Auditioning for the Santa Clara Chorale

Rehearsals

The Santa Clara Chorale rehearses every Monday evening, from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in the first floor rehearsal hall of the Music Building on the Santa Clara University. See the rehearsal schedule in the Singer Information section for rehearsal dates.

Dress rehearsals are held on the Wednesday evening prior to every performance. 
These rehearsals are mandatory. 

Audition Process

The Chorale is always looking for good singers of every cultural background who are interested in exploring new and traditional choral music. New member auditions continue throughout the year. To sign up for an audition, click the link below. The online form will tell you when and where the next auditions will be held. For more info call 408-369-1289. Or e-mail.

After the appointment has been made, the auditioning singer will meet with the Music Director. No advance song preparation is necessary, as the Music Director will provide all music from which to sing. The Music Director is looking for singers with good sight-reading skills and vocal proficiency with regards to diction, rhythm and intonation, pitch, and tone.

Attendance Policy

The attendance policy is in force to ensure the quality of the Chorale’s performance. Adherence to the policy is a sign of professionalism and respect to the other members of the Chorale. The rehearsal periods are provided to allow each member time to learn the music and to improve their performance. All members of the Chorale are expected to adhere to the attendance policy.

There will be an attendance sheet at each rehearsal. You will be responsible for marking your own attendance. If the roll is not marked, you will be assumed absent. For each concert period only three absences are permitted. Two or three absences -- you will be responsible for attending a performance check. Four or more absences -- you will not be allowed to sing in the concert.

A tardy of more than 15 minutes will be considered an absence. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you may still participate in the rehearsal for your own benefit, but know that you will be marked absent. If you know you will be absent or late, please contact your section lead.

If during the course of rehearsals serious conflicts arise, contact the Music Director for his advice.

Financial Commitments

Membership dues are $150 for the season and due at the time of the first rehearsal. Music is purchased by each member. The cost is approximately $75.00 for the year or an average of $25 per concert. However, there are scholarships available for those for which purchasing music will be an undue hardship and may perhaps prevent from singing in the Chorale. We want everyone to participate so please do not let the purchasing of music prevent you from joining us. Each spring the Chorale participates in the Silicon Valley Art Council’s Music and Arts Campaign. The campaign is an annual fundraising event that brings together diverse arts organizations throughout the Bay Area in a unified annual fundraising campaign. The Arts Council provides the Chorale with administrative support in collecting donors’ gifts. All we have to do is provide the donors. We hope that all members of the Chorale will support the Music and Arts campaign through the giving of time and money in support of the Chorale.

Concert Dress

Standard concert dress for most programs is dress black. For women, the uniform black dress, black stockings and shoes; for men, tuxedo, with tux shirt and studs, tie and cummerbund, black shoes and socks. The women's dress costs approximately $60.

Thank you for your interest in the Santa Clara Chorale. If you have any questions, we would love to speak with you.

For the hundreds of singers who have participated in the performance of great choral music, and the thousands who have heard the Santa Clara Chorale sound in concert, there is no question about the human appetite for the inspiration of the spirit provided by the performance of great music. Singers and audiences alike know the electricity of those moments when voices and listeners connect and the magic of musical composition comes alive. Wherever the next phase of our musical journey takes us, members of the Santa Clara Chorale will continue to share the joy of singing with each other and the community around us. We hope you will join us!