(RED BANK | MARCH 16, 2022) The Count Basie Center Gospel Choir has announced a fresh set of auditions for singers of all vocal categories.

Choir Director Gwen Moten will conduct auditions on Saturday, March 26 and Saturday, April 2 from 11-12PM at the Basie Center’s Grunin Arts and Education Building, located onsite at 99 Monmouth Street in Red Bank. Interested performers must visit www.thebasie.org/gospel to arrange for a time slot, and should be prepared to submit a music resume, headshot / photo, and one solo vocal selection to be performed during the audition. An optional YouTube / Vimeo link may also be submitted.

Choir rehearsals take place on Saturdays from noon until 2PM, which means candidates trying out could be selected on the spot and begin rehearsing immediately.

Led by Moten and assistant music director Dr. B Dexter Allgood, the Count Basie Center Gospel Choir is designed as a community initiative open to interested performers in New Jersey and surrounding areas. The choir’s goal is to be an engaging cultural and artistic offering, tasked with developing a holistic and cultural ecology throughout the Basie Center community and beyond.

Moten, whose resume includes international presentations and appointments in Newark, the United Nations, the White House and elsewhere, has led the choir since its inception, including its debut public performance with the New Jersey Symphony last September. The symphony and choir joined forces again in February for a performance to accompany an art exhibition in Newark.

Additional Count Basie Gospel Choir performances and collaborations are set to be announced in coming weeks.