Emily,

 

One that's often used is to teach the auditionee one line, and have them sing it against your harmony. Or, if you're planning callbacks, you could teach them four parts (each singer learns their appropriate part), then have them audition in quartets (with everyone in the room at the same time, or pulling in various groupings from 'outside').

 

Enjoy!

 

Tom

Emily:

 

I'm not entirely clear on precisely what you want to test, so bear with me. If you're simply trying to determine a person's ear for harmony, then do a 2-part exercise where you sing the melody and the other person sings the harmony line - a capella works best for this sort of thing, as it removes the safety net of the piano/harmonic structure. However, if you're trying to figure out if a person would be right for a particular part, then choose a short portion of one of the songs you're programming and have each person learn the part that they'd prefer to sing - then have the auditioners come in and sing together and then individually. That way you save yourself a little bit of rehearsal time (they now know at least a little of one song you've chosen) and you can hear their voice in the context of what you're looking to accomplish. Depending on the people you're working with, you may find that asking them to prepare in advance may turn them off or give them a challenge to which to rise. You know your talent pool better than I do, of course.

 

Hopefully this helps or gives you an seed of inspiration for your own idea. Just remember that your audition should test what you're looking for in your singer, and the more specific the better.

 

Nic Petersen

Director of Choirs

Northern High School

Owings, MD 20736

In groups where the singers aren't very experienced (this is less likely to an issue with experienced singers), I have used a simple test:  I play a major triad (usually in closed position with the fifth somethere in the singer's middle voice; let's say C major) and ask them to sing the highest note they hear.  I then play a second major triad with the root not much more than a whole step away from the fifth of the previous chord (if I started on C, this one might be F major).  I ask them to sing the lowest note they hear.  Finally, again keeping their result within a narrow range--it doesn't work as well if they have to jump around a lot--I have them sing the middle note of a third triad (if the last was F, I might do E-flat or D).  I do occasionally use inversions for these exercises, but more usually just 3-note triads.  It's important that you give the instructions clearly before you play anything:  "I'm going to play some groups of notes, and I'm going to ask you to sing notes you hear.  First, sing the highest note you hear here."  THEN play the chord.  They have to know what the task is first.   I will repeat the chord if necessary. 

 

You can predict the results:  a lot of singers will hear primarily the top note.  When you ask them to sing the lowest note, they will often sing the top note an octave lower.  But when you point this out and play what they sang on the piano, they can usually correct it.  Most singers find the middle note tricky.  They will often sing the bottom note; some will then go on to sing the top note.  I then say, "pick something else!"  A few with musical training will sleuth it out:  they'll realize that they're gravitating to the bottom note and will arpeggiate up a third to get to the third of the choird.  I think that's OK--there's a musical intelligence there.

 

Anyone who has passed this test successfully--that is, who was able to sing all three notes accurately, even with a little coaching--has been able to learn and maintain a harmony line in my groups.

 

David Schildkret

Professor of Choral Music

Arizona State Universtiy

Hi Emily,

 

I conduct a community chamber choir and being able to sing harmony is quite important to my group--with only one or two on a part, I do exactly what you propose to do.  I have tried quite a few of the suggestions already given  you and here's how it has finally evolved in my auditions.  My auditions are broken down thusly--I give them a few vocal exercises to test range.  Have them sing something they already know--a patriotic song, only giving them a few beginning chords to see if they can control virbrato and hold the melody without falling apart--and then have them sight read something from our coming concert cycle (and I use the same section for every singer).  We go over the  sight reading section several times and then I sing MY part against their part--if this is another soprano, I sing alto.  My accompaniest may be hanging around during the audition and I bring him in and have him sing with us, either the tenor or bass, depending. Many of my singers are also choral directors, singers or other music professionals.  You would be surprised what happens when I ask them to hold their part while I sing along!  This is the make-or-break part of the audition for me and I have not accepted quite a few folks who claim to be long time choral singers because of their performance in this part of my audition.

 

I try to keep my auditions short and this works very well for me.  In a small ensemble, this is perhaps the most important thing to look for.

 

Marie Grass Amenta, founder and music director

the Midwest Motet Society