CULLMAN – St. Bernard Prep School recently hosted auditions for the Alabama Vocal Association. Choral students from at least thirty different schools around north Alabama auditioned for the Alabama All-State Choir on November 13-14, 2015.
In order for students to participate in AVA festivals, they must be enrolled in a choral class in the state of Alabama and their choral director must be a member of the National Association for Music Educators (NAfME) and the Alabama Vocal Association.
To qualify for auditions students choose to audition for one of the following choirs:
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High School (Soprano, alto, tenor, bass) SATB Choir: open to female and male students in grades 10-12
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High School (Soprano I, Soprano II, and Alto) SSA Choir: open to female students in grades 9-12
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High School- (Tenor I, Tenor II, Bass I, Bass II) TTBB Choir: open to male students in grades 9-12
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Middle School MIXED Choir: open to male students in grades 7-8 and to female students in grade 8. Male students may audition for any voice part of Middle School MIXED Choir
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Middle School TREBLE Choir (higher voices only): open to female students in grades 7-8
Approximately 1,000 middle and high school students from public, private and home schools took part in auditioning for the Alabama All-State Choir from the North Alabama region alone.
St. Bernard Prep in Cullman is one of five sites in Alabama where auditions were held.
St. Bernard Prep’s Director of Fine Arts, Joshua Agnew said these students chose a choir to audition for and prepared the music that will be performed at the festival.
“They had to sing segments of the music by themselves to demonstrate their abilities. The judges then scored the student using a detailed rubric. The top scores will make the choir in each section. “
Everyone seemed to be pleased with the location. “The Judges stayed for the two days in our retreat center and were quite satisfied. They enjoyed the quiet,” Agnew said.
He continued by saying, “They will now hear auditions in Florence, Gadsden, Montgomery, and Mobile.”
Once the remaining auditions have been completed, the judges will compile the results, and notify the Directors.
Annually, All-State Choral Festival, a three-day event that culminates in a professionally recorded concert, is an opportunity for students with outstanding ability and initiative to receive public recognition, to sing under the direction of nationally recognized choral clinicians, and to perform choral literature of the highest quality.
Three high school choirs and two middle school choirs will perform at the All-State Festival at Samford University in March 2016.
