Home | The Recruits Chorus

Memorial Presbyterian Church
201 S Skinker Blvd,
St. Louis, MO 63105

We rehearse on Sundays
at 5:00pm - 7:00pm
in the choir room.

ABOUT US:

Welcome! We are excited to have you visit. The Recruits Chorus is an a cappella ensemble which resides in St. Louis, MO. The chorus was created under the umbrella of the Ambassadors of Harmony (www.aoh.org) with the sole purpose of creating a supported outlet for youth a cappella in and around the St. Louis area. Once a men's only group, the chorus has taken on a new form by turning the Recruits into a mixed chorus. With a strong emphasis on singing in the barbershop style (our roots), we are no stranger to choral, jazz, contemporary a cappella. We look forward to seeing you around town!

Our Mission: To inspire and educate young people in a cappella music. The Recruit's utilize members of the Ambassadors of Harmony Chorus to assist in educating newer "Recruits," by posing as directors, section leaders, arrangers etc.... The Recruits Chorus was created to increase the awareness of a cappella music while educating young people in this uniquely American art form.

OUR DIRECTORS

CO-DIRECTOR

Eric Dalbey is a music teacher and voice instructor at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. During his seven year tenure at Missouri Baptist University, he founded and conducted Missouri Baptist University’s very first commercial voice mixed a cappella group, Legacy Voices. He is a prominent vocalist in the St. Louis area and currently sings in the 2006 International Men’s Quartet Champions, Vocal Spectrum as well as the Barbershop Harmony Society International Men’s Barbershop Chorus Champions, the Ambassadors of Harmony. Singing in these groups has given him many opportunities to teach and perform at various workshops and festivals in 45 states and 18 countries including China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Sweden, Germany, Spain and Israel.

He has also had the privilege of sharing the stage with the likes of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra as well as Dick Van Dyke, Take 6, and David Phelps. Eric has also had the privilege of making the final callbacks as countertenor for the Grammy Award winning group, Chanticleer. He also enjoys singing countertenor in a semi-professional classical a cappella ensemble called Prometheus, directed by Dr. Paul Crabb as well as St. Louis' premiere early music ensemble, Pro-Arte St. Louis . Eric holds a Master of Arts degree in Music and Worship from Covenant Theological Seminary, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocal Performance and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Lindenwood University. In his spare time, Eric enjoys traveling to new places and experiencing their food, drink, music and people. Eric and his wife Elizabeth have two darling little girls, Lydia and Cora, that have changed his life for the better!

CO-DIRECTOR

Keegan Eich is music and voice teacher out of University City, Missouri. He has worked with several major quartets and choruses, serving as a coach and clinician. Around St Louis, he has worked as a clinician for UMSL’s Acapallooza Fall and Summer, coach for St Louis Vocal Project, and coaching panel for St. Louis Harmony Festival. Keegan holds a bachelors degree in Music Theory and another degree in composition from the University of Missouri - St Louis. During his time there, he personally studied under Dr. Jim Henry in choral directing and choral methods. He was also asked to participate in the 2019 All-State Collegiate Missouri choir. Also in 2019, he won an international collegiate 3rd place medal with the quartet City Limits.

During the years of the pandemic, he graciously accepted an opportunity to work closely with BHS and Deke Sharon, producer of Pitch Perfect, mixing and mastering several virtual choirs for the society. He also serves on the music team and as the tenor section leader of the internationally renowned men’s chorus The Ambassadors of Harmony. When he’s not singing, he enjoys cooking, arranging, composing, and spending time with his girlfriend Rita Schien.

JOIN US:

Our regular weekly rehearsals are on every Sunday from 5:00pm - 7:00pm at Memorial Presbyterian Church (near Forest Park). We love an audience at our regular rehearsals because it helps us better prepare for stage performances. Guest singers are welcome to watch, too, but we strongly encourage you to sing with us on our risers to get a sense for the kind of work we do in rehearsal.

Trying out for the chorus may sound daunting, but don’t sweat it. We are thrilled to bring new singers into our ranks and we encourage you to attend our rehearsals to experience the power of performing with like-minded singers like yourself. We look for people with a passion for performing, a desire to sing challenging music and a commitment to perfecting our artform. Our music carries a deep emotional message that means it is important to convey the meaning of our songs with strong visual performance.

Our audition process is straight-forward: First, come to three consecutive rehearsals to get a good sense of how the Recruits Chorus works. Second, after one of the rehearsals, perform a vocal placement session with our director (so we can figure out your range and place you in the right part). During this, we will also have you sing a basic barbershop tag with our music team, this will qualify for you to become a member. Lastly, to be performance ready, pass a basic vocal audition by singing and recording one of the current songs in our repertoire.

Once you've joined, you'll be expected to pass a visual evaluation which is a check for how you present yourself on stage. We expect members to learn the repertoire and come prepared to every rehearsal and concert. If you have any questions about auditioning or membership, please reach out! Email our membership coordinator at contact@therecruitschorus.org