Honors Choir Audition Information

 

Hard Copy Forms Downloads

Information Letter
Student Application
School Registration Form

 

Date - Time - Audition Fee                                                                                                                            

The auditions will be held on Saturday, October 4, 2008. These auditions will be held at Longwood University, Farmville Virginia, in Wygal Hall.

The student audition fee is $12.00 per student.

 

Student and Teacher Eligibility                                                                                                                    

All 12th grade students (class of 2009) enrolled in their school choral programs are eligible to audition with the recommendation of their school choral director. Female tenors or basses and male altos and sopranos are not eligible to audition. No senior selected for Honors Choir in a previous year will be granted a second opportunity should he or she repeat the senior level in school.

Teachers must present their up to date MENC card or a cancelled check for current membership at registration even though their ID number is listed on the audition application. This event is sponsored by MENC/VMEA: therefore, it is not open to non-members or their students. Non-member fees will not be accepted. If you are not currently a member of MENC and would like to join,  click here or contact your district representative and a form will be forwarded to you.

 

Teacher Responsibility                                                                                                                                 

Transportation to and from the audition location will be the responsibility of the choral director. Students must be accompanied by their choral director, or a designated chaperone approved by the school principal. A letter with signatures from the student, parent, choral director, and principal must be attached and returned with the Audition Application forms. The chaperone may present it at registration only in the event of a last minute emergency. Students will not be allowed to register themselves.

PLEASE NOTE: Teachers must pre-screen auditionees within their school. This is HONORS CHOIR. This is not the time to send everyone who wants to try out.

 

Audition Selection                                                                                                                                          

The audition song is entitled "I attempt from Love's sickness to fly" by Henry Purcell. This is available in the Download Section of the VCDA website.

Soprano I and Tenor I Key of Bb Major
Soprano II and Tenor II Key of Ab Major
Alto I and Bass I Key of F Major
Alto II and Bass II Key of D Major

Hard copies of each key will be distributed to district representatives at the September VMEA meeting. The tempo will be: quarter note = 120.

 

General Information                                                                                                                                       

Students may only audition once, and only on the part registered for on their school form. Students should be advised to dress appropriately. Screens are not used for Honors Choir Auditions and judges may reflect inappropriate dress in their scoring.

Sight-reading: The sight-reading selection may be sung before or after the prepared piece. When the student enters the room they must tell the judges which they wish to do first. The total exercise will be eight measures in length and sung unaccompanied. The exercise will be computer manuscript. Twenty seconds will be given to look at the manuscript before the student begins. The women's selection will be written in treble clef, the bass in bass clef and the tenor will be written in both clefs for the student's choice. The sight-reading should be performed on a neutral syllable selected by the student.

Please note: Sight-reading counts for twenty percent of the total score. Therefore, the auditionee should be a good sight-reader to even audition for Honors Choir. Teachers are required to "prescreen" their students. This is not the time to bring everyone who wants to try out.

Students should be prepared to sing the entire audition, but should not be surprised if the judges choose to hear only a certain portion of the audition.

 

Results and Future Mailings                                                                                                                         

Results will be available on the VCDA website the week following the audition. Score sheets and a hard copy of the results will be emailed the week following the audition. No scores will be available the day of the audition.

Directors need to check the Honor's Choir web page for updated information including the student's audition times, a map of Longwood University, and other pertinent information.

 

Sight-Reading Criteria                                                                                                                                   

The exercise will be eight measures in length in common time. It will include intervals of thirds, fourths and fifths. The range can be down to "ti" and up to "la". Note and rest values from eighth to whole notes may be used, including dotted rhythms.

Special Needs                                                                                                                                                

Should one of your students have special needs on the sight reading due to visual impairment we will need to be informed by the September 12th deadline so that special arrangements can be made. We will be unable to accommodate students the day of the audition.