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Pointing
the Way: What Would It Take to Join the Mormon Tabernacle Choir?
(Part One)
by Robb Cundick
My
brother-in-law David Jackman, my brother Tom, his wife Betsy, and
myself. Sometimes all it takes is someone to blaze the way. If Tom
had not braved the auditions the rest of us might not have tried.
"Tabernacle
Choir is the most marvelous experience I've ever had in my life."
"Every
rehearsal, event, and performance is a joy. I feel very blessed
to be here."
"This
is the greatest blessing in my life after the gospel and my family."
These comments
from current members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir are among scores
I received in a survey I took recently. We members of the choir
are very aware of how fortunate we are. Each week's "Music and the
Spoken Word" is a spiritual feast, and our concerts and tours leave
us feeling like we've visited heaven for a while. How we wish everyone
could experience these things! While that is not possible, we are
glad to help anyone who expresses interest in joining. The more
people who become aware of this incomparable experience and are
motivated to do what it takes to join us, the better the Choir will
become. And we hope that those who try and are unsuccessful will
nevertheless find other ways to experience the joy of singing in
church and community choirs. The Latter-day Saints have a great
singing tradition that should only continue to grow as the Church
expands across the world.
With that in
mind, I have long felt the desire to write an article about the
audition process. So I decided to follow the latest cycle closely,
from applications to in-person auditions. I asked questions of Choir
Director Craig Jessop and others involved in conducting the auditions.
I attended a testing session and witnessed an evening of in-person
auditions. And I conducted the survey mentioned above to find out
more about choir members' musical backgrounds and what they thought
helped them make it through the process. I will continue to include
their comments in bold type throughout this article and discuss
the results at the end. I did not require those who responded to
include their names and since most didn't, I think it would be better
to make all the quotations anonymous.
"Tell them
to follow their dream, set their goal and don't be discouraged!
It's well worth the effort."
Perhaps there are those among you who are like I once was: you
love to sing, but - while you're a fan of the choir - the idea of
trying out for it never occurred to you. Perhaps - like me - all
you need is someone to point the way. I suppose the reason I never
thought of joining is because it seemed beyond my reach. My youth
was occupied with instrumental (violin) studies, so I never sang
in school choirs. Though I loved to sing, my experience was limited
to ward choirs and congregational singing. If my younger brother
Tom had not pointed the way, I might have missed one of my life's
greatest joys.
Tom sang in
a seminary choir in high school, so joining the Tabernacle Choir
wasn't so unthinkable to him. In the late 1980's, our Dad's career
as Tabernacle Organist was approaching its end. Tom thought it would
be wonderful to witness those last few years sitting nearby in the
choir loft. He prepared by first taking vocal lessons. After studying
for a year, he auditioned but was unsuccessful. Not to be discouraged,
he took to heart the suggestions the rejection letter listed, worked
even harder, and was accepted on his second try. I was happy for
him! Then one day the thought finally occurred to me: maybe - just
maybe - I could do that, too. I signed up for lessons with Tom's
teacher and tried out a year later. I was fortunate enough to make
it on the first try!
So if you have
an interest in trying out someday, or even if you'd just like to
know more about what it's like, here's the inside story:
The
application materials contain detailed information about the tremendous
commitment required to participate in the Choir. Many people become
discouraged at this point and don’t apply.
The Application
"The initial audition application almost convinced me not to try."
Why would someone
feel that way? Let's take a look at the application process and
the materials you would be given were you to apply:
Requests for
applications are accepted during the first week of January or July.
The audition cycle I'm writing about began the first week of January
2002. Auditions hadn't been held for a year because choir membership
was "frozen" for the Olympics. [This has been the practice before
all major tours and events in order to discourage those who might
want to join only for a particular opportunity. It takes a lot of
training and practice even after joining the choir to be come really
proficient, so it's important for the choir to have long-term commitments].
Between that fact and the unprecedented visibility we have enjoyed
lately, interest this time was unusually high: the choir office
was overwhelmed by over 800 requests for applications!
How do you whittle
down that many applications? As we shall see later in the article,
when final selections are made the guidance of the Spirit is first
and foremost. But consider these words from the Doctrine and Covenants
11:21:
"Seek not to
declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall
your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit
and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men."
The Mormon Tabernacle
Choir is a missionary calling, so just as it is necessary to study
and obtain knowledge before preaching the Lord's word, so should
we prepare ourselves musically for a ministry in song. It is thus
according to the Lord's pattern that the audition process first
rigorously test and challenge the applicants, bringing to the top
those who have both superior skills and a conscientious sense of
dedication. That dedication is very important. The application guide
that comes with the materials lists the following as the priorities
of a Tabernacle Choir member:
1. One's relationship
with God.
2. One's family
relationships.
3. One's occupational
pursuits and responsibilities.
4. One's volunteer
membership by calling to the Tabernacle Choir.
The guide also
states, "membership in the Tabernacle Choir is an earned privilege,
requiring the enthusiasm of a volunteer and the discipline and responsibility
of a professional." Such professionalism cannot be accomplished
unless the choir is among the most important priorities in life.
