Choirs and related practice and audition information

Concordia University offers students the opportunity to participate in one or more of the choral ensembles. Each has a distinctive purpose and level of commitment.

Auditions for the choirs occur on the Jump Start Days in July and on the Thursday prior to new student orientation weekend. Music majors and non-music majors are encouraged to audition for the choirs.

University A Cappella Choir (Mu 236-01)
Membership is determined by audition

Founded in 1939, the University A Cappella Choir is one of the most well known choral ensembles in the Lutheran Church. It is Concordia’s premier choir and one of the most active performance ensembles in the music program. The choir is well traveled having toured to nearly every state in the union and many foreign countries. In addition, the choir has sung for regional, national and international conventions and competitions.

Membership is determined by audition which takes place in the spring for returning students and in the fall for new students. New students are not required to prepare solo music for the audition.

Repertoire performed by the A Cappella Choir is of the highest level and includes both accompanied and unaccompanied contemporary works for the collegiate chorus as well as the standards of the repertoire from all historical periods. Typically, about 75% of the music performed by the choir is based on sacred texts.

A Cappella rehearses Monday through Friday from 3:10 to 4:00 p.m. and members are encouraged to take applied vocal lessons.

University Chamber Choir (Mu 237-01)
Members selected from current A Cappella choir

16-voice select choir that sings both a diverse repertoire of classical chamber vocal music and vocal jazz. The group is chosen from the membership of the University A Cappella Choir and rehearses twice weekly.

Each February, the Chamber Choir takes an extended weekend tour. Past tours have taken the choir to Phoenix, Orlando, San Francisco and Denver.

Concordia Singers - Women's Chorus (Mu 233-01)
Membership is determined by audition (for placement)

Concordia Singers is an SSAA chorus that performs easy to medium difficulty choral literature for women’s voices. Repertoire of the ensemble is chosen from the full spectrum of sacred and secular choral music from early historical periods to the present. Concordia Singers sings for regular campus chapel services, Christmas at Concordia, a spring concert, and the bi-annual Masterworks concert (with the University A Cappella Choir).

Concordia Singers combines occasionally with the Concordia Chorale - Male Chorus to sing mixed choir (SATB) music. Membership of the choir consists of students representing the diversity of academic programs at Concordia. Members are chosen by audition each fall and many choose to study voice privately with Concordia’s voice faculty.

Rehearsals are held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3:10 -4:00 PM.

Concordia Chorale - Men's Chorus (Mu 232-01)
Membership is determined by audition (for placement)

Concordia Chorale is a TTBB chorus that performs easy to medium difficulty choral literature for male voices. Repertoire of the ensemble is chosen from the full spectrum of sacred and secular choral music from early historical periods to the present. Concordia Chorale sings for regular campus chapel services, Christmas at Concordia, a spring concert, and the bi-annual Masterworks concert (with the University A Cappella Choir). Concordia Chorale combines occasionally with the Concordia Singers – Women’s Chorale to sing mixed choir (SATB) music.

Membership of the choir consists of students representing the diversity of academic programs at Concordia. Members are chosen by audition each fall and many choose to study voice privately with Concordia’s voice faculty.

The Chorale rehearses Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:10 PM to 1:00 PM.

University Festival Chorus (Mu 238-01)
Members of A Cappella, Concordia Singers and Concordia Chorale.

The University Festival Chorus is comprised of the University A Cappella Choir, Concordia Singers and Concordia Chorale.

The combined chorus performs large-scale concert choral works with orchestra bi-annually.

Opera Ensemble (Mu 245-04)
Non-auditioned

The Opera Ensemble is a musical theatre/opera workshop that focuses on acting for singers, audition preparation, and a scenes program in which everyone is involved in performing scenes from musicals or operas. Students attend class once a week.

See also: Please also visit the music area of the Concordia Web site.