed to be varied and entertaining to both the singers and the audiences. Selections may be serious or humorous, and we are not necessarily restricted by the confines of good taste!


          We perform two series of concerts each year for NIH patients and staff and the community at large. Our professions range from computer scientist to therapist to photographer, from mathematician to biophysicist to administrator, and even include a few bona fide biomedical laboratory scientists.

History
 

The NIH Chamber Singers were founded in the summer of 1994 by Jaylan Turkkan, then newly arrived at the NIH. The Chamber Singers gave their first concert in December 1994 in Masur Auditorium. From the beginning, Richard Shrager, our first conductor, instilled into the group a strong sense of eclecticism. He brought in repertoire that ranged from Chant to Cole Porter, and from Renaissance to Rock and Roll. Our current conductor Dwight Brock has continued this trend. As a result, the group has sought to bring to the community, the NIH staff, and patients choral music that is truly diverse in spirit. Needless to say, it takes a great deal of practice and musical skill to perform successfully gospel and Mendelssohn in the same concert, with appropriate singing styles for each, but we manage to do it convincingly (we hope!). The NIH Chamber Singers have been asked to sing at The NIH Research Festival, Women's History Month, and other venues in the broader local community.

Auditions
 

We hold auditions twice each year at the beginning of each rehearsal season, usually in September and January. Auditions take place on the regular rehearsal night at the
regular rehearsal location.

The audition consists of three parts:
 

1.To evaluate sight-reading ability, we ask the singer to read his or her part in a quartet.

2.To evaluate vocal range, the conductor will ask the singer to sing some scales.

3.To evaluate voice quality, the singer will be asked to sing a prepared song of his or her choice unaccompanied.
 

After the audition, the singer is encouraged to stay and sing with the group for the remainder of that rehearsal. The singer will be notified about acceptance within about a week.Selection into the group depends on the three evaluation criteria above, as well as the current needs of the group for choral balance.

Rehearsals
 

We rehearse on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 7:00 PM, usually in a private residence near the NIH campus, beginning in early fall and ending in late May or early June, depending on the concert schedule. Occasionally, sectionals may extend past 7:00 PM.

Policy for Singers:   

   * Please be prompt. The rehearsal is short, so every minute counts.
 

    * Alert the conductor if you are going to miss a rehearsal. Because we rehearse only once a week, it's important that you attend most of the rehearsals.

    * Bring your music - the most prepared singers have their music hole-punched in a binder so that pieces are easy to find.  Also be sure to bring a pencil.

    * If you miss a rehearsal, find out from the conductor a) what pieces were rehearsed b) major changes (e.g., you were assigned a solo part!, or a piece was dropped from the concert, or music was handed out), and c) which pieces will be rehearsed the next time.

    * To the extent that you can, please review the music at home that is planned for the next rehearsal. The rehearsals will be that much more enjoyable for everyone. There is nothing more boring than going over notes.

    * Other stuff—The NIH Chamber Singers is a small group that works toward unity of sound and careful blending of voices. If you have questions, please ask.

Concerts


Concert dates are arranged and cleared with the group months in advance. Generally we perform twice a year, with multiple performances per season at various locations both at NIH, and off campus. We occasionally are asked to do special concerts or "gigs".Concert dress is usually everyday work clothing; of course you can be as festive as you like!Music for concerts should be arranged in concert order in a black binder. Generally we gather about 1 hr in advance of the start time to go over pieces and get used to the room. Plan enough time to get there and park.

Dues & expenses


Dues are announced at the beginning of the year, are modest, and pay for music and publicity. Dues for students (fellows) may be discounted. If you spend money for the group (you should only do so for pre-agreed expenses) and would like to be reimbursed, bring your receipts to the group’s Treasurer.

Helping out
 

Virtually everyone in the group has an administrative assignment, either during the rehearsal season or for the concerts (e.g., publicity-related). Please help out when asked. If no one asks, volunteer!

Key contacts for members:
 

Dwight Brock - conductor 301-517-4026

Jill Koshiol: audition coordinator (KoshiolJ@mail.nih.gov)

Monica Berger: concert scheduler (MJanossy@mail.nih.gov)

Marjorie Guroff: librarian (GuroffM@dc37a.nci.nih.gov)

Charlie Zellers: publicity (ZellersC@extra.niddk.nih.gov)

Steve Bauer: programs (Bauer@cber.fda.gov)

Ken Kirk: R&W contact (KennethK@bdg8.niddk.nih.gov)

 

The website was last updated July 2007. It is updated periodically.