Take a look at the required time commitment:
| Day
of the Week |
Time |
Frequency |
|
Sunday: |
7:30-10:15
a.m. |
Regular |
|
10:15-Noon |
Occasional |
| Thursday: |
7:30-9:30
p.m. |
Regular |
| Tuesday: |
7:30-9:30
p.m. |
Approximately
20-25 times per year |
| Concerts,
Tours: |
As
announced |
|
This translates
to being at the Tabernacle (or on tour) some part of 140-150 days
in a typical year. We are required to maintain a 75% attendance
record, so we can miss on occasion. But even so, choir participation
consumes much of our free time. The tours also necessitate the dedication
of a goodly portion of our vacation time (major tours come about
every 2 years and can take as long as 3 weeks).
This information
serves as a reality check, and apparently many people react as did
the choir member quoted above, because of the over 800 application
packets sent out, only about 350 people applied. But fortunately
for those who did decide to proceed, the number of openings for
this group was also unusually high. Retirements of choir members
who had reached their maximum service were also delayed for the
Olympics, so approximately 51 people will have left us by October
(when this audition cycle is finally completed and those who are
successful will join the choir).
The application
itself asks about your church and family background, occupation,
educational background, and musical experience. Application requirements
are as follows:
1. Membership
in the Church.
2. Age between
25 and 55. [Mandatory retirement from the Choir is at age 60 or
20 years of service - whichever comes first. A minimum period of
5 years service is requested].
3. Good health.
4. Body size
that can be accommodated by the Choir's wardrobe (exceptionally
small or large sizes are limited).
5. Ability
to receive a bishop's recommendation indicating temple worthiness
(though a temple recommend is not required).
Applicants are
asked to prepare an audition tape to be returned with the application.
The tape consists of the following:
1. Choose one
of three hymns (Abide With Me, O My Father, or I Need Thee Every
Hour).
2. Play and
announce the beginning pitch in a comfortable key.
3. Sing one
verse of the hymn (without accompaniment).
4. Play and
announce the ending pitch (which, of course, should be in the same
key in which you began!).
5. Sing a few
bars of the hymn with a straight tone.
6. Sing a few
measures sotto voce (with a quiet undertone quality).
7. Sing a few
measures loudly.
8. Perform
three short vocal exercises (which are included with the application
materials). These will help determine your natural voice range.
The due date
for applications and tapes was February 15, giving the applicants
several weeks to prepare the tape. Once the tapes reached the choir
office, they were carefully reviewed by Craig Jessop and associate
director Mack Wilberg.
Writing this
article has brought back memories of what the process was like for
me. Before I began to study with a teacher, I thought my voice was
pretty good. People at church seemed to think so. I had received
a number of compliments through the years, and ward choirs were
always glad to have a tenor. But once I started lessons, I was due
for some surprises. It's really just like learning to play a musical
instrument. In fact, the voice is referred to as one's "instrument".
There are so many factors involved in producing a beautiful sound;
and the better you become, the more you understand how much there
is yet to be learned and perfected.
Here are some
of the factors Brothers Jessop and Wilberg take into account as
they listen to the tapes: intonation, articulation, appropriateness
of vibrato, consistency of tone, breath support and flow, flexibility,
beauty of tone, diction, proper vowel placement, good consonants,
pitch, vocal style, and musicality. If you study singing, all of
these elements will become familiar to you; they are worked on constantly
in the Tabernacle Choir. There is more involved than just having
a great voice. In fact, many talented soloists may not be suitable
for the Tabernacle Choir unless they can adapt to sing in a way
that will not stick out and disrupt the blend of voices. And with
as much singing as we do, singing without proper technique can result
in serious vocal strain or even damage to the voice.
As with the
initial application information, the taped audition eliminates a
number of applicants. Of the 350, 170 were selected to continue.
Those who didn't make it were given specific instructions about
what they could do to improve and try again.
Just
like the college days: Choir hopefuls at work on their tests.
The Music Skills Inventory and Music Theory Test
"Being a music major, everything I ever learned, I needed for the
choir auditions (and after!). And I am still learning every day!"
Now that the
choir knows you have a promising voice, the next step is to test
your musical knowledge. The tests are administered at the church
office building and take about 2 hours to complete. There are two
parts: a "Music Skills Inventory," which is designed to assess inherent
musical ability, and a test in Music Theory. The theory test was
not included when I joined the choir but was added with the introduction
of the Temple Square Chorale and training program (which I will
cover later). With so many candidates, this time it was necessary
to hold testing sessions on four different nights. I witnessed one
of them.
The scene reminded
me of final exams in college: a roomful of nervous candidates fiddling
with their pencils and hoping for the best as they waited for the
tests to be handed out. Among the group that night I saw some familiar
faces: three former members of the choir. Yes, if you leave for
more than 3 months you're required to complete at least part of
the audition process again before rejoining. As I continue to describe
all the steps, you'll see why that's a big incentive for not leaving
once you join!
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| Debra
Gehris instructs the group before the Music Skills Inventory
Test. Debra and husband Dave have been administering the tests
for many years. |
David and Debra
Gehris, section leaders in the choir, administered the tests. They
have been doing so for a long time; in fact, they were the ones
who gave it to me 12 years ago. Debra told the group that many of
them would leave that night feeling badly about how they'd done;
yet they may find themselves pleasantly surprised once the results
came back. On the other hand, some who felt they had done well might
be surprised, too.
The skills inventory
was first. The application materials state, "The [inventory] is
a shock for some, including some with considerable training. On
the other hand, many with lesser training, who possess innate abilities,
do very well. The total music skills inventory helps us predict
your probable success as a member of the Tabernacle Choir."
This test requires
intense concentration and good listening skills. The questions are
given orally via a recording, so there is no stopping to ask for
something to be repeated. You must think quickly and then move to
the next task (a foreshadowing of what it will be like to sing in
the choir). The inventory is made up of the following elements:
· Listen
to two chords. Indicate whether they are major or minor mode.
· Listen
to a musical phrase. Indicate whether it is major or minor mode,
or if it changes modes.
· Listen
to 4 chords in the same key, followed by 3 notes. Choose which of
the 3 notes is the key tone (i.e. the first note of the scale for
that key).
· Listen
to a musical phrase followed by 3 notes. Choose which is the key
tone.
· Listen
to a 4 bar musical phrase while looking at a corresponding musical
notation. Identify every measure where the pitch that was played
is different from the notation.
· Listen
to a 4 bar musical phrase while looking at a corresponding musical
notation. Identify every measure where the rhythm that was played
is different from the notation.
· Listen
to a solid chord followed by a broken (arpeggiated) chord. Decide
which note (if any) differs from the chord.
· Listen
to a melody played alone, then harmonized. Decide if the melody
is in the high, middle, or low part of the harmony.
· Look
at a bar with two notes. Listen as the first note is played. Listen
to 3 more notes and decide which is the second note.
Why would skills
such as these predict success in the choir? Because they indicate
how quickly you are able to analyze and assimilate musical information.
Musical agility is very important in the choir because the pace
is …well …I don't think it's an exaggeration to call
it murderous! When I first joined, I found it necessary to spend
an hour or two on my own each week just to keep up. Take a look
at how we prepare for a typical broadcast:
The broadcast
averages around 6 pieces of music. We see them for the first time
when we do a quick reading on the Thursday night rehearsal ten days
before the broadcast. We'll take another quick look at the harder
pieces early Sunday morning before moving to the current week's
broadcast. On the next Thursday (three days before they'll be performed)
we have about an hour to refine all six pieces and do a test recording
of them. Sunday morning, right before broadcast, there will be a
half hour for final cleanup of rough spots. We'll do a practice
run-through of the entire broadcast and then it's time to perform.
If you divide the total rehearsal time by the number of pieces,
that gives us less than half an hour for each one - less than half
an hour from seeing the piece for the first time to performing it!
Thankfully,
after a couple of years you start to see some pieces coming around
a second time, and with five years under your belt, you're familiar
with most of the repertoire. But it's always a fast moving train.
So you can see why the kind of innate musical ability revealed by
the skills inventory is important. While you can practice these
skills, they do seem to come more as a result of musical experience
and natural ability.
The music theory
test, on the other hand, is something one can and should study for.
Theory will be covered in the choir school if you make it through
the auditions, but you'll do better to have the concepts down to
improve your score in this initial test. It consists of 6 pages
of multiple-choice questions covering concepts such as key signatures,
how many steps between given notes, which notes are enharmonic (e.g.
the same note: B flat and A sharp, for example), note values (e.g.
how many half notes in a whole note?), intervals, tetrachords and
triads. The choir school uses the text, "Basic Materials in Music
Theory: A Programmed Course" by Paul O. Harder and Greg A Steinke
(8th edition. Publisher: Allyn and Bacon). Loaner copies
of this text are available from the choir office for study prior
to the test along with a study guide on which chapters are most
important.
Let's review
for a moment: we started with about 800 requests for applications.
350 returned the applications, and 170 made it through the taped
audition to the skills inventory and theory test. An average score
of 80% is required to continue to the final step: an in-person audition
before director Craig Jessop and associate director Mack Wilberg.
[Brother Jessop did tell me, however, that a voice that was extraordinary
on the taped audition might buy a little leeway with the test scores.]
I was surprised to find that the majority of those who took the
tests were able to proceed: 130 were invited for an in-person audition.
In Part Two
of the article we'll talk about the step that seems to be most feared:
an in-person audition before Craig Jessop and Mack Wilberg. We'll
talk about the Temple Square Chorale - a training choir in which
those who successfully complete the auditions will serve before
they can join the Choir. I'll finish by discussing my survey of
the choir and include many more comments from current choir members.
Editors:
Watch for Part 2 in Friday's edition of Meridian Magazine.
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