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AfterGlow Chorus Auditions

What It's Like in the Room

 

“After years in a top-tier college choir, I forgot how much my soul needed the deep joy of an advanced group breathing and singing as one. AfterGlow brings back that incredible emotional high, but fits it into a focused schedule that respects a demanding professional life.” — AfterGlow Singer

 

AfterGlow Chorus is an advanced, select, tuition-free a cappella chamber ensemble dedicated to elite vocal blend, deep musicality, and stylistic agility. Bringing together premier vocalists and collegiate choral alumni from across the region, AfterGlow offers a rare, high-level environment with no dues, sheet music costs, or financial assessments required to sing. We pair this tuition-free model with an ultra-efficient, curated rehearsal environment designed specifically to respect the time constraints of busy, high-level professionals.

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We are currently scheduling private auditions for our Summer 2026 concert program, "The Gift of Love." This isn't just a concert—it’s a musical mission. "The Gift of Love" is a deep dive into the architecture of the human heart. We are performing a healing, musical offering designed to be a sanctuary of sound, providing profound comfort and emotional healing for those navigating loss, caregiving, or the need for a quiet moment of grace.

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We have exceptional choral singing opportunities for advanced vocalists who want to use their voices for something powerful. If you have the skill to tackle complex arrangements and the heart to deliver them with purpose, we want to hear you.

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  • The Musical Mission: Providing a "vocal embrace" for those in need of healing.​

  • The Repertoire: A gorgeous, demanding selection of choral works centered on healing and hope. This specialized summer program requires immense stylistic flexibility and a mastery of vocal color, featuring a rich, diverse core of classical masterworks and powerful spirituals, beautifully infused with select elements of gospel, vocal jazz, and soul.

 

Summer 2026 Choral Repertoire

Our summer season features an extraordinary lineup of masterworks by contemporary and historic composers. Because our roster comprises advanced musicians with a high degree of independent musicianship who read at the highest level, we don’t spend rehearsal time plunking notes. We start on day one at the performance level, focusing entirely on color, emotional depth, and elite vocal blend as we dive into:

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Contemporary & Classical Masterworks​

  • Angele Dei — Susan LaBarr

  • Alleluia — Thomas LaVoy

  • Salmo 150 — Ernani Aguiar

  • Daemon Irrepit Callidus — György Orbán

  • Ubi Caritas et Amor — Maurice Duruflé

  • O Holy Lord — Nathaniel Dett

  • When You Are Old — Hans Bridger Heruth

 

Powerful Spirituals

  • Wade in the Water — arr. Stacey V. Gibbs

  • Wanna Die Easy When I Die — arr. Ysayë Barnwell

  • Give Me Jesus — Traditional

  • I Want Jesus to Walk with Me — arr. Moses Hogan

 

Gospel, Jazz & Soul

  • The Storm Is Passing Over — Donald Vails

  • Healing — Richard Smallwood

  • If I Can Help Somebody — arr. Nathan Carter

  • Pure Imagination — arr. Greg Murai

  • Bring It on Home to Me — Sam Cooke

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🎧 Listen: Preview the season program on our AfterGlow Summer 2026 YouTube Playlist.

 

Who Sings With Us?

Our room is a fast-paced, high-level musical environment. The typical AfterGlow singer has a deep ensemble background—often bringing experience from premier collegiate concert choirs, auditioned touring ensembles, or specialized a cappella groups. While our members have musical roots trailing back to top-tier vocal programs nationwide, they balance their musical lives with busy professional careers across the Bay Area's tech, civic, and corporate sectors.

 

Situated as an ideal central hub just off major Bay Bridge and Caldecott Tunnel corridors, our ensemble forms an exceptional community of musicians drawing from all corners of the region:

  • East Bay / Tri-Valley: Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Orinda, Castro Valley, Dublin, Hayward, Livermore, and Walnut Creek

  • San Francisco, South Bay & North Bay: San Francisco, San Jose, and Marin County

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Commitment & Logistics for Advanced Singers: ​Zero Tuition. Zero Fees. Pure Music.

Unlike many other choirs, there are no fees or tuition to sing in the chorus in order to be as economically inclusive as possible for a variety of singers.​

  • Condensed Schedule: We operate on intensive, 4-week rehearsal cycles rather than a months-long weekly commitment, making AfterGlow the ideal seasonal ensemble and short-term project choir for busy, high-level musicians.

  • Location & Transit: Rehearsals and concerts are held in Oakland at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, beautifully situated right by Lake Merritt. The venue offers free parking and is highly accessible via public transit, located just a short walk from the 19th Street BART station.

  • Independent Preparation: To maintain our fast pace, digital scores are distributed weeks in advance (in mid-June) for independent preparation before the first downbeat.

  • Auditions: Now scheduling private auditions.

  • Audition Location: Piedmont Piano Company, Uptown Oakland, CA

 

Rehearsal & Concert Dates (Summer 2026)

In order to create a cohesive ensemble sound in a very short period of time, ALL rehearsal & concert dates are mandatory. Rehearsals take place on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM:

  • 8 Regular Rehearsals (Mondays & Wednesdays | 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM):

    • July 2026: 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29

    • August 2026: 3, 5

  • Dress Rehearsal: Saturday, August 8, 2026 (1:00 PM – 4:00 PM)

  • 2 Concerts: Sunday, August 9, 2026 & Sunday, August 16, 2026 (1:30 PM Call | 4:00 PM Concert)

 

The Audition Process

The audition itself is a supportive, low-stress vocal placement evaluation held at Piedmont Piano Company (1728 San Pablo Ave) in Uptown Oakland. Designed simply to assess your vocal color, range, and technical fit, you will be asked to sing any a cappella song of your choosing that you have prepared. There will also be a brief vocalizing assessment and sight-singing.

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To request a singer audition, please fill out the Google Form below.​​

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