The Botetourt Chamber Singers was formed at the College of William & Mary in 1974 by Dr. Frank T. Lendrim. Originally an auditioned subset of the W&M Choir, it now stands as a separate entity, and affirms some of W&M’s best vocal talent.
“The Bots,” under the direction of Dr. Jamie C. Bartlett, perform in and around Williamsburg for such popular events as Grand Illumination and caroling in Colonial Williamsburg, as well as many W&M sponsored events. The Bots have been invited to perform at the Virginia State Music Educator’s Association Convention in 2005, 2007, 2011, and 2016. They were also invited to perform at the VA All-State Choral event in 2016.
The summer of 2005 marked the Bots’ first International Tour (with the W&M Choir) where they performed several concerts in Romania, Hungary, Croatia, and Slovenia. Since then they have also toured to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco; Italy, Greece and Turkey; and Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Finland. In May 2017, the ensemble toured South Africa and gave concerts with several South African choirs.
The ensemble sings a wide variety of choral literature from the Renaissance through contemporary works, including a full concert of jazz and Broadway standards. Each February, they hold an annual Gala Concert Fundraiser in the Kimball Theater. They have released 3 CDs including “Something Olde, Something New”, “Sing We Joyous, All Together” and “All My Heart This Night Rejoices.”
Performances
Friday, September 27th: Family Weekend Concert 8-9 pm
Friday, October 18th: Bots 50th Anniversary Concert 8:30 pm
Saturday, November 16th: Fall/Winter Concert 7:30 pm
Thursday, December 5th: Colonial Williamsburg Tree Lighting @ CW Courthouse 5-7 pm
Saturday, December 7th: Bots Grand Illumination Performance
Stay Tuned for Community Christmas Caroling Dates and our Spring Schedule!
Auditions
Membership is open to William & Mary students by audition.
Auditions for the 2024-2025 academic year took place on 8/25-8/29. We can’t wait to meet more auditionees next year!
Officers
- President: Erica White ’25
- Gala Chairs: Natalie Basham ’25 & Alice Pancake ’25
- Librarian: Sam Watkowski ’27
- Publicity: Leslie Ipock ’26
- Recording Chairs: Jackson Kubin ’25 & Ethan Dillard ’27
- Social Chairs: Katherine Beale ’25 & Natasha Haines ’27
International Tour Fund
One of the most exciting opportunities as a member of the Botetourt Chamber Singers is the chance to go on international tour. This experience not only allows the Bots to share their music with a larger audience, but also creates the opportunity to learn about many other cultures.
You can support the Bots by donating to our International Tour Fund.
Keep up with us!
Follow us on social media for our latest updates. For inquiries, contact Dr. Jamie Bartlett (director) at jcbart@wm.edu or Erica White (president) at emwhite@wm.edu.
