For the 2022–23 School Year
Auditions for all Jacobs School choral ensembles will take place Wed., Aug. 17, through Sat., Aug. 20. We look forward to hearing you sing!
6 Quick & Useful Facts
1. An audition is required of everyone enrolled in MUS-X70.
2. An appointment is needed. See the Canvas X70 home page after July 1.
(Students who have not yet enrolled in MUS X70 can use this link to access Canvas. It does not officially enroll you in the course but will give you access to the audition form under “Quizzes” and the sign up calendar!)
3. This single audition covers all X70 concert choirs and all opera choruses, but not the Singing Hoosiers.
4. For Singing Hoosiers* audition information, contact Riley Sample, rsample@iu.edu
5. This audition cover placements in both fall and spring semesters.
6. MUS-X70 University Choral Ensembles will only meet face-to-face in 2022–23.
*Non-music majors auditioning for the Singing Hoosiers should enroll in MUS-X80. Music majors in the Singing Hoosiers should continue to enroll in MUS-X70.
Read all the information on this page, it will tell you what to expect, how to prepare, and how to present at your best!
THE AUDITION
This 2-part audition gives us the chance to learn about your voice and your musical skills. Scroll down the page for information on the skills demonstration.
Please check back mid-August for information regarding masks and/or other protocols that may be required.
PART I: THE SOLO
All students are required to sing a song.
The solo does not need to be memorized!
An experienced collaborative pianist will be present to accompany you. Do not bring a copy of your music for the pianist. The players will have copies of all the audition repertoire. This allows safe social distancing.
Voice Majors: choose a solo from the list below. The list has changed this year! An asterisk (*) indicates pieces that have been added, and a strikethrough (strikethrough) indicates pieces that will no longer be used for the chorus placement auditions.
Not a Voice Major? Choose one of the 3 pieces here. You may sing either the melody or your voice part. HINT: sing each note on the syllable “La” at a comfortable mezzo forte volume, sustaining the sound for the full value of each note. You are welcome to sing any of the pieces from the Audition Solo List if you have studied voice and/or know one of the songs.
AUDITION SOLO LIST
Soprano
Caro mio ben (Giordani) – Key of E-flat major
Le violette (Scarlatti) – Key of B-flat major
Quia respexit (JS Bach Magnificat) Original key
Come unto Him (Handel Messiah) Original key
Widmung (Schumann) – Key of A-flat major
Allerseelen (Strauss) – Key of E-flat major
Zueignung (Strauss) – Key of C major
Beau Soir (Debussy) – Key of E major
Mandoline (Fauré) – Key of G major
Pierrot (Debussy) – Key of E minor
The Year’s at the Spring (Amy Beach) – Key of D-flat
“Spring” from Six Elizabethan Songs (Argento) Key of F major
Deep River (arr. H.T. Burleigh) – Key of F major
Del Cabello más sutil (Obradors) Key of F# major
Ridente la calma (Mozart) Key of F major
Night (Price) Key of C major
* Loveliest of Trees (Duke) Key of A-flat major
* Do not go, my love (Hageman) – Key of F-sharp minor
* Chanson triste (Duparc) – Key of E-flat major
* Tu lo sai (Torelli) – Key of E major
* Breit über mein Haupt (R. Strauss) – Key of G flat major
Mezzo/Alto
Caro mio ben (Giordani) – Key of C major
Il mio bel foco (Marcello) – Key of E minor
Sebben crudele (Caldara) – Key of C minor
He shall feed His Flock (Handel Messiah) Original key
O thou that tellest (Handel) – Key of D-major
Widmung (Schumann) – Key of G-flat major or F major
Er, der Herrlichste von Allen (Schumann) – Key of E-flat major or D-flat major
Dein blaues Auge (Brahms) – Key of D major
Allerseelen (Strauss) – Key of B major
Zueignung (Strauss) – Key of A major or A-flat major
Beau soir (Debussy) – Key of D major
Qui sedes (Vivaldi Gloria) Key of B minor
Deep River (arr. H.T. Burleigh) – Key of D-flat major or C major
Shall We Gather at the River (arr. Copland) Key of E flat major
Night (Price) Key of C major
* Sonntag (Brahms) – Key of E-flat major
* Wie Melodien zieht es mir (Brahms) – Key of A major
Tenor
Caro mio ben (Giordani) – Key of E-flat major
Già il sole dal gange (Scarlatti) – Key of A-flat major
O del mio amato ben (Donaudy) – Key of A-flat major
Nina (Pergolesi) Key of G minor
I’ll sail upon the Dog-star (Purcell) Key of B flat major
Comfort ye (no Every Valley – Handel Messiah) Original key
If with all your hearts (Mendelssohn Elijah) – Key of E-flat
Ma rendi pur contento (Bellini) – Key of A-flat major
Der Neugierige (Schubert) – Key of B major
Widmung (Schumann) – Key of A-flat major
Allerseelen (Strauss) – Key of E-flat major
Zueignung (Strauss) – Key of C major
Lydia (Fauré) – Key of G major
Loveliest of trees (John Duke) – Key of A-flat major
Come ready and see me (Hundley) – Key of G flat major
Deep River (arr. H.T. Burleigh) – Key of F major
* Loveliest of Trees (Duke) Key of A-flat major
* Do not go, my love (Hageman) – Key of F-sharp minor
* Chanson triste (Duparc) – Key of E-flat major
* Tu lo sai (Torelli) – Key of E major
Baritone/Bass
Caro mio ben (Giordani) – Key of C major
Già il sole dal gange (Scarlatti) – Key of E-flat major
Sebben, crudele (Caldara) – Key of C minor
Si, tra i ceppi (Handel – ‘A’ section only) – Key of C major
The people that walked in darkness (Handel Messiah) – Key of B minor
Recitative: Thus saith the Lord (Handel Messiah) Key of D minor
Beau soir (Debussy) – Key of D major
Chanson à boire (Ravel)
Der Neugierige (Schubert) – Key of A-flat major or G major
Widmung (Schumann) – Key of G-flat major or F major
Allerseelen (Strauss) – Key of B major
Zueignung (Strauss) – Key of A major, A-flat major, or F major
Bright is the ring of words (Vaughan Williams) – Key of C major
The Roadside Fire (Vaughan Williams) – Key of D-flat major
The Vagabond (Vaughan Williams) – Key of C minor
Deep River (arr. H.T. Burleigh) – Key of D-flat major
* Sonntag (Brahms) – Key of E-flat major
* Whither must I wander (Vaughan Williams) – Key of E-flat major
PART II: THE MUSICAL SKILLS DEMONSTRATION
Everyone will perform three skills exercises as part of their audition:
1. Sight-Singing/Melodic Preparation
Graduate Students, Returning Undergraduates, and First-Year Composers & Pianists will be given a melody to sing at sight. It will begin as a simple, diatonic melody and become progressively more complex. You may choose your own stopping point.
