Honor Choir Guidelines

Procedures and Policies

Following are the official guidelines for participating in the SCVA Regional Honor Choir for 2024.  Please read all information carefully before applying to audition.

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What is SCVA Regional Honor Choir?

270 outstanding choir members will be selected from approximately 600 auditionees to sing in one of three choirs: SSAA, TTBB, or SATB Honor Choir. Singers will receive a packet of music and rehearsal tracks, and then (with music memorized) come together on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, November 7, 8 and 9 at University of Redlands for three full days of intense rehearsals culminating in a Saturday evening concert.

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Conductors

We are pleased to announce this year's conductors for the SCVA High School Honor Choirs:
– SSAA Choir: Dr. Lynne Gackle
– SATB Choir: Dr. Jonathan Talberg
– TTBB Choir: Dr. Ángel Vázquez-Ramos

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Important Dates and Deadlines

Online Audition Application Available: August 2, 2024
Online Audition Application & Payment Deadline: September 6, 2024 at 11:59pm (NO EXCEPTIONS!!!)
Audition times and sites confirmed on SCVA Website: September 12, 2024
Regional Auditions (students selects day, time and site): September 21 or 28, 2024 (all starting at 9:00am)
Audition Results posted on SCVA Website: October 7, 2024 (late evening)
Honor Choir Weekend / Performance at University of Redlands: November 7, 8 and 9 (8:00am - 9:30pm all three days, Culminating Concert at 7:00pm)

The performance is open to the public. General admission tickets are $10.00 each may be purchased using the presale order form on-line prior to the day of the concert, or at the venue on the day of the concert. Tickets usually sell out, so get your tickets early!!

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How To Schedule An Audition

1. Confirm you are available for all dates as listed above. If you are selected you must participate in all dates or your school may be suspended for one full year from Honor Choir.
2. Fill out the audition application at this link: On-Line Honor Choir Audition Application (not enabled at this time)
3. After clicking on the "Submit Application" button, the student can use PayPal to pay the $10.00 audition fee using any major credit card. See "Fees" below for other options. Students will not be given an audition time if payment is not received by Sept. 6
4. IMPORTANT: The Participation Fee is only required for those singers who are selected for one of the Honor Choirs. DO NOT pay the Participation Fee until the Audition Results are available.
5. When filling out the application, be sure to use the choral director's accurate email address, as they will be required to approve your application via email.
6. Auditioning students are required to be sponsored by an active SCVA Member (usually their High School Choir Director).

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Audition Sites

IMPORTANT:  Many of these audition sites fill-up quickly, so you are encouraged to submit your Audition Application as soon as possible.  If a specific audition site does not appear in the list of selectable audition sites, then that site is already full and no further applications can be accepted for that location.  No additional time slots will be allocated for an audition site that is already full.  Instead, you must select an alternate audition site.

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Audition Procedure

THE AUDITION (100 points total)
Teachers/directors should review each of these skills with their auditionees so that they are well prepared.
Click here to view the audition score sheet, or click here to watch a Sample Audition Video.

SOLO: (40 points)

1. SOLO OPTION 1: Prepare an art song in Italian, French, German, or Spanish, to be sung from memory. We recommend Schirmer's 24 Italian Songs and Arias or 26 Italian Songs and Arias edited by John Glenn Paton, or a comparable art song or aria. The auditionee will sing the song once through with no repeats or da capo. Each auditionee must provide an accompanist or recording with sound reproductive equipment and two copies of sheet music for the adjudicators. The key selected for the solo should be appropriate for the auditionee's voice part. Rubric for Solo Portion
   
   -OR-
   
   
2. SOLO OPTION 2: Prepare the prescribed excerpt (measures 86-110): from Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina Martini, ed. John Castellini for your voice part, to be sung from memory.
   

   Sheet Music for all voice parts
   These learning tracks are for rehearsal purposes only. (Do not use these to accompany your audition.)
   Soprano learning track
   Alto learning track
   Tenor learning track
   Bass learning track
   Balanced Parts
   Accompaniment

SCALES/TRIADS: (15 points) Sing the following, ascending and descending: 1.) major scale, 2.) major triad, 3.) minor triad, and 4.) chromatic scale, sung on any syllable.

TONAL MEMORY: (25 points) Five-note passages will be played on the piano for the auditionee to repeat, sung on any syllable. Click here for past tonal memory examples.

SIGHT-READING: (20 points) A single-line, unaccompanied melody will be supplied, sung on any syllable. Click here for details, including past sight reading examples.

