Audition for the City Choir of Washington
Auditions for the 2026/2027 season are now open! Please note that space is limited and we may not hold August Auditions if the roster is full after June auditions. Therefore, we recommend auditioning in June!
Read everything below very carefully, and ensure that you have filled out the Audition Form AND signed up for a time slot using the links below.
Auditions for our 2026/2027 season will consist of five different segments - all meant to help assess the strengths that you bring to City Choir.
DATES & TIMES:
Sunday June 7 | 2:00-6:00 PM | National Presbyterian Church, Chapel
Monday June 8 | 6:00-9:00 PM | St. Columba's
Monday June 15 | 6:00-9:00 Pm | St. Columba's
SIGN UP HERE!
Please fill out BOTH forms - the interest form and the audition time form.
Auditions: What to Prepare & What to Expect
SUMMER 2026 Edition
In Summer 2026, our auditions consisted of five different segments - all meant to help assess the strengths that you bring to City Choir.
VOCALIZING
What will happen: Artistic Director will listen to the range of your voice using vocal warmups
What are we listening for: We are listening to the color of your voice, intonation, and breath control. Additionally, we are assessing your range to see what voice part would be best for you.
How can you prepare: HERE are helpful warmups by Artistic Director, Erin Freeman
CHORAL EXCERPT
What will happen: Artistic Director will ask you to sing a short excerpt from Mozart’s Solemn Vespers (We will double your part on piano)
What we are listening for: We are listening for accuracy of notes and pitches, flexibility of sound, and attention to text details
Excerpt: You can find the music HERE
Mozart - Solemn Vespers, Mov’t 4: Laudate Pueri Dominum, Measures 1 - 49
How to prepare: Here are some websites and links to help you prepare
https://cyberbass.org/Major_Works/Mozart_W_A/Mozart__VespersConfessore.htm
Choir Parts:
SCORE Mozart - Vesperea Solennes de Confessore KV339 - 4 Laudate Pueri - Score
SOPRANO: Mozart - Vesperea Solennes de Confessore KV339 - 4 Laudate Pueri - Soprano
ALTO: Mozart - Vesperea Solennes de Confessore KV339 - 4 Laudate Pueri - Alto
TENOR: Mozart - Vesperea Solennes de Confessore KV339 - 4 Laudate Pueri - Tenor
BASS:
Mozart - Vesperea Solennes de Confessore KV339 - 4 Laudate Pueri - Bass
IV. Laudate Pueri Dominum - W. A. MOZART - Vesperae Solennes de Confessore in C major K. 339
EAR TRAINING/TONAL MEMORY
What will happen: Artistic Director will play a series of 5 or 6 notes and ask you to sing them back on the neutral syllable, “Doo”
What we are listening for: We are listening for note accuracy, of course. However, we are also looking to see if you can overcome an initial mistake and be coached to fix it.
How to prepare: HERE is an online tool that will play melodies of varying length. Select “melodies” and then keep pressing play for an unlimited number of 5 note tunes!
TEXT
What will happen: Artistic Director will ask you to speak a few lines of French from Faure’s Cantique de Jean Racine
What are we listening for: We are listening for the ability to repeat sounds accurately. This need not be perfect. We expect a bit of coaching to be needed in the audition.
How to prepare: Use the sound file HERE to help you learn the material.
Faure Cantique Pronunciation Guide.pdf (Permissions might need updating?)
Excerpt: From Faure’s Cantique de Jean Racine
Verbe égal au Très-Haut, notre unique espérance,
Jour éternel de la terre et des cieux,
De la paisible nuit nous rompons le silence:
Divin Sauveur, jette sur nous les yeux.
(Word of the Highest, our only hope,
Eternal day of earth and the heavens,
We break the silence of the peaceful night;
Saviour Divine, cast your eyes upon us!)
RHYTHM
This will be handed to you upon arrival at your audition
What will happen: Artistic Director will ask you to perform a rhythm that will be handed to you when you arrive at the audition location. You will have time to review it before entering the audition room.
What are we listening for: We are listening for note accuracy, a steady tempo, and ability to keep going even if you make a mistake.
How to prepare: HERE is a fun tool to practice various rhythms. Set the difficulty to medium and then hard. Somewhere between those two levels is the level of our excerpt.
An invitation to audition for the City Choir of Washington from Artistic Director Erin Freeman
Are you a singer who is dedicated to the art of beautiful choral music? Would you like to sing under the direction of dynamic conductor Erin Freeman? Are you excited to meet new people who are equally as thrilled about music as you? The City Choir of Washington may be the very group for you.
City Choir is a member-driven choral community that is as committed to the music it performs as to the city it serves. It presents thoughtfully curated musical events throughout the Washington, DC metro area to uplift and inspire audiences and singers alike. We seek to serve as a model organization where artistic excellence, strong community, and positive culture mutually reinforce each other. Please click here to read our Mission/Vision/Values statement. The City Choir of Washington is pleased to announce that as of the 2023-2024 season we no longer require membership fees.
Weekly rehearsals take place on Monday nights, with additional orchestra rehearsals on concert week. There is also generally one Saturday rehearsal retreat (usually from 10 am - 1 pm) during each rehearsal cycle. Rehearsals are held from 7:15-9:45 p.m. at St. Columba's Episcopal Church in Washington, DC.