“The only thing better than singing is more singing,” said the late acclaimed jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. For members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, this is particularly true because there is always more singing!

Members of the Choir, all volunteers with other family and employment responsibilities, have the unique musical experience of performing publicly each week on Music & the Spoken Word, broadcast worldwide on radio, television, and live streamed over the Internet. Including these weekly performances—plus concerts, tours, and recordings—Choir members average 75 scheduled performances per year. The experience of singing music that is joyful, hopeful, and uplifting is rewarding. The opportunity to share that music with others makes the hours of rehearsals and memorization well worth the effort.

The 2017 application period for membership in the Choir opens July 1 and closes August 15. Auditions are open for all voice parts. Applicants must meet several criteria for membership: be a member in good standing of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; be between 25 and 55 years of age on April 30, 2018, when Choir service would begin; and currently living within 100 miles of the Salt Lake Tabernacle, and others. Detailed information about requirements, the application, and an application guide will be posted online on Saturday, July 1, 2017, at www.motab.org/about/choir/auditions.html. Note: All applications must be postmarked no later than Tuesday, August 15, 2017.

The process to become a member of the Choir is rigorous—stretching over 9 months. Auditions are conducted in three phases. The first phase consists of submission of a completed application, a CD voice recording, and a bishop’s recommendation. The second phase is a musical skills assessment that measures musical ability and aptitude. Applicants with acceptable test scores then advance to the third phase, an in-person audition before the music directors and an interview with the Choir president. Audition results are usually available by late fall.

The process then resumes in January 2018, when those who successfully complete the audition begin 16 weeks of participation in the Temple Square Chorale and Choir School. The Chorale is a training ensemble made up of newly accepted Choir members and some current members that rehearses weekly; Choir School consists of classroom training in music theory, sight singing, rehearsal techniques, and much more. At the end of the 16 weeks, there is a final Choir School exam and performance by the Temple Square Chorale. Only then does the audition process started in July culminate in individuals becoming members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Then the musical adventure for new members gets even better with, as Ella Fitzgerald said, “even more singing!”