About The Doorway Singers

The Doorway Singers was founded in 1990 when four singers and an accompanist were hired to assemble a medieval banquet in Hampton, Virginia. Shortly after, they were asked to return with a Dickens-themed Christmas program to be performed at the venue on the weekends during the holiday season. Thus, the first two Doorway shows, "The Courte of Sir Richard of Chichester" and "A Dickens' Kind of Christmas," were born.

Since then, the professional a cappella group has expanded its roster to over 30 members and now performs for festivals, corporate and private events, reunions, weddings, and venues all over the state. The Doorway Singers have performed at every major festival in the Hampton Roads area, including Harborfest, the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival, the Portsmouth Seawall Festival,  and the Newport News Fall Festival. They were proud to be part of the national Christmas Tree lighting in Washington, DC, and the Opsail 2000 event in Norfolk. They have also been featured on Beach Street USA (now called Live! On Atlantic) at the Virginia Beach oceanfront since it debuted almost 20 years ago.

Although programs have come and gone, and the roster has changed over the years, The Doorway Singers has remained a timeless piece of Hampton Roads history since its inception, and we hope that you will join in the fun with us by booking us for an event or coming to see us perform!

 

What is Doorway about?

The Doorway Singers is a group of musicians from the Hampton Roads area who collaborate with businesses, agents, and entertainment venues all over the state. Doorway seeks to provide quality entertainment for its audiences and has done so for over 25 years. We are always seeking to try new outlets and venues.

 

What kind of music do you provide?

We have several different programs, listed on our homepage.

Our Christmas program is the largest set and consists of over 60 a cappella songs. The other sets consist of a few a cappella numbers but generally are accompanied by backup tracks and incorporate choreography.

 

I see quite a few singers listed here. How many come on a gig, and can I pick them?

Although we rehearse in a large group, we normally do shows in quartets, meaning that you will have four singers in your group when you hire us for a show. If you would like a larger or smaller number, note that on the gig sheet when you book us, and we will work accordingly.

Usually, the schedule is created based on our singers' availability, so we cannot guarantee a specific singer. However, if you make a request, we will do our best to accommodate you.

 

How are gigs scheduled?

Gigs can be booked through our website, our Facebook page, or through our Business Manager, Dan. Occasionally, we will work through a booking agent as well.

 

What is a holding fee?

As of 2018, your booking will come with a standard holding fee, which assures you the date and time that you have booked. You may choose not to pay the fee, but if another gig comes along on that date that will pay, you may have your booking bumped. This keeps our schedule from piling up with "possible" gigs so that we can provide great service for everyone.

 

How do I become a Doorway Singer?

Auditions are held once in the spring and once in the fall. These are case-by-case since we do not need every part filled every year. We often only hold auditions for a single part at a time. The auditions will be advertised on our website, Facebook, Instagram, and several other places, but feel free to message the Facebook page and ask at any time.