About the Chorale

Description and audition information

Master Chorale of Ventura County

The Master Chorale of Ventura County is directed by Burns Taft, and composed of professional and community singers from Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. Performers are trained musicians with years of choral experience and perform an extensive repertoire from the Renaissance to avant-garde, with vocal forces ranging from a 24-voice chamber ensemble to a fully extended chorus of 100 or more. The Chorale is open to talented professionals and amateur singers who meet the audition and artistic requirements. Encouraging the next generation of singers, the Chorale supports the Master Chorale Children's Concert Choir under the direction of Marcene Camp Jardine.

Annual season concerts are performed throughout Ventura County in venues of rich acoustical splendor, with an annual holiday program in the historic San Buenaventura Mission. The chorale has performed premieres of works by Southern California composers John Biggs, Mark Carlson, Miguel del Aguila and Dwight Stone, in addition to many choral classics, such as Faure's Requiem, Orff's Carmina Burana, and Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna. Guest conductors include Frank Salazar, Vance George, Paul Salamunovich, Boris Brott and Dr. David Thorsen. The Chorale sang under Esa-Pekka Salonen at the Ojai Festivals.

Collaborating with the Los Robles Master Chorale, the Chorale annually performs a major choral/orchestral concert with the New West Symphony. The Master Chorale of Ventura County has also performed with Ventura County Symphony, the Southwest Chamber Music Ensemble, Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra, Ventura County Ballet, and such varied artists as painter Hiroko Yoshimoto, life-sized puppeteers, and the Westside Ballet. It has appeared many times in the Ventura Chamber Music Festival, founded in 1991 by Burns Taft. In June of 1995 in St. Petersburg, the Chorale's touring choir gave the Russian premiere of Daniel Pinkham's 1994 composition, Festival Jubilate.

Master Chorale Auditions

Artistic Director Burns Taft auditions all singers each season. Those wishing to audition as new members should select and prepare a short piece and provide sheet music for the accompanist. Applicants will also be asked to sight sing music selected by the director. Auditions are held in the Chorale's practice space in room G-135 at Ventura College every August and January.

Auditions for 2008-2009 will be held Tuesday, August 19 at 7:00 pm or other dates by arrangements. Please contact Ann Smith at (805) 653-5799 to arrange your audition.

Children's Concert Choir

The Master Chorale Children's Concert Choir was organized by the Ventura College Office of Community Education and the Master Chorale. The group, made up of children from 9 to 17, each chosen by private audition, is under the direction of Marcene Camp Jardine of Oxnard, an accomplished singer and teacher. Mary Canfield of Camarillo has served as their accompanist/coach since the Choir's inception.

The Children's Choir performs music from different musical periods and in several different languages (five during this past summer's festival alone). They have performed many works from the classics and have premiered works by contemporary composers as well. Their abilities have resulted in auditioned invitations to International Children's Choir Festivals in Tuscany (2000), Canterbury and London (2002), and Vienna, Salzburg and Prague (2004). They were also honored to appear in the Young Artists' Concert of the 2004 Ventura Music Festival.

Children's Choir Auditions

This choir is for children with advanced talent in singing, and requires an audition with the director to determine the quality of the voice, solfeggio skills (sight-singing and ear-training), and poise. Because of concert appearances, extra rehearsals are sometimes required. Attendance at all rehearsals and concerts is mandatory. The choir is for children from fourth grade through high school, as long as their voices are unchanged. They sing music of all styles and musical periods in several languages, so good reading skills are an absolute requirement. The choir meets on Tuesday afternoons from 4:45-6:15 pm in room G-134 at Ventura College. To make an appointment for an audition, please telephone Director Marcene Camp Jardine at (805) 983-0913.

Auditions for the Children's Choir are TBA. Please check back soon.

In addition to the performing choir, there is a training group that teaches the principles of good singing and musicianship. This class is for students between the ages of 8 and 15 and meets on Monday afternoons from 4:00-5:00 pm, also in room G-134. There is no audition required for this class, but registration is required, also through the Department of Community Education at the college. The phone number for that department is (805) 654-6459.