BBC Singers – Ad-hoc Singer (all voice-parts) – FREELANCE Full Time

City Of Westminster, London
BBC
Job Introduction

Ad-hoc/freelance (no contract)

Location: Maida Vale Studios, London
Deadline: Thursday 1st February

If you wish to apply for an audition,please email us your CV (which should include details of your training and experience) to:

Successful applicants will be asked to attend an audition. Renumeration is on an ad-hoc basis and is as per the BBC Singers’ Equity agreement.

We are always interested in auditioning singers for our list of extras and deputies.

Applicants must be classically-trained singers, with outstanding professional choral experience, the flexibility to adapt to a wide range of styles of music and excellent sight-reading skills.

We will not consider applications from candidates who do not demonstrate professional choral experience.

The technical demands of working with the BBC Singers are strenuous and exacting; therefore a cast-iron vocal technique is essential.

Please note, this is not a full-time, permanent position; successful candidates are added to a list of deputy Singers who are sought for freelance work on an ad-hoc basis.

Main Responsibilities

Successful candidates will be added to the BBC Singers’ directory of deputy singers and invited to sing on an ad-hoc basis when additional singers are required. Candidates should be able to demonstrate choral excellence in a professional context, strong sight-reading and flexibility in vocal technique. The BBC Singers will also consider candidates who are in the early stages of their career and can clearly show potential to fulfil the role. The ideal candidate will be an exceptional singer and able to demonstrate commitment to delivering a very high standard of work.

Are you the right candidate?

The successful candidate will:

ESSENTIAL:

• Have excellent professional choral experience;
• Have excellent sight-reading skills;
• Have the knowledge of the range of repertoire of the BBC Singers;
• Be able to contribute to performances that will meet the highest artistic standards;
• Be able to work effectively and flexibly within a diverse team environment;
• Demonstrate respect for others by being fully prepared and ready to sing at the start of every session, and;
• Willing to develop positive working relationships with other members of the choir and the management team.

DESIRABLE:

• Expertise in a broad range of musical & performance activities including chamber music, education and studio soundtrack work; and
• Experience of performing in equivalent roles in professional choirs.

APPLICATIONS ARE CONSIDERED BY CV ONLY; PLEASE EMAIL YOUR CV TO:

AUDITIONS INFORMATION:

The audition requirements are as follows:

Two set oratorio arias:

• Soprano: ‘Rejoice Greatly’ from Handel’s Messiah (in 4/4) OR ‘Ich folge dir’ from Bach’s St John Passion.
• Alto: ‘But who may abide’ from Handel’s Messiah OR ‘Von den stricken’ from Bach’s St John Passion
• Tenor: ‘Thou shalt break them’ from Handel’s Messiah OR ‘Ach, mein sinn’ from Bach’s St John Passion
• Bass/Baritone: ‘For Behold/All people’ from Handel’s Messiah OR ‘Eilt, ihr eingefocht’nen seelen’ from Bach’s St John Passion

These should all be at A=440 pitch.

Set twentieth-century piece:

• Soprano: Britten, ‘Seascape’ (On This Island)
• Alto: Britten, ‘Sephestia’s Lullaby’ (A Charm of Lullabies)
• Tenor: Britten, ‘At Day-close in November’ (Winter Words)
• Bass/Baritone: Richard Rodney Bennett, ‘The Mouse and the Bumblebee’ (Songs Before Sleep)

About the BBC

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC for different reasons and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

We don’t focus simply on what we do – we also care how we do it. Our values and the way we behave are important to us. Please make sure you’ve read about our values and behaviours in the document attached below.

Diversity matters at the BBC. We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual’s unique contribution, enabling all of our employees to thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to be part of the BBC – whether that’s to contribute to our programming or our wide range of non-production roles. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles, unless operational requirements prevent otherwise.