jo anne wasserman leading practice

Sing With Us

If You Love To Sing, Come Join Us!

 

Become part of Santa Barbara’s longest running adult chorus made up of about 80 passionate volunteer and professional singers, accepted annually by audition.

Enjoy studying and singing great choral masterworks and diverse modern works, and experience the thrill of performing with an orchestra to appreciative audiences in grand venues such as the Lobero Theatre, the Granada Theatre, and Hahn Hall at the Music Academy, in collaboration with great companies such as the Santa Barbara Symphony and State Street Ballet.

As a Choral Society member you’ll be eligible join the chorus on our international tours. Tour stops have included Prague-Vienna-Budapest; Bavaria and Italy, including singing mass at the Vatican (!); multiple venues in Spain; and a second trip to Italy where we sang the works of famed choral composer Morten Lauridsen in the company of the great composer himself!

During the season we rehearse from 7:00pm – 9:30pm every Wednesday evening in Lehmann Hall at the Music Academy.

See below for additional audition details and to sign up. There are currently openings in every section for general membership, as well as professional singers and adjunct professionals.

 

AUDITION INFORMATION

When: August 26 and 27, 2023

Where: Music AcademyLehmann Hall
1070 Fairway Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93108

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

Auditions are a way for us to get to know you, and get to know your voice. Auditions are required for participation in the Choral Society on a yearly basis. As we are a semi-professional chorus, singing and sight reading experience is recommended. We are a diverse crowd, and welcome singers of all backgrounds, from the enthusiastic devotee to the seasoned professional.

If you have sung with us before, welcome back! This is an opportunity to come together at the end of the summer to sing with friends and prepare for the upcoming season.

If this is your first time, we are delighted you are auditioning, and look forward to hearing you sing!

Follow this link to reserve your audition time now.

AUDITION RESOURCES

We want your audition to be a success, so we have compiled a list of some helpful resources to prepare you for your upcoming audition with the Choral Society.

 

Warm Up with Rollo Dillworth

Brush Up on Your Music Theory
https://www.musicnotes.com/blog/how-to-read-sheet-music/

Practice Your Sight Singing
https://www.teoria.com/en/exercises/ss.php

General Audition Tips from 6 Stand-Out Chorus Conductors
https://www.musicnotes.com/blog/choral-audition-tips/

Get Inspired
https://www.sbchoral.org/concerts/listen/

Click here to sign up for a time!

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING YOUR AUDITION

Please arrive 5 minutes before your audition start time to check in. We suggest you take some time to warm up before you arrive, and bring a bottle of water.

Auditions are conducted by our Artistic Director JoAnne Wasserman, and her Assistant Greg Davies. An accompanist is provided.

During you audition, you will be asked to demonstrate the following:
Ascending and descending scale
Ascending and descending arpeggio
Sing a familiar tune in an accessible key
Sight sing a pre-selected piece of music

Current Choral Society Members will audition in groups of four singers.

New auditions have a one-on-one opportunity to sing with our conductor.

Please note: There is no requirement to perform a prepared solo for these auditions.

Sign up now.

AFTER YOUR AUDITION

All auditionees will receive an email follow-up to your audition.

If you are selected to join our chorus, you will receive a part assignment and a welcome letter, with more information about our season, our chorus, and our rehearsal and performance schedule.

We look forward to singing with you this year!
Auditions are booking up quickly – sign up here to reserve your spot