What months and how many hours do the choristers work?
As a member of the Opera Australia Melbourne chorus you are employed on a casual basis in either the winter or spring season. The usual rehearsal routine is 12-15 hours per week,, totaling12-24 hours per production. Of course this refers to ‘music calls’…When you are in production you can be looking at up to 26 hours a week, usually evenings and weekends (Saturdays). Sometimes at this point you feel like you’re living in the theatre!
What is the starting pay?
Casual chorus members are paid an hourly rate using a grading system based on experience. This is different from the contracts that full-time choristers receive at Opera Australia Sydney. It should be noted that casual chorus members in Australia cannot reach the highest level, which is only offered to full-time members. The pay is approximately $23 Australian an hour ($12.19 US) for rehearsals, and a performance fee of $130-147 Australian ($68.9-$77.91 US), depending on which grade you fall into. Also the rates of pay differ between Opera Australia and the regional companies, which tend to pay less.
How many extra choristers are there?
The number of members in the extra chorus is conditional on the type of repertoire being performed. Operas like Aida, Billy Budd, etc. will employ more singers than, say, a Mozart opera. Also Opera Australia in Sydney generally uses the Melbourne chorus to supplement their own chorus where necessary.
Do existing choristers need to re-audition every year?
General auditions tend to be held every year, but most people are not required to audition unless they want to be considered for a small role, understudy or additional chorus work.
What do you sing for the audition?
You are asked to prepare three or four arias, but generally only one aria is heard.
When are auditions held for new choristers?
Auditions are held in Melbourne between April and October.
Are the auditions for union members only?
In the late eighties union members tended to get better treatment and more opportunities, and membership in unions such as the MEAA or Actors Equity was enforced by opera companies. Now it seems that not only are auditions offered to anybody seeking one, but membership in a union is not compulsory…. I don’t know for certain if this is the case in regional companies. I know the former general manager of the State Opera of South Australia once told me that unless I was a union member, I wouldn’t be allowed on the stage. That was in 1990.
Are singers asked to sight-read at auditions?
To the best of my knowledge, no one has been asked to sight-read at a chorus audition. The ability to read music in itself is not a prerequisite for a chorus audition.
Do choristers get other opportunities to sing because of being choristers?
Many people involved in the extra chorus also take leading roles in some of the more respected amateur companies in Melbourne. I myself was involved in a production of Carmen working with colleagues from the chorus. However, the seasons for Opera Australia and the amateur companies invariably clash.
Are they ever considered for small roles in productions?
It is possible to be considered for small roles, but these are usually cast using young artists. I have sung the small roles of the strolling vendor in La Boheme and the very high cough and spit of the Artian in Wozzeck. It should be noted, however, that I received neither billing nor extra money for either role, so it was a dubious honor!
What’s the pay when you sing a “solo bit” (a union classification)?
As mentioned above I received no extra cash for small roles, but when covering the First Armed Man in Magic Flute I received a fee for the cover (approx AU $800-1000), a further $1.67 AU per performance on my chorus fee and if I’d gone on a flat rate of $67 AU, just under half of what I was making doing the chorus. I have friends in Sydney who have gone on and performed leading roles.
What’s the turnover rate amongst choristers?
Many people doing extra chorus work have been there for many years. It seems to me that with very few exceptions, once you’re in the loop you continue to receive contracts. I know of people who have not accepted contracts and have been phoned by Opera Australia all the same to be offered work. In recent years it seems that I have seen more new faces in the tenor section.
What happens if a chorister becomes pregnant?
Recently a regular chorus member requested to leave a production because her pregnancy was advanced, and as she was doing two productions she felt it was too much. This wasn’t a problem—the singer was released, continued in one production and no doubt is still working on a casual basis. I would assume that full-time members are offered maternity leave and then continue after the birth.
Can someone in the regular chorus hold an outside job?
Most people in the extra chorus have “real jobs.” The extra chorus is made up of people who sing for a hobby or are vocal students. Full-time chorus members in Sydney have little time outside of the chorus for additional work, but I believe some teach and others have computer interests.
What is the atmosphere like among the choristers?
Melbourne and Sydney have enjoyed a traditional rivalry for many years. There is very little tension amongst the Melbourne extra chorus—most people get along well and are friends outside of the productions. There can be a feeling of “them and us” when joining with the full-timers, but again this is minimal. The main disadvantage is that Sydney singers tend to be over-rehearsed and in many cases have completed many performances before touring to Melbourne. In contrast, often the Melbourne chorus can be very under-rehearsed and yet to perform the opera. I can well understand the full-timers’ frustration having to go back to the start and re-rehearse operas they have already performed, and this frustration that can sometime give the impression that extra chorus members are in some way “amateurs.”
Do you enjoy singing in the chorus?
I always viewed chorus work as some sort of “apprenticeship” and so feel it is now time to attempt a solo career. However, my three favorite operas of the past few years have been Billy Budd, Wozzeck and a new Australian Opera by Richard Mills, Batavia.
