The 2023 Choir School Has Begun!
The Choir School and Chorale at Temple Square experience began this January for 49 new talented participants. Individuals who were successful in passing the first three levels of the Choir’s 2022 audition process were invited to participate in these last steps of this audition process. At the conclusion of their successful Choir School and Chorale at Temple Square experience, participants will be invited to sing as members of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.
The audition process began during the summer months of 2022 with a written application and voice recording submission, a music skills assessment test, an in-person vocal audition, and an interview with a member of the Choir presidency. Those who passed each level were invited to join this year’s 16-week training school, which is like a graduate course in choral singing but is sometimes thought of as a choral “boot camp.” The choir training also includes singing with the Chorale at Temple Square.
As in past years, this part of the training culminates in a concert by the Chorale at Temple Square and Orchestra at Temple Square, which will be held on Friday and Saturday, March 17–18, 2023, in the Tabernacle. More details about the concert will be published in the future. Read on for more details about the Choir School and Chorale at Temple Square.
Each Thursday night, the Choir School’s participants receive training in sight-reading, music theory, rehearsal techniques, vocal blending, listening skills, attendance expectations, Choir policies, and the intense schedule of the Choir, which includes concerts, recordings, touring, general conference music, and other special Church events. Unlike most other choirs, The Tabernacle Choir singers must be ready to perform for the public every week of the year on the Music & the Spoken Word broadcast, now in its 94th year of broadcasting over radio, television, and internet throughout the entire world.
On Tuesday nights—in addition to the Thursday night Choir School classes—Choir associate music director Ryan Murphy leads the singers as the conductor of the Chorale at Temple Square. The Chorale includes not only the new potential members but also those who became members of The Tabernacle Choir the previous year, as well as other volunteer Choir members who want to participate. The Chorale was formed in 1999 as an ensemble of The Tabernacle Choir organization.
The Final Preparatory Steps: Concert and Final Exam
As the participants prepare to join The Tabernacle Choir, those in the Chorale at Temple Square perform a spring concert with the Orchestra at Temple Square under the direction of Ryan Murphy and take one final exam in the Choir School. After completing the concert and passing the final exam, Choir School participants will become members of The Tabernacle Choir. As Choir members, they will be able to sing for a total of 20 years or until they are 60 years of age—whichever comes first.
New audition applications for The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square will be available online on June 1, 2023, and due August 15, 2023. Click here for more information. Applicants who are successful will be included in the 2023 Choir School and Chorale at Temple Square.