Join Eclipse

How do you become a group member? For information about openings and auditioning for Eclipse, contact Artistic Director BJ Harris at (306) 652-1769 or bjharris@sasktel.net.

Before you call, read on for the answers to your most frequently asked questions:

When do we rehearse? We rehearse two hours per week, each Tuesday evening, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Additional rehearsals may be called before a performance. Our regular rehearsal schedule is from the beginning of September to the middle of December, and the beginning of January to the middle of May.

Is there an audition? You will be asked to do a small audition to check your pitch and to determine your range. Sight singing abilities are an asset, but not a requirement.

Does Eclipse limit the number who can join? We like to keep the size of the group around 35 to 37 members. The exact number depends on the balance for the sections. We always have room for more men, but sometimes are unable to accept women until there is an opening in the alto or soprano section. If we have more than one person wanting to join, and not enough openings in the section, then the best vocalist for the section will be invited to join. Please feel free to try again, though.

When is the best time to join? The best time to join is either at the beginning of September or the beginning of January.

What are the expectations for group members? We are expected to attend most rehearsals. Eclipse performs off-book, so we all spend time learning our music outside of rehearsal. We have rehearsal CD's available for purchase as a learning tool.

We have one self-produced concert a year, at Christmas time. There are a number of other smaller performances throughout the year. Not everyone will be able to attend all performances, but we would like to see you there at as many as possible. For the first year, you may decide not to sing at the smaller performances until you are comfortable with the music. What is most important to us is that you enjoy your experience with Eclipse.

We do a little bit of fundraising in the fall, which you can buy out if you wish. We also do another simple fundraiser in the spring, such as a silent auction, which we ask everyone to help with. We try to keep our activities simple, as we are all busy people!

We ask everyone to do what they can to help out during the year. We always need people to organize, sell tickets, handle with setup and takedown, manage costumes, and help with a variety of small tasks that keep us running.

How much does it cost? The basic cost to be a member is $130 per term. There is also a refundable $25 costume deposit for our basic costume set.