Cantus Pop Ensemble Auditions
For Season 15 (September 2024 to April 2025)
Cantus Youth Choirs is Treasure Valley’s largest community choral program for youth. Cantus has traditional ensembles and contemporary ensembles. We do not hold auditions for our traditional ensembles; everyone makes it into one of those! We DO hold auditions for these four contemporary ensembles.
Rhapsody
Grades 7-9
Mixed
Ensemble miked
Accompanied
Contessa
Grades 9-12
Female
Individually miked
Accompanied
Fortis
Grades 10-12
Male
Individually miked
Accompanied
Bella Visi
Grades 10-12
Female
Individually miked
Accompanied
VoiceOver
Grades 10-12
Mixed
Individually miked
A cappella
Schedule
Meeting deadlines and following instructions are a big part of your audition.
TUESDAY
April 30, 2024
Midnight
Video auditions
are due
To be considered for callbacks you must submit a video audition. Scroll down for instructions.
Sunday
May 5, 2024
4:00pm
Callback list
goes live
We evaluate the video auditions and invite qualified singers to do a live callback audition.
Tuesday
May 7, 2024
6:30-9:30pm
Live Callbacks
(by invitation)
If invited, come to Tree City Church 3852 N Eagle Rd ready to sing your part of Get Here.
How do I audition?
There are two parts: The video and the call back.
Part 1 of the audition is the video. You will video yourself singing to a provided back track. At the bottom of this page is a form and webcam recorder. You will use this webpage to record and submit your video. You will be asked to sing sing scales, intervals, a backup part to Get Here, and an a cappella solo of your choice. Watch this video with segments from 5 singer auditions to get an idea of what your audition will look like.
Part 2 of the adition is live call backs. After the video audition you may be asked to come to a live call back audition. We use the same music (Get Here) at call back auditions. At call backs we want to hear you sing live with other singers so we can find our optimal blend for VoiceOver, Bella Visi, Fortis and Contessa.
What are we looking/listening for?
There are no surprises.
We evaluate all auditions based on range, pitch-matching, part independence, solo ability, and poise. We do this through watching and hearing you sing the scales, intervals and songs of your audition. We will place you in VoiceOver, Bella Visi, Fortis, or Contessa based on your audition. Each singer is also required to participate in a traditional ensemble; you do not need to submit an audition to be placed in a traditional ensemble.
1
Your range
Range deals with how high and how low you can sing in a healthy manner. We’ll ask you to sing a scale. Sing as much of the scale as you can. We evaluate the color and tone of your voice as you sing through the extremes of your range.
2
Your pitch
Pitch-matching deals with how well you can hear a note and then sing that note. We’ll play a series of three notes, you will sing back what you hear. Don’t worry, everyone gets the same intervals and you can practice them ahead of time.
3
Your part
Part independence deals with how well you can stick to your part. We’ll ask you to sing 12 bars of your voice part of Get Here by Annie Roberts. Sheet music and practice tracks are included below. Practice, practice, practice. You have perfect control over how prepared you are.
4
Solo ability
Solo ability deals with how you look and sound when singing a solo. Please prepare 30-60 seconds of a pop song that flatters your voice and sing it a cappella. We’re looking for expressiveness, conviction, and pop styling.
5
Your poise
Poise deals with how you hold yourself when you sing. Do you look confident? Do you make eye contact? Is your performance compelling and engaging, or dull and boring? Let your eyes sparkle and your body come alive.
How to prepare for your video audition?
Practice the practice files.
We strongly encourage you to practice with the back track before recording your audition. We don’t put you on stage without preparation; we feel the same way about auditions! Practice, practice, practice. You have 100% control over how prepared you are for your audition.
Part 1: Sing these scales and intervals
You will be asked to sing “la” on the following scales and intervals (in your octave).
Part 2: Sing your part to Get Here
You will be asked to sing 12 measures of Get Here by Annie Roberts. Please download the sheet music and use the practice files (below) to learn your part. There are 9 parts to choose from (Soprano 1, Soprano 2, Alto 1, Alto 2, Tenor 1, Tenor 2, Baritone, Bass, and Vocal Percussion). You can submit multiple auditions if you want to be considered for multiple voice parts.
Use these audio files to learn your parts to Get Here:
Part 3: Sing your solo
Prepare 30-60 seconds of a song that flatters your voice. You will perform this song a cappella (without accompaniment) immediately after singing Get Here. We recommend singing a verse and chorus of a pop song that flatters your voice.
Practice the full audition
Use these audio files to practice your full audition (scales, intervals, Get Here):
Submit your video audition!
Let’s do this!
Use this form to record and submit your audition. Use the playback controls to review your audition. If you don’t like it, re-record your audition before submitting. You will need to provide a cell phone and an email address so we can contact you about the status of your audition.