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Selection Process

1. Singers will be selected for SCVA Regional Honor Choirs participation according to the raw scores received at the time of audition.
2. Audition results for all choirs (TTBB, SSAA and SATB) will be posted on the SCVA website by October 14.
3. If you are new to honor choir this year, upon acceptance, you will be randomly placed into one of the SCVA Honor Choirs, and if applicable, into the All-State SATB, TTBB or SSAA Honor Choir.
4. Singers who sang in a Regional SATB Honor Choir last year will be placed into the Regional SSAA or TTBB Honor Choir this year. Singers who sang in a Regional SSAA/TTBB Honor Choir last year will be placed into the Regional SATB Honor Choir this year.
5. Singers are then sent a packet of music and practice tracks for learning their music. There is only approx 10-14 days from when results are posted and the first rehearsal.

Directors: Please make sure that all singers understand policy before they audition. They need to make intelligent, committed choices about their involvement in the honor choirs.

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Guidelines and Policies

1. All students auditioning for SCVA Regional and California All-State Honor Choirs must be members in good standing with their school choral program and their conductors must be paid members of SCVA. Teachers may pay their dues online or by contacting the SCVA Vice President of Membership.
2. A student must be enrolled in his/her school's choral program in order to be eligible for participation in Honor Choir. If a student drops out of the school program, he/she will be dropped from Honor Choir as well. No sanctions will be imposed on the school in this case.
3. When a student drops out of an SCVA Honor Choir or does not attend rehearsal, the student's school is subject to suspension from Honor Choir the following school year. The SCVA board makes the final determination regarding the one-year suspension of the school after reviewing the situation and consulting honor choir policy. Given our time constraints, when a student drops out of Honor Choir it is impossible for us to fill their vacancy. Therefore, when a student drops out, another deserving student misses out on this wonderful opportunity.
4. Students who must, out of extreme necessity (such as death in the family or serious illness) drop out of Honor Choir after being accepted are required to provide a signed, written note from their parents and from their school choral director stating the reasons for the drop out. The note MUST be sent immediately to the Honor Choir coordinator by mail, email or hand-delivered by the student, parent or director.
   
   Unacceptable reasons for dropping Honor Choir:
   • Schedule conflicts of any kind, such as an athletic event, drama or choir rehearsal or performance, SAT, transportation issues, a student deciding he/she would rather not participate, doesn't like the music, or doesn't want to work with a particular conductor.
   • If a student drops for any reason, a panel of members from the SCVA Board will consider the reason given and decide whether it is an unacceptable or acceptable reason.
   • Choral directors are responsible for remaining informed about their students' continued participation in the Honor Choir.
   
   Acceptable reasons for dropping Honor Choir:
   • Death in the family just before the concert
   • A serious medical problem, or other matters of an equally serious nature.
   
   
5. Students are responsible for their own transportation, lodging and meals. Hotel reservations and payment for honor choir participants are the responsibility of the singer's director/chaperone and are to be made directly with the hotel reservation personnel. Singers who are registered at a hotel must have someone over the age of 21 register the singers on-site. This is a hotel rule and is non-negotiable. All singers must be chaperoned regardless of age.
6. All Directors are encouraged to help at the Honor Choir weekend in November. Any Director with two or more students in Honor Choir is expected to help once during the weekend. A sign-up link will be available as we get closer to the event.

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All-State Honor Choir

Student's SCVA Regional Honor Choir scores are sent to ACDA immediately after the Regional Concert. California ACDA administers All-State Honor Choir.

Members of the All-State Honor Choir are chosen from the top scores of the Northern, Central and Southern Regional Honor Choirs singers. Announcement for All-State admittance comes in December after the Regional Honor Choir concerts. If students checked that they are interested in being considered for the All-State Honor Choir they must be available for the All-State weekend.

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Regional Honor Choir Fees

Audition Fee:                          $10.00
Regional Honor Choir Fee:      $120.00
NOTE: This increase in fee reflects increases in prices across the state and is aligned with the other CA regions of honor choir. If your student has a financial concern, please strongly encourage them to apply for a Participation Scholarship -- (Details coming soon)
All-State Honor Choir Fee:     see California ACDA Website

Payment Options:

1. PayPal - preferred method of payment at SCVA website; Students may use any Major Credit Card on PayPal for a $0.70 processing fee.
2. School/Boosters/Community organization check made payable to SCVA and mailed to the address below -- NO personal checks
3. Money Order made payable to SCVA and mailed to the address below
4. DO NOT SEND CASH by mail
• Audition fees cover adjudicators, audition materials, and other costs
• Audition fee is non-refundable if you later choose not to audition
• The Regional Honor Choir fee provides for music, practice tracks downloads, accompanists, directors and facilities
• If you are selected for one of the Regional Honor Choirs you may pay the $120.00 fee via PayPal in advance of the rehearsal weekend on the PayPal site or bring to the first rehearsal. However, do not pay the $120 Participation Fee until you know that you have been selected for one of the Honor Choirs.

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If you have any questions regarding Regional Honor Choir, please contact Kristen Walton at: scvahonorchoir@gmail.com

PLEASE SEND ANY OFFICIAL (not personal) CHECKS TO:

Kristen Walton
Riverside Poly High School
5450 Victoria Avenue
Riverside, CA 92506