Camerata Singers
If you have experience in choir and love performing quality choral music, you are welcome to sing with Camerata Singers.
Who’s Who in Camerata Singers
The choir includes music majors, music minors, and non-music majors who have some experience with choral singing.
How to Participate
Auditions / Placement Hearings are necessary to ensure balance within and between sections. Once students are placed into an advanced choral ensemble (Camerata or Chamber Singers), they can continue to sing in one of those ensembles as often as they’d like. Auditions are held every semester during the University class registration period and at the beginning of each semester.
Auditions
- What’s your range? We’ll vocalize up and down to find your highest, lowest, and most comfortable notes.
- How do you learn? We’ll talk about sight-reading, try some examples, and discover how you balance learning by ear with learning by eye – hearing and reading – to learn your part.
- What is your singing experience? Sing something a cappella that demonstrates your best sounds. Best options: a folk song, sacred song, patriotic song, art song, or previous choir song. Try to avoid: popular, gospel, Broadway – in these styles, singers often imitate someone else’s voice, rather than singing in their own sound. Your song does not have to be memorized.
- Can you hold a part? We may change the key of your song to discover a better range, or I may sing harmony to your melody – exercises that demonstrate your ability to sing harmony / sing in relation to key.
Rehearsals and Concerts
Rehearsals are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 11:00-11:50 a.m., with about four additional dress rehearsals scheduled throughout the semester. The choir performs on- and off-campus with Chamber Singers, generally three or four appearances each semester.
Making Music
The choir sings a wide variety of music, from traditional choral songs and masterworks to the choral music of living composers. The choir frequently combines with other ensembles, including professional ensembles, community choirs, and high school choirs.
Questions?
Contact Dr. Pamela McDermott, Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Music, [email protected].
Chamber Singers
If you are a soprano or alto with experience in choir and love performing quality choral music, you are welcome to sing with Chamber Singers.
Who’s Who in Chamber Singers
The choir includes music majors, music minors, and non-music majors who have some experience with choral singing. Some singers sing in both Chamber and Camerata Singers.
How to Participate
Auditions / Placement Hearings are necessary to ensure balance within and between sections. Once students are placed into an advanced choral ensemble (Camerata or Chamber Singers), they can continue to sing in one of those ensembles as often as they’d like. Auditions are held every semester during the University class registration period, and at the beginning of each semester.
Auditions
- What’s your range? We’ll vocalize up and down to find your highest, lowest, and most comfortable notes.
- How do you learn? We’ll talk about sight-reading, try some examples, and discover how you balance learning by ear with learning by eye – hearing and reading – to learn your part.
- What is your singing experience? Sing something a cappella that demonstrates your best sounds. Best options: a folk song, sacred song, patriotic song, art song, or previous choir song. Try to avoid: popular, gospel, Broadway – in these styles, singers often imitate someone else’s voice, rather than singing in their own sound. Your song does not have to be memorized.
- Can you hold a part? We may change the key of your song to discover a better range, or I may sing harmony to your melody – exercises that demonstrate your ability to sing harmony / sing in relation to key.
Rehearsals and Concerts
Rehearsals are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 1:00-1:50 p.m., with about four additional dress rehearsals scheduled throughout the semester. The choir performs on- and off-campus with Camerata Singers, generally three or four appearances each semester.
Making Music
The choir sings a wide variety of music, featuring the choral music of living composers and traditional music with empowering texts. The choir frequently combines with other ensembles, including professional ensembles, community choirs, and high schools choirs.
Questions?
Contact Dr. Pamela McDermott, Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Music: [email protected]
Jazz Ensemble
If you play the saxophone, trombone, trumpet, piano, guitar, bass or drums, you’re invited to audition for Longwood University’s Jazz Ensemble.
Who’s Who in the Ensemble
The ensemble includes university students from any degree program.
How to Participate
Membership is open to all Longwood students by audition and enrollment can count for Civitae general education credits. Students can join the group by contacting the director, Dr. Kinzer, at [email protected] to arrange an audition/interview. Then, you’ll register for a 1-credit-hour class, MUSC 103-01 (10969) or MUSC 203-01 (10971).
Rehearsals and Concerts
Rehearsals are Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., and the ensemble presents two to three concerts each semester.
Making Music
The Jazz Ensemble is a select group of about 20 musicians. The repertoire includes all major styles of big band jazz, as well as original compositions and arrangements. The ensemble presents a series of concerts each year, and has toured throughout Virginia and the Atlantic Coast Region. It has appeared with a variety of jazz artists, and in concerts with such groups as the United States Army Blues Jazz Ensemble and Robert Jospe’s Inner Rhythm.
Questions?
Contact Dr. Charles Kinzer, director of the Jazz Ensemble and Professor of Music:
[email protected]
Opera Workshop
A study of staged classical music. Small groups (2, 3, 4) perform scenes from operas and operettas, with light costumes and scenery.
Who’s Who in Opera Workshop
Primarily vocal performance majors and Musical Theatre minors; open to advanced singers with permission of the instructor.
How to Participate
If you’re a music major or minor, simply register for Opera Workshop. If not, connect with Dr. Burrs and let her know of your singing background and interest in the class.
