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ARTICLE I: MEMBERSHIP.................................................................... 2

SECTION 1 STUDENT MEMBERSHIP........................................ 2

SECTION 2 DATE OF ACCEPTANCE AUDITION...................... 2

SECTION 3 ACCEPTANCE AUDITION- QUOTA, FEES............ 2

OPTION - DISTRICT CHORUS HOST.......... 2

DISTRICT CHORUS SIZE......................................... 3

ACCOMPANISTS ACCEPTED....................... 3

SECTION 4 ACCEPTANCE AUDITIONS- CHORAL MUSIC....... 3

SECTION 5 ACCEPTANCE AUDITIONS- ACCOMPANIST MUSIC 3

REQUIREMENTS........................................... 4

SECTION 6 JUDGING FORMS..................................................... 4

SECTION 7 TALLY....................................................................... 4

SECTION 8 AVAILABILITY OF STUDENT SCORES.................. 4

SECTION 9 GUARANTEE OF REPRESENTATION..................... 5

SECTION 1 SELECTION OF AUDITION COMMITTEES............ 5 SECTION 2 RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMITTEES.................. 5

ARTICLE III: AUDITIONS AND CHAIR PLACEMENT......................... 6

SECTION 1 LOGISTICS................................................................ 6

RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENT.............. 6

RESPONSIBILITIES - JUDGES..................... 7

RESPONSIBILITIES - DOOR PERSON........ 8

SECTION 1 USE OF PRE-AUDITION BY-LAWS......................... 8

SECTION 2 SELECTION OF MUSIC............................................ 9

SECTION 3 VOCAL SPOTS, SOLOS AND CABARET................ 9

SECTION 4 ACCOMPANISTS AUDITIONS................................. 11

Section 1: STUDENT MEMBERSHIP

Refer to PMEA District 9 Band, Chorus and Orchestra Procedures.

Section 2: DATE OF ACCEPTANCE AUDITION

Acceptance Auditions will be held the third (3rd) Sunday in October.

Section 3: QUOTA FOR ACCEPTANCE AUDITION

a) Each school may send a maximum number of students for Acceptance Auditions according to the following schedule; however, they do not necessarily have to fill this maximum.

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FEMALE ONLY MALE ONLY

SOPRANO I 2 TENOR I 5

SOPRANO II 2 TENOR II 5

ALTO I 2 BASS I 5

ALTO II 2 BASS II 5

b) Each participating school shall return the PMEA District 9 application form together with a $3.00 per student registration fee to the acceptance audition host. (Checks should be made payable to the HOST SCHOOL). The application must be postmarked according to the date set by the Host. Each application will be dated on the day it is received by the Acceptance Audition Host. The candidates will then be listed in random fashion.

c) The Approved District Chorus Host, at his/her discretion, has one(1) of two(2) options:

1) choose to bring one additional applicant per voice part to the acceptance auditions. All successful candidates shall qualify for all subsequent activities.

2) instead of option one(1), choose to select two (2) previously unsuccessful acceptance audition candidates to be included in all festival activities. These selectees shall qualify for all subsequent activities with no limitations. The host director?s choice must be exercised prior to the acceptance auditions.

d) 1) The size of the District Chorus will be made prior to the Acceptance Auditions results. A minimum Chorus size would be 160 students, i.e., twenty (20) students per voice part.

2) A maximum of two(2) accompanists may be accepted.

SECTION 4: ACCEPTANCE AUDITIONS -- CHORAL MUSIC

a) Acceptance Audition music shall be interpreted as being passages selected from choral materials and sung ?a capella?.

b) Specific "titles" shall be designated for each of the eight (8) divisions of the chorus. With each "title", the District will also provide the composer and publisher. This information will be provided yearly by an official communique from the District 9 Secretary/Treasurer.

c) The list of "titles" shall be divided into a continuing cycle of three years.

d) If a majority of the Choral directors feels that a re-evaluation and/or revision is necessary, then a Review Committee shall be established, with a mandate to delete and replace material that does not accomplish an accurate and artistic evaluation of a given voice or range and/or which could be replaced by a more suitable composition. The results of the review committee will be put to a majority vote by the general membership.

e) All choral works published in more than one language will be auditioned in ENGLISH.

f) Audition material must include text.

SECTION 5: ACCEPTANCE AUDITIONS - ACCOMPANIST MUSIC

a) Piano Accompanist Acceptance Auditions will be held concurrent withe the Choral Acceptance Auditions.

b) The student will be auditioned by a committee of not less than three (3) Directors, and specifically, not by his/her own director, as the judges will be facing the auditioning student.

c) Students will audition for the accompanist position without being obligated to audition vocally. However, if they choose to audition for a voice part as well, they will be included in the limit allowed for their voice part.

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d) The student will be expected to do the following:

1) Be able to play the Acceptance Audition Selection listed for piano accompanist for that year.

2) Be able to read open score and parts, such as the soprano and tenor lines simultaneously.

3) Be able to play vocalise exercises and cadences in various

keys and be able to play , hands together, all major and harmonic minor scales in an eighth-note pattern in the tempo of quarter-note = 120.

4) Be able to follow the judges when they conduct passages from the Piano Acceptance Audition Selection.

SECTION 6: JUDGING FORMS

The OFFICIAL District 9 Judging Forms for the Acceptance Auditions pictured at the end of the By-Laws Document are:

ADDENDUM A: Choral Judging Form

ADDENDUM B: Key to Judging Comments Form

ADDENDUM C: Piano Accompanist Judging Form

ADDENDUM D: Vocal Solo Judging Forms

SECTION 7: TALLY

a) The Tally Committee shall consist of the Host Director, one Executive Council Member, and others designated by the Host Director.

b) The Tally Committee shall compute audition scores. All scores will remain unofficial for one week.

c) The Tally room shall be off-limits to every one except the Tally Committee.

d) NO TIES will be broken at the Acceptance Auditions.

SECTION 8: AVAILABILITY OF STUDENT SCORES

a) All scores for each section shall be posted for directors? perusal.

b) Tie scores shall be listed as ties.

c) Any school hosting the Chorus Acceptance Auditions MUST supply each participating director with total readouts of every students?s score, ranking, and grade level, whether by computer or by typewriter.

d) All scores become official one week after host mailing.

SECTION 9: GUARANTEE OF REPRESENTATION

a) Every school that participates in Acceptance Auditions shall be guaranteed one member in the District Chorus Festival. This guaranteed representation clause prevails only through the posting of the results of the pre-auditions.

b) The Tally Committee shall select the student to represent the school. The student selected need not be the student with the highest number of points. The Committee shall be guided by the needs for a balanced choir.

c) Representative students must audition and be subject to all rules and provisions.

SECTION 1: SELECTION OF AUDITION COMMITTEES

a) Every Choral Director in District 9 will be asked to list his or her area of greatest competency and professional preference for his or her voice committee assignment.

b) The Acceptance Audition Host shall establish the roster of Auditioning Committees on the basis of the returned preferences and the need to have directors not auditioning their own students.

c) Each Committee will consