Join the Chorus

First, you will be led through a series of vocalization exercises to evaluate your breath support, the extent of your range, and the beauty of your tone. Tip: Practice making an accurate, confident, and warm sound both with and without vibrato.

You will then be asked to sing through one verse of a common song (e.g. "My Country 'Tis of Thee", the Star Spangled Banner, or another piece you are comfortable with). The emphasis here is on phrasing, breath support, and making a pleasant vocal sound. There is no need to prepare specific works for the audition. 

A short series of notes will be played for you on the piano, and you will be asked to sing them back. Evaluation is based on the accuracy of sequence, rhythm, and pitch.

A three-note chord will be played on the piano (all notes at once), and you will be asked to sing back one of the notes. This could be the top, middle, or bottom for each chord. Note that not all chords are simple triads in the audition or in choral music at large. Tip: When practicing this exercise with a piano or computer program, start by "rolling" the chords one-note-at-a-time until you can hear all the tones. Then repeat with all three notes played at once.

Because the Chorus has limited rehearsal time to prepare sophisticated musical works, it is important that all members can read printed notation quickly and accurately. You may be asked to identify the key signature, meter, note names, dynamics, or other details of a score you have not seen before. Tip: Be prepared to read in both treble and bass clefs, regardless of your voice part. 

Finally, you will be given the score of a short choral piece and the starting pitch of your line. You will be asked to sing your voice part while the other three parts are played along with you on the piano. Rhythmic and pitch accuracy are most important, with words coming in a close second. You may also be asked to sing in a quartet with section leaders filling in the other voice parts; this is to assess your blending, which is very important in choral singing. Tip: Sight-singing seems to be difficult for many prospective members; you can practice in advance using any four-part music that is readily available. If you don't have a piano or keyboard/synthesizer, there are numerous resources online that can play parts.