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Hazen High School Choral Ensemble Audition Information 2009-2010 Welcome to Hazen High School’s choral music program! Hazen offers a strong curriculum in choral music and is quickly becoming one of the top programs in the northwest. Through all of our various ensembles you will learn the basics of healthy vocal production, music theory/sight singing, lyric diction and music history. You will also learn and perform some of the finest music literature ever composed while making new friends and having fun all at the same time. The information below will describe Hazen’s 4 choral ensembles, the choral director as well as audition information. Please come and join us for the best vocal music experience around! The Ensembles Concert Choir: Concert Choir is a 60-75 voice select mixed ensemble. Concert Choir sings challenging music literature from all historical periods and in many different styles and languages. Sight reading, diction practice and choral blend and balance are emphasized. Concert Choir is the cornerstone of the program and thus membership must be taken seriously. The group performs several concerts each year both on and off campus. A performance/competition tour will generally take place in May (fundraising information will be given in the first few months of school.) Performance attire is provided by Hazen. Divina Voce: Divina Voce is a 16-20 voice highly select women’s ensemble. This group sings music literature from all historical periods but tends to focus on the music of modern composers. Advanced concepts in vocal technique, music theory and interpretation will be discussed and practiced. Divina Voce has been the regional champion at the Soundview Region Ensemble contest for the past four years and is ranked in the top 5 of Washington State’s women’s choirs. Members of this group must be extremely independent musicians and must have spent at least one year or be concurrently enrolled in Concert Choir. Divina Voce often performs off campus and will also participate in the yearly tours/competitions. A fee is required for performance attire. Man Choir: This is another select ensemble open only to men who are registered in Concert Choir. Man choir sings music literature from all historical periods and styles including; classical, modern, folk and some barbershop and jazz. The group is in frequent demand to sing off campus and regularly competes at festivals and concert tours along with Concert Choir and Divina Voce. This choir meets at the zero hour (6:20-7:15) before school. Man Choir has been the regional champion at the Soundview Ensemble Contest for the past three years and is ranked in the top 10 of Washington State’s men’s choirs. THIS IS A FUN GROUP! A fee is required for performance attire. Mixed Chorus: This ensemble is open to all who want to learn how to sing without an audition. This group of between 30-40 focuses on the rudiments of vocal production, choral blend and balance, sight singing and rehearsal etiquette. Mixed chorus performs at all Hazen concerts and sings at one regional contest. This group wears white and black attire at performances. The Director: Mr. Josh Viles is in his sixth year as Director of Choral Activities at Hazen High School. Mr. Viles conducts the Concert Choir, Divina Voce, Man Choir and Mixed Chorus. He also teaches beginning piano/keyboard and beginning guitar. Under his direction, Hazen’s choirs have quickly become a presence in Washington’s choral community. Concert Choir recently was invited to the prestigious WWU invitational choral festival last fall while Man Choir, Divina Voce and Chamber Singers all took first place at the Soundview Region Ensemble Contest. Both Divina Voce and Man Choir have received superior ratings at the state level and are ranked in the top ten in Washington State. All Hazen choirs have received superior and excellent marks at league contests! Mr. Viles received his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education/Choral Conducting from Western Washington University in June, 2004. While at WWU he sang in the nationally acclaimed WWU Concert Choir and the Western Voices Chamber Ensemble under renowned conductor, Dr. Leslie Guelker-Cone. Mr. Viles also studies voice privately and has sung numerous opera roles, recitals and master classes. He is also active in Washington’s choral music community serving as the WMEA Soundview Region (Renton, Highline and Tukwila) president, and is the Repertoire and Standards Chair for men’s choirs for the Washington chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. He lives in Federal Way with his wife Sarah and his two children Alex and Brittney. Mr. Viles loves working with Hazen High School students and is excited to make music with each of you! Audition Information Singers wishing to be placed in Concert Choir, Divina Voce or Man Choir will be asked to do the following things in a private audition. Vocalization – Singers will be led through a variety of vocal exercises so that the director can get an idea of the singer’s vocal color, tone quality and range. Tonal Memory – Singers will be asked to sing back short melodic phrases that are played for them on the piano keyboard. This will give the director an idea of how well trained the singer’s ears are. Singers will also be taught and asked to sing back a major and a minor scale using solfege syllables. Sight Reading – Singers will be asked to read pitches and rhythms (from an actual score) at sight. If the singer has not had any experience in vocal sight reading, the director will use an alternate exercise in which the singer is taught a part and asked to sing it back a capella. It is my goal that singers leave the Hazen High School choral program being independent and well trained musicians. Thus, sight reading and aural skills are heavily emphasized and are a must to succeed in the advanced ensembles. Ensemble placements will be posted the first week of April on the choir room (403) door. Singers will be asked to initial next to their name indicating that they except membership and are committed to the ensemble for the duration of the following school year!