Rehearsals and Concerts
Rehearsals are Monday and Wednesday afternoons as scheduled. There is one performance at the end of the semester.
Making Music
The singers present duets, trios, quartets, some times solo arias – depending on the participants in a given semester.
Questions?
Contact Dr. Lisa Edwards-Burrs, Associate Professor of Music: [email protected]
Chamber Orchestra
If you play the violin, viola, cello or double bass, you’re invited to join Longwood University’s Chamber Orchestra.
Who’s Who in the Orchestra
The orchestra includes music majors, music minors, non-music majors, Longwood faculty and staff, and members of the community.
How to Participate
Students can join the group two ways:
- You can register for a 1-credit-hour class, MUSC 104-01 (30177) or MUSC 201-01 (30962).
2. You can join without enrolling in the class.
Rehearsals and Concerts
Rehearsals are Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., and the ensemble presents two to three concerts each semester.
Making Music
The orchestra plays a wide variety of music, ranging from pieces by Vivaldi, Purcell, Holst, Saint-Saens, Phillip Glass and Led Zeppelin to selections from film music scores. The orchestra also frequently combines with other ensembles, including the Wind Symphony, for full orchestral works.
Questions?
Contact Dr. Lauretta Werner, director of the Chamber Orchestra and Assistant Professor of Strings: [email protected]
Percussion Ensemble
If you play a percussion instrument, you’re invited to join the Percussion Ensemble.
Who’s Who in Percussion Ensemble
The Longwood University Percussion Ensemble (LUPE) is open to all full-time Longwood students, regardless of chosen major or minor degree.
How to Participate
No audition is necessary, but having the ability to read music and rhythms is helpful.
Rehearsals and Concerts
LUPE is a musical ensemble that meets twice a week on Wednesday evenings and Friday afternoons in Jarman Auditorium. The ensemble performs one concert each semester, but other on/off campus performances may be added such as: Spring/Family Weekend, Alumni Events, Holiday Dinner, Public School Run-Outs, etc.
Making Music
LUPE performs on many different percussion instruments in many different styles of music. Each concert includes "Lancer Steel" our very own Steel Drum Pan Ensemble, and our Concert Percussion Ensemble. Styles of music performed vary each semester, and have included Latin, Caribbean, Jazz, Rock, Reggae, Funk, R&B, Pop, Surf Rock, African, Baroque/Classical/Romantic and Contemporary music.
Questions?
Contact Chris Thomas for further information at: [email protected].
Stampede Pep Band
If you play a brass, woodwind, or percussion instrument, you’re invited to join the Stampede Pep Band.
Who’s Who in Stampede
Stampede is a fully instrumented band comprised of brass, woodwind and percussion musicians that provides popular athletic event music and enhances the amazing spirit at Longwood men’s and women’s basketball games.
How to Participate
No audition is necessary and is open to all Longwood students with previous band experience; we also welcome students from Hampden-Sydney.
Rehearsals and Games
The band rehearses at designated times in the fall to prepare for their season. Stampede members enjoy being paid for each game they play.
Making Music
Travel to the Big South Conference Tournament and to the NCAA tournament are benefits of Stampede membership. Larger marching band instruments (percussion/drumline, sousaphones, baritones, mellophones) are provided by the band for check out and student use for Stampede performances.
Questions?
Contact Tyler Gage at [email protected] for further information.
University Choir
If you love to sing, or ever wanted to try … University Choir is open to all without audition.
Who’s Who in University Choir
The choir includes music majors, music minors, and non-music majors who enjoy singing.
How to Participate
Register for University Choir when you register for classes. Sing as many semesters as you’d like!
Rehearsals and Concerts
Rehearsals are Tuesday / Thursday 12:30-1:45 p.m. with a few additional dress rehearsals throughout the semester. The choir primarily performs on campus or within the local community.
Making Music
The choir sings a wide variety of music, from traditional choral songs to arrangements of popular favorites.
Questions?
Contact Dr. Christopher Swanson, Professor of Music: [email protected]
Wind Symphony
If you have experience from high school playing a band instrument, you are invited to join the Longwood University Wind Symphony.
Who’s Who in the Wind Symphony?
The wind symphony includes music majors, minors, and students from all majors across campus who wish to continue making music at a high level.
How to Participate
Students can join the group by registering for the 1-credit-hour class (MUSC 102, 202, 402). Students can also earn credit towards their aesthetic pillar Civitae requirements for participating in Wind Symphony. Seating auditions take place at the start of each semester.
Rehearsals and Concerts
Rehearsals are Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and the ensemble presents two to three concerts each semester.
Making Music
The Wind Symphony performs music from a wide variety of composers such as Percy Grainger, Omar Thomas, Jack Stamp, Kathaj Copley, Nicole Piunno, Anthony O’Toole, Julie Giroux, and many others. The ensemble also frequently collaborates with our ensembles on campus, including the chamber orchestra for full orchestral works.
Questions?
Contact Dr. Michael Waddell, director of the Wind Symphony and Assistant Professor of Music: [email protected]
