(RED BANK | APRIL 3 2023) The Count Basie Center Gospel Choir has announced a fresh audition opportunity for singers of all vocal categories.

Choir Director Gwen Moten will conduct auditions on Saturday, April 15 from 10-11AM in Studio 302-303 onsite 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, to its most recent appearance in the opening slot for the Kingdom Choir’s performance at The Vogel. The choir has also performed at functions in Newark, Metuchen and onsite at the Count Basie Center, including holiday programming and a discussion with Dr. Cornel West.

In coming weeks, the Choir’s presence at a Basie Center Juneteenth performance will be unveiled.