Sing With Us!
We welcome new voices!
Audition Form
Here’s what you need to know before auditioning:
- Some vocal and/or choral experience is necessary.
- There is a sliding scale ($75-$100) per-cycle fee (Fall and Spring) with additional cost of concert attire purchase.
- Rehearsals are Tuesday nights from 6:30 to 9:00PM.
- Each cycle is 13 weeks (Sep-Dec and Feb-May).
- There will be additional rehearsals and sectionals.
To inquire about fall 2026 auditions, please fill out the form linked above.
Fall 2026 Dates:
- Sept. 22: First rehearsal
- Oct. 10: required Workshop, 10am-4pm
- Nov. 1: Sectionals (Sop 1-2:30, Alto 2:30-4, Tenor 5-6:30, Bass 6:30-8)
- Nov. 5: Optional extra rehearsal
- Nov. 18: Optional extra rehearsal
- Dec. 2: Caroling
- Dec. 13: encouraged extra rehearsal
- Dec. 15: required orchestra rehearsal
- Dec. 17: required orchestra rehearsal
- Dec. 19: Concert, 7:30pm
- Dec. 20: Concert, 2pm
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to read music to be in the choir?Not necessarily. You certainly don’t need to be able to have perfect pitch, or sing exactly what is on the page the first time through! We expect that you will know how to follow along with the music.
Do you have to know how to sight read music?
Sight-reading means singing the notes on the page without having heard them before. While we do this during rehearsals while we are learning, we do not expect everyone to be good at it! It’s a skill that gets better with practice.
If I can’t read music, how can I learn the songs?
We provide sound files for each individual part, for each song. You can listen to your part and follow along to practice in between rehearsals.
Do I need to have/play a piano?
You do not need to own a piano or even play the piano to join. We provide sound files for each part individually, so that you can use your computer/phone to play your part to learn your music.
I haven't sung in a choir in a long time, not since I was in high school or college. Is that ok?
Yes! Come audition! We have many singers who join the choir after a long break. As your voice is getting back into shape, you will need to be patient. It’s a muscle and it takes a while for it to be where it used to be. That being said - barring any vocal issues - we don’t lose our ability to sing. If you have done it in the past, you can do it now!
I have never sung in Latin before and I don't know how to sing Latin or other languages. Does that matter?
We do sing in Latin often, and it’s the most familiar non-English language for the choir. A lot of sacred literature is written in Latin. Believe it or not, it’s actually easier than English (more pure vowels)! We always go over the pronunciation for Latin, and any other language, and practice it a lot!
Should I take voice lessons before I audition?
It’s certainly not expected! That being said, this decision really depends on your experience and background and what you feel comfortable with. Some singers, who haven’t sung in many years, find that a few voice lessons prior to their audition help them feel more confident going into the audition.
What do I need to do/bring for an audition?
Yourself and a positive attitude!
What happens in the audition?
You will be greeted by the membership chair (who you scheduled the audition with) and they will introduce you to the choral director, who will lead you through a relaxed and supportive audition process. You will be asked to do some vocal exercises, sing from written music, do some pitch matching and rhythm work and sing a familiar song. The audition is simply an opportunity for us to get to know your voice and determine the best fit within the ensemble.
I've never sung classical music, just folk and popular choir music. Could I audition?
Sure! Sometimes there is a learning curve to shift styles of music, especially if you haven’t worked with sheet music a lot. You can discuss this with the director and see if SMC is the right fit for you. Since SMC is an advanced choral ensemble, it is sometimes recommended to sing in a less rigorous group while you are figuring out the shift to choral singing.
How long does it take to learn all the music?
We rehearse for 13 weeks prior to each concert. We usually have a pretty good handle on the notes and rhythms by the 8th week or so, and the final month is finessing the details.
How many hours a week am I expected to practice?
This depends largely on your music reading ability and how well you remember the music. Some singers can read the music very well in rehearsal, so their outside practice time is minimal. But most singers spend a couple of hours singing outside of rehearsal each week.
What if I don’t know what part I sing?
Come to an audition and find out!
Where and when are the rehearsals?
We rehearse on Tuesday nights, from 6:30-9:00pm, and the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Grass Valley.
Why do we pay dues? Where does the money go?
We pay dues and produce an annual fundraiser to help support the expenses of the choir. Aside from compensating the music director, we rent rehearsal space, pay the rehearsal pianist, and hire instrumentalists for concerts. There are many indirect costs like staff support time, insurance, marketing and publicity and other administrative overhead costs. Your dues help offset some of these expenses.
How many rehearsals can I miss in a season? Are there any required additional commitments beyond weekly rehearsals?
You can miss up to 2 rehearsals a season, with the exception of the rehearsals in concert week and our workshop (all day rehearsal), which are required in order to sing in the concert. We cover a lot of material each week, and you will be behind if you miss much more than two rehearsals. That being said, we do record rehearsals, and if you have to miss due to illness or travel, you can listen to the rehearsal, sing along with your music and make up for lost time!
If you still have any questions, contact the membership director at membership@sierramasterchorale.org or call the InConcert Sierra office at 530-273-3990.
