How To Audition For The Tabernacle Choir

Many people dream of singing with The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square but think it is out of their reach. The truth is that many people each year fulfill their dreams of becoming a part of the Choir. There are requirements that need to be met, but still, the Choir may not be as far out of reach as one might think.Membership RequirementsYou must:Be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in good standing.Be between 25 and 55 years of age on April 30 of the year choir service would begin (the year following your application).Currently reside within 100 miles of the Salt Lake Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah.Don’t Let Your Fears Hold You BackWhen composer Janice Kapp Perry’s husband suggested that she try out for The Tabernacle Choir, she thought, “I can’t do that with this average voice.” Perry eventually joined the Choir despite having to be dragged into the in-person audition. She recalled, “My fears almost kept me from five and a half years of the most glorious musical experience on this earth.” When former music director Craig Jessop suggested that Alex Boyé join the Choir, he did not feel up the task. “He stopped me and said, ‘I want you to be in the choir.’ I said, ‘What choir?’ He said, ‘The Tabernacle Choir.’ I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’” recounted Boyé.

Many Choir members may have a story of why they felt like he or she felt unready to audition. Upon her retirement, former Choir member Joanne Voorhees said, “The most important [nonmusical] things to prepare for being in the Choir are your heart and attitude.” Persons auditioning for the Choir need to ask themselves if this is the right time in their lives for this commitment and understand what the number of hours participating in the Choir will mean for them.

If you feel like it is the calling for you, scroll down to see the phases you will need to go through in order to make your dream a reality.

Watch an excerpt from the film Singing with Angels about Choir auditions. Although this is a dramatization, it gives some idea of what the audition phases are like.