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Music : Choral Ensembles |
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CWU CHOIRS Audition & Vocal Interview Information If you like to sing, there is a CWU Choir for you!
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A "VOCAL INTERVIEW" AND AN AUDITION? You may choose to simply do a vocal interview - designed for those people who just want to let the Choral Faculty help place you in the choir best suited to your ability and experience. It is a 7 minute slot, during which we'll get to know you, gather some information and hear you sing a couple of simple exercises. An audition is called for if you are interested in either Women's Chorale or Chamber Choir. They are more rigorous, usually lasting 10-15 minutes, and include tonal memory, a prepared selection, a chosen selection, and sight reading.
WHEN ARE AUDITIONS AND VOCAL INTERVIEWS? Sign up sheets will be posted on the bulletin board outside Office 209 in the Music Building on and after Sept 12, 2007. Vocal Interviews , in 7 minute time slots, will take place at the following times:
IMPORTANT - PLEASE ARRIVE 10-15 minutes before your scheduled time to fill out the necessary and important paperwork. It will greatly help if you know your student number, phone and address, and email address Depending upon your background and experience and interest, some of you will asked to audition for women's or chamber choir. If you think you are interested in Chamber Choir - please download and learn a comfortable voice part and the Niels La Cour setting of "Hodie" found HERE
Please sign up after September 12 for a 7 minute slot (see above). It is fine to sign up when you get to campus - PLEASE TAKE A TIME ON THE SUNDAY or MONDAY if at all possible - Tuesday will likely be 'overbooked'.
Absolutely not! In fact, in some groups there are more non-majors than majors. If you like to sing, there's a CWU Choir for you!
Everyone new to campus is encouraged to complete a "Vocal Interview" - you will be advised about whether the Men's Choir, University Chorale, or other ensembles are the most appropriate, given your schedule, experience, course load, class conflicts, etc. If you wish to be considered for Women's Chorale or Chamber Choir, you may start with a "Vocal Intervew" , after which you'll know if you qualify for an Audition. Bottom line - a full audition is required to enter either of these groups. Professors Singh and Weidenaar will audition people privately in their offices.
VOCAL INTERVIEWS/AUDITIONS CONSIST OF . . . They are relaxed, friendly, and nothing to be uneasy about. Between 2 and 6 members of the Choral Team will guide you through it. These give us a chance to get to know you individually before the semester gets underway. Vocal Interviews include: 1) Singing. You may be asked to sing the first verse of My Country 'Tis of Thee (we have copies of it for you if needed). 2) Vocalizing. You will vocalize through your range. 3) Pitch Retention. You will sing back series of pitches after they are played for you on the piano.
Auditions include: FOR SPECIFIC CHAMBER CHOIR AUDITION INFORMATION, GO HERE 1) Singing. Plan to sing 60-90 seconds of an aria or art song - unaccompanied. 2) Vocalizing. You will vocalize through your range. 3) Pitch Retention. You will sing back series of pitches after they are played for you on the piano. 4) Sight reading. Rhythm Skills, pitch skills, and interval knowledge will be tested.
You really don't have to prepare anything in advance for a Vocal Interview. Prepare an art song or aria (60-90 seconds - unaccompanied) and, for Chamber Choir Auditions - you part on THIS piece
I NEED TO HAVE THIS INFO WITH ME. . . IMPORTANT - PLEASE ARRIVE 10-15 minutes before your scheduled time to fill out the necessary and important paperwork. It will greatly help if you know your student number, phone and address, and email address. Women's Chorale and female Chamber Choir hopefuls will also try on and get sized for the required outfit.
If you like to sing, there is a CWU choir for you. Ensembles
are open by audition to all students at the University, regardless of
major. Whether you are an accomplished choral singer or you want to
develop and refine abilities in a friendly environment, you can find
a place in one of our choirs - all with one thing in common; a love
of making music. Each choir has their own niche, and all of them perform a wide variety of quality repertoire of differing levels of difficulty. All choirs perform in various concerts throughout the year, and each choir performs at least once per quarter. We invite you to become part of this great tradition.
CHORAL ENSEMBLES Chamber Choir - The flagship ensemble of CWU. Members must be at the sophomore level or higher. There will be multiple required
evening commitments given you at the audition which must be cleared
in order for you to be considered for this group. A weekly one hour sectional is also required. Sight reading sessions will be held on T, W at 12:50 weekly. This choir requires a commitment for the complete school year. Women's Choir - an auditioned ensemble for females, singing music written for women's voices. Although students are encouraged to commit to the group for the year, the director will allow students to enroll for a quarter on a case by case basis. University Chorale - open to all who like to sing, a mixed choir of over 100 voices that performs outstanding
concert and multi- cultural pieces.
Men's Choir - open to all who like to sing, an ensemble of 25-40 men who sing literature for male voices, performing
both on and off campus.
Course #: MUS 228 (freshman, sophomore), MUS 428 (junior, senior), Central Singers - an auditioned mixed ensemble
of 16-24 mostly chosen from University Chorale.
There are 3 Vocal Jazz Ensembles at CWU, aptly named VJ1, VJ2, and VJ3. The Men's Ensemble is another campus singing ensemble. The men are chosen from the Men's Choir, and it rehearses twice weekly, singing both traditional and contemporary acappella repertoire.
I'VE
ALREADY ENROLLED FOR A CHOIR If you've already enrolled in a choir, please let us know that at the vocal interview. It is very common for singers to go through drops and adds to change the ensemble in which they have been enrolled. If you feel you only have one or two time slots free, let us know that - in many cases, there are options of which you may not be aware. We try and balance voices and voice parts as well as your wishes as best we can. There is no need to physically sign up for a choir before its first rehearsal. You are given until Tuesday, Sept. 25 by the registrar's office to drop and add with no penalty . After that time a 75$ fee is assessed (See Dr. Weidenaar about getting the fee waived if you are thinking of the Men's Choir, which has its first meeting on the final day to add or drop). If you haven't signed up for a choir yet, you may do so within the first week of the semester. If you have signed up, you may drop one choir and replace it with another (if needed) - see your instructor for how..
TWO COURSE & LINE NUMBERS . . . Although there are two line numbers for each choir, it is the same ensemble. The lower course number (in the 200's) is for freshman and sophomores, the upper number (in the 400's) generally for juniors or seniors. In the case of certain choirs, the upper line number (in the 500's) is a number for graduate students. Results of auditions will be posted WEDNESDAY MORNING, September 19, 2007 by 9:00am on the choral bulletin board near the choir room. .
FIRST REHEARSALS TAKE PLACE ON. . . Callbacks for Chamber Choir will be at the following times: Bass: 6:30-7:00, Tenor 7:00-7:30, Soprano: 7:30-8:30, Alto: 8:30-9:30 ALL CHAMBER CHOIR HOPEFULS- NEW AND OLD, you must pick up a piece on my door anytime after Sunday at 1:00 The first CHAMBER CHOIR rehearsal will be Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007. The first WOMEN'S CHOIR rehearsal will be 12:00p.m., Monday, Sept. 24, 2007. The first UNIVERSITY CHORALE rehearsal will be Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2007. The first MEN'S CHOIR rehearsal will be Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007. Other ensemble rehearsals will be announced by the conductor of the group.
last updated: Sept. 12, 2007 |
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Contact Information
Music 400 E. University Way Ellensburg, WA 98926 963-1216 email: Music@cwu.edu |
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