2012 NVHS 3rd Quarter Hearings -and- 12-13 NVHS Curricular Choir Auditions

Click here to download the complete Audition Information Packet

OVERVIEW:

All curricular choir students will perform an individual, graded 3rd Quarter Voice Hearing during their choir or option period at an assigned time the week of January 30th, 2012. This voice hearing will consist of:

1. Performing the National Anthem

2. Sight-Singing

In addition to the 3rd Quarter Voice Hearing above, students elect to make themselves eligible for an 2012-2013 auditioned curricular ensemble (Varsity I, Varsity II, or Treble Choir) by completing the remainder of audition components during an individual assigned time slot on Wednesday, February 9. Time slots are assigned between 2:30pm-9pm. Students will be asked to perform the following:

3. Perform all four types of triads

4. Perform the major scale and two of the three forms of the minor scales

5. Sight-Singing

6. Perform a prepared excerpt from Paratum cor meum

BE SURE TO REVIEW THE SPECIFIC DETAILS FOR EACH REQUIREMENT BELOW:

All curricular choir students will perform an individual, graded 3rd Quarter Voice Hearing during their choir or option period at an assigned time the week of January 30th. This voice hearing will consist of:

1. The following excerpt (lyrics below) of the National Anthem in one of the following three keys (student may choose their key):

High - Key of C (Starting Pitch: G)
Medium - Key of B-Flat (Starting Pitch: F)
Low - Key of A-Flat (Starting Pitch: E-Flat)

"Whose broad stripes and bright stars,
thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd,
Were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare,
The bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night
That our flag was still there."

Student performance will be assessed using the National Anthem performance rubric. Click here to view this rubric.

MP3 prompts of the three keys listed above for the National Anthem are found below:

National Anthem - High Key (Key of C, starting pitch G)

National Anthem - Medium Key (Key of B-Flat, starting pitch F)

National Anthem - Low Key (Key of A-Flat, starting pitch E-Flat)

2. A 4-measure sight-singing excerpt. The student will be provided the key center and first pitch, and 40 seconds to study to excerpt before performing. The student will be given the key center and first pitch again after silently studying and before performing. Students will be awarded 1 point for accurate pitches, and 1 point for accurate rhythms in each measure, for a total of 8 possible points.

The sight-singing excerpt will be provided in both treble and bass clef. Students are expected to evaluate the score, determine "do" on their own, and study the excerpt silently. Students are encouraged to use solfege syllables and handsigns. Accidentals (sharps and flats) are eligible to be used in the sight-singing excerpt.

In addition to the 3rd Quarter Voice Hearing above, students elect to make themselves eligible for a 2012-2013 auditioned curricular ensemble (Varsity I, Varsity II, or Treble Choir) by completing the remainder of audition components during an individual assigned time slot on Wednesday, February 9. Time slots are assigned between 2:30pm-9pm. Students will be asked to perform the following:

3. Each student will sing all four (4) root position triads (major, minor, diminished, augmented). The teacher will randomly select and provide pitches D, E or F as the root tones. Different root pitches may be provided for each of the four triads. The triads must be performed on solfege. Click here to download the 12-13 Choir Audition Information Packet which includes a study guide for the triads using all three possible root pitches. Recordings of the triads are found below:

Triads - Root D

Triads - Root E

Triads - Root F

4. Each student will sing one major scale and two minor scales. Sopranos/Tenors will sing F Major and D minor. Altos/Basses will sing Db Major and Bb minor. The two minor scales will be selected from any one of the natural, harmonic or melodic forms. The student is responsible for all three minor forms though only two will be performed for the audition. The scales must be performed on solfege. The scales will be sung one octave up and down with the top note sung only once. Please choose to perform in the voice part that you currently sing in choir. Click here to download the 12-13 Choir Auditions Information Packet with includes a study guide reviewing the major and three types of minor scales. Recordings of the scales are found below:

F Major Scale - Sopranos/Tenors

D Natural Minor Scale - Sopranos/Tenors

D Harmonic Minor Scale - Sopranos/Tenors

D Melodic Minor Scale - Sopranos/Tenors

D-Flat Major Scale - Altos/Basses

B-Flat Natural Minor Scale - Altos/Basses

B-Flat Harmonic Minor Scale - Altos/Basses

B-Flat Melodic Minor Scale - Altos/Basses

5. A 4-measure sight-singing excerpt. The student will be provided the key center and first pitch, and 40 seconds to study to excerpt before performing. The student will be given the key center and first pitch again after silently studying and before performing. Students will be awarded 1 point for accurate pitches, and 1 point for accurate rhythms in each measure, for a total of 8 possible points.

The sight-singing excerpt will be provided in both treble and bass clef. Students are expected to evaluate the score, determine "do" (or "la" in the case of minor) on their own, and study the excerpt silently. Students are encouraged to use solfege syllables and handsigns. Accidentals (sharps and flats) are eligible to be used in the sight-singing excerpt.

6. Each student must prepare the an excerpt from Paratum cor meum by Johann Haydn. The music can be found on the last four pages of the 12-13 Audition packet. (Click here to download the 12-13 Audition Packet.) Students should perform the voice part that they currently sing in choir (or the part that showcases their voice the best). Please note, students will not necessarily be "locked in" to the voice part in which they audition when assigned to an ensemble. For example, it is possible that a student who auditions on alto may sing soprano the next fall in their assigned ensemble because it is deemed to be vocally appropriate.

Students will be provided the tonal center and their first pitch. Students should prepare to sing from the brakets shown on the exceprt score. Student performance will be assessed using the Prepared Selection Performance Rubric (similar to the National Anthem rubric). Click here to download and peruse this Prepared Selection Performance Rubric.

Please note: Performance will be acapella (unaccompanied) in the audition

Again, the audition excerpt can be found on the last pages of the 12-13 Audition Information Packet. (Click here to download the 12-13 Audition Information Packet) MP3 recordings for each voice part as well as the Latin pronunciation is found below:

Paratum cor meum - Soprano

Paratum cor meum - Alto

Paratum cor meum - Tenor

Paratum cor meum - Bass

Paratum cor meum - Latin Proununciation