First Year Undergraduate Voice-Majors Only. Please prepare your voice part from the music found in either link below. The music in both links is the same, simply choose the format you prefer. Baritones should prepare the melody (top line) but sing in your octave. Sing each note on the syllable “La” at a comfortable mezzo forte volume, sustaining the sound for the full value of each note.
Melody for 1st Year Voice-Major Undergraduates, open score
Melody for 1st Year Voice-Major Undergraduates, closed score
2. Rhythm Reading
Each student will be given a rhythm exercise to be spoken (not sung) on the syllable “tah”. Takadimi or other rhythm-reading systems are also acceptable. As with the melodic example, the rhythm exercise becomes increasingly more complicated. You may choose your own stopping point. HINT: choose a slow to moderate tempo and conduct or tap the beat!
3. Pitch Memory
You will be asked to sing/echo back a series of notes played on the piano. Each group of four or five notes will be played in a range appropriate to your voice.
Chorus Placement Audition FAQs
Who needs a chorus placement audition?
All students enrolled in MUS X70 need to audition for the concert choirs, the opera choruses, or the Singing Hoosiers. Registration is required to participate in any Jacobs choral ensemble, and students earn 2 credits toward their degree program.
MUS-X70 is required of the following students:
1. All voice majors except:
– doctoral students
– MM students who have completed four semesters of fall & spring MUS-X70*
2. All 1st- and 2nd-year piano majors
3. Junior and senior piano majors who are not registered for MUS-X2
4. All master’s degree choral conductors
*Summer enrollment does not count towards the ensemble requirement.
MUS-X70 also fills the major ensemble requirement for students majoring in organ, composition, guitar, music history, music theory, orchestra conducting, and second-year master’s degree in piano.
Please see the Jacobs School of Music Bulletin for the specific requirements of your degree, it supersedes any information provided here.
Do I have to register?
Yes, if X70 is a required course for your degree, you must register by the end of the first week of classes. This is a Jacobs School requirement.
I’m an instrumentalist with an injury, may I join X70?
Yes, but please get approval from Tom Wieligman and your teacher to use MUS-X70 as a substitute. You will also need to successfully audition for X70. Please sign up for an audition as described above.
When are auditions held?
Auditions take place the week before the first day of class. Schedule your audition as early in the week as possible.
Will an accompanist be provided?
Yes, an experienced collaborative pianist will be present for all auditions.
What if I’ve never sung before?
No worries! Choose a melody from one of the three hymn tunes in this PDF Download PDF. We may ask you to sing some 5-note scales to determine your voice type and range.
How long is the audition?
The entire process will last about seven minutes.
Do I need to audition separately for the opera choruses and the concert choirs?
No, one audition will suffice to be considered for all our choruses for the fall semester.
What happens next?
All rosters and call back information will be posted on Canvas beginning on Wed., Aug. 24. Please check frequently, the first choir rehearsal starts on Thursday, Aug. 25th.
Help, I can’t find my name on the chorus ensemble rosters!
Please write David Villanueva, dvillanu@indiana.edu.
What is the Conductors Chorus?
The Conductors Chorus (CC) is a paid chorus that sings for choral conducting graduate student recitals. The group rehearses Wednesdays and Fridays from 2: 50–4:10. This ensemble does NOT fulfill MUS-X70 requirements. The compensation, established by the Jacobs School for all paid student ensembles, is $12 / hr. (This rate may increase in 2022–23, please check back.) It is possible to sing for just one recital in the school year, or, if invited, for all recitals given that year.
All participants must be enrolled in the IU Hourly Payroll.
What if I’m not a music major?
Any student currently enrolled at IU Bloomington is welcome to audition for the Jacobs School of Music choruses. You are also eligible to participate in the All-Campus Choir (ACC), MUS- X01, which does not require an audition.
All-Campus Choir does not fulfill the large ensemble MUS-X70 requirement for music majors.
When do the choral ensembles meet?
Keep the following times free in your schedule until you receive your assignment for the semester: MTR 2:50 -4:10 pm (concert choirs) and 4:25 –6:35 (opera choruses)
What if I have a conflict with another class?
Ensemble assignments are based on your skills as demonstrated in your MUS-X70 audition and the needs of the Jacobs School’s programming; assignments cannot be made based on student schedules. If you have a class conflict with your ensemble placement, you will be asked to find an alternate section of the conflicting course. You will also be expected to change any conflicting off-campus commitments. Avoid this complication and keep the chorus ensemble times open! You must be able to attend all rehearsals and performances in order to receive credit for MUS-X70; it is not possible to regularly miss a rehearsal, or even a portion of a rehearsal, every week.