Jersey City's Schola Cantorum on Hudson, the critically-acclaimed 30-voice choral ensemble, is holding auditions through October 9, 2006, for singers ranging from serious amateurs to professionals, especially tenors and basses. There are a few openings for sopranos and altos with superior sight reading skills. Dr. Deborah King, Artistic Director, holds the auditions at Holy Rosary Church, 344 Sixth Street (between Monmouth and Brunswick streets) in Jersey City. Call 917-779-9226 to make an appointment. Rehearsals are on Monday evenings, from the first Monday after Labor Day through May. Visit www.scholaonhudson.org for personalized driving directions and public transport options.

The upcoming season represents a step forward for the ensemble, with multiple venues for its three subscription concerts. The first program, on December 3 and 4, 2006, consists of two performances of Handel's Messiah (Christmas portion) and Vivaldi's Magnificat, with chamber orchestra. On March 11, 18, and 19, 2007, as part of our annual "Ethnic Celebration" tradition, the program entitled "Sacred Bridges" will explore the shared roots of the Jewish and Christian traditions. The last program of the season, "Spring is in the Air," will feature Brahms' celebrated Liebeslieder Waltzes and Dvorák's Songs of Nature. Each program will be presented in the ensemble's artistic home in Jersey City, Holy Rosary Church, and in midtown Manhattan.

Additionally, the ensemble will record its fourth CD album on October 21 and 23, 2006. The deadline to audition for this project is September 8, 2006.

Schola Cantorum on Hudson nurtures its members artistically. The Member InReach program offers an advanced vocal technique class, held immediately before the weekly rehearsal. Members looking for solo or chamber-group opportunities are invited to audition for the select Schola Repertory Singers. As Dr. King explains, "We welcome skilled singers who are dedicated to furthering the mission of the arts in our society, through high-quality ensemble performance. This year's expansion of the number of performances offers diverse opportunities for soloists and ensemblists looking for challenge and growth." Gilberto Gomez, a recent graduate of Westminster Choir College and a former Schola Choral Scholar as a youngster , remarks that "Deborah is always well-prepared and her solid rehearsal techniques are a big part of why I returned to the group after college. As a young singer, you get great practical experience and the rehearsal process is where you learn the most. It keeps your sight-reading and vocal skills fresh. The performances are the icing on the cake."

Willa Conrad, Music Critic for the Newark Star-Ledger, commenting on the ensemble's world premiere of NJ composer Randall Svane's Mass and various American spirituals in March 2006, wrote that "Schola Cantorum on Hudson is a bright spot in the ... landscape of classical offerings in the Jersey City-Hoboken area. [SCH] has an energy and level of technical preparation that only few such nonprofessional groups in the state have." Recognizing Deborah King's excellence as Artistic Director, she added: "The singing was clear and self-assured, the direction by [Deborah] King, consistent and exact."

Formed in 1995, Schola Cantorum on Hudson is supported in part by grants from the Provident Bank Foundation, The Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation, ExxonMobil, the New Jersey State Council of the Arts/Department of State (a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, administered by the Hudson county Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Thomas A. DeGise, County Executive), and the Board of Chosen Freeholders, in addition to numerous individual and other business donors.

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