2010-2011 Traveling Choir Auditions

WLA Traveling Choir: Audition Requirements 2010-2011

When you come to your audition, be prepared to sing the steps A-F below. You’ll also be asked to sight-sing (step G), to test your level of musicianship. Please fill out the Audition Information Form and bring it to your scheduled audition time.

A. Sing a song of your choosing, unaccompanied. Announce the title and composer of your song and starting pitch (if you need one). Be prepared to sing the entire song, but you may be stopped during the song for the sake of time. Choose a song which highlights the vocal gifts God has given to you. It can be of any style.

B. Sing the first verse of America the Beautiful ("O beautiful for spacious skies for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesty above the fruited plain. America, America, God shed his grace on thee and crowned thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea") in the key given for the voice type for which you are auditioning.

Soprano I: F (begin on C an octave above middle c)
Soprano II: E-flat (begin on B flat above middle c)
Alto I: A (begin on E above middle c)
Alto II: G (begin on D above middle c)
Tenor I: E (begin on B below middle c)
Tenor II: D (begin on A below middle c)
Bass I: B-flat (begin on F below middle c)
Bass II: F (begin on C below middle c)

C. Sing your voice part on The Lord Bless You and Keep You by Peter C. Lutkin.
Sing exercise #1 on "ah" (no initial consonants) in the manners indicated below, demonstrating your ability to sing different dynamic levels and articulations. You may repeat individual exercises if you wish.

Exercise 1 (MM=60)
a) mezzo-forte - legato
b) fortissimo - legato
c) piano - legato
d) forte - marcato
e) mezzo-forte - staccato

D. Sing exercise #2 on "ah", beginning in the key of F. Repeat the exercise, each time a half step higher, until you have reached the upper limit of your useful range.

Exercise 2 (MM=60) 





E. Sing exercise #3 on “AH”, beginning in the key of D, at the same tempo as exercise #2. Repeat the exercise, each time a half step lower, until you have reached the lower limit of your useful range.

Exercise 3 (MM=60)

F. At the audition you’ll be asked to sight-sing two different exercises to help determine your level of musicianship.

A Truly Spectacular Day at State!

There are so many stories that could be told about each and every musical performance that happened yesterday at UW-Oshkosh's WSMA State Solo Ensemble Festival: the freshman who performed for their first time at State; the senior who performed for their last time; the long months of personal, intense practice and rehearsal leading up to Districts which culminated in a State performance; the countless hours of hard work which pays off in not only a personal best, but also in an exemplary soloist award; the musical and intellectual growth which showed itself from Districts to State; and the heartache of not placing 1st and knowing exactly why.

Each of these stories applies, in one way or another, to the 23 WLA events which performed yesterday at UW-Oshkosh. Even though many more stories could be told for each student and their performance, one thing showed itself over and over at State: consistent hard work showed itself in improved performances from Districts to State. These students used what God gave them, namely, their musical gifts, to glorify Him by their faithful use. Please thank God with me for these outstanding WLA students and their ratings that they received at the 2010 WSMA State Solo Ensemble Festival held at UW-Oshkosh!

Where e'er You Walk (Handel) • Tenor Solo
Daniel Moldenhauer - 1st

My New Philosophy from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Lippa) • Music Theater-Female Role
Libby Adelmeyer - 1st

Aria con Variazoni (Handel/Fitzgerald) • Trumpet Solo
Jonathan Witte - 1st

Prayer of the Children (Bestor/Klause) • TTBB Quartet
BJ Otte, Nathan Boerneke, Peter Plagenz, Daniel Moldenhauer - 1st

Hungarian Dance No. 5 (Brahms/Quick) • Xylophone Solo
Paul Pacetti - 2nd

The Crucifixion (Samuel Barber) • Soprano Solo
Janeen Leisses - 1st

Jitterbug (Rocherolle) • Piano Duet
Merissa Cutter & Jonathan Witte - 1st

Fantasia in D Minor K. 397 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) • Piano Solo
Adam Breister - 2nd

Pie Jesu (Andrew Lloyd Webber) • SA Duet
Charis Scharf & Andi Rupp - 1st

Morceau de Concours (Edmond Missa) • Trombone Solo
Tiffany Schmidt - 2nd

A Capital Ship (arr. Van Camp) • TB Duet
Nathan Boerneke and Peter Plagenz - 1st

The Crucifixion (Samuel Barber) • Soprano Solo
Hether Boelk - 1st

Fantasia in D Minor, K. 397 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) • Piano Solo
Jonathan Witte - 2nd

Canción picaresca from El canaté (José Palomino) • Alto Solo
Charis Scharf - 1st

Sonata No. 4, mvts. 1 and 2 (G.F. Handel) • Violin Solo
Marta Kerr - 1st

Wicked Choral Highlights (Steven Schwartz, arr. Mark Brymer) • Mixed Show Choir
Academy Kids - 1st
Soprano: Beth Geisthardt, Laura Halter, Hannah Schermerhorn, Tiffany Schmidt
Alto: Charis Scharf, Lindsey Schaefer, Leslie Wochos, Rachel Carter
Tenor: Nathan Boerneke, Ben Klein, Dan Moldenhauer, Dan Haugly
Bass: Peter Plagenz, John Kammueller, Zak Stowe, BJ Otte

The Musical Snare Drummer, mvts. 4 and 5 (Keown) • Concert Snare Drum Solo
Paul Pacetti - 1st

Sonata, mvts. 1 and 2 (Halsey Stevens) • Trumpet Solo
Charis Scharf - 1st

Six Consolations S. 172, No. 3 (Franz Liszt) • Piano Solo
Daniel Moldenhauer - 1st

Recital Suite for Solo Snare Drum, mvt. 3 (Schinstine) • Concert Snare Drum Solo
Seth Westphal - 1st

Eli Jenkins’ Prayer (Krunnfusz) • SATB Double Quartet
Charis Scharf, Heather Boelk, Kelly Helsel,Steph Meyer, Nathan Boerneke, Eric Wiechman, Peter Plagenz, Daniel Moldenhauer - 1st

Crash Landing (Hurley) • Parade Snare Drum Solo
Seth Westphal - 1st (Exemplary Soloist Award)

Fiddle Faddle (Leroy Anderson) • Piano Duet
Charis Scharf and Daniel Moldenhauer - 1st

AZ Choralfest Students Sing National Anthem for Diamondbacks

WELS National Choralfest 2010

This year's WELS Choralfest is special for those of us from the upper Midwest: we get to travel to Phoenix, AZ!  For those of you who make the annual flight to WI, MN, or MI for Choralfest, we feel very sorry for you! :)  This trip comes around once every 13 years or so and this year it looks like Phoenix and the Grand Canyon will have beautiful weather!

Arizona Lutheran Academy is hosting this year's WELS National Choralfest April 9-11, 2010.  The links below take you to their website:

Choir Schedule
Live Stream of Pops and Sacred Concerts
Diamondbacks Game Info
Additional Festival Info

The 16 members of WLA's Academy Kids will be representing WLA, their families, and their Savior at Choralfest.  They will be performing a medley from Wicked for the Pops Concert (Apr. 9, 2010 • 7 PM) and are in the Jubilate Choir for the Sacred Concert (Apr. 11, 2010 • 7 PM).

This year's clinicians are Joel Ungemach, Manitowoc Lutheran HS, Manitowoc, WI; Jim Buege, Lakeside Lutheran HS, Lake Mills, WI; and yours truly, Dale Witte, Winnebago Lutheran Academy, Fond du Lac, WI.

A special addition to this year's Choralfest is a performance of the National Anthem to open the Diamondbacks game on Saturday, April 10, 2010.  Try to imagine 470+ high school students running out to center field to sing for the crowd!  Also new this year are two outdoor concerts, both on ALA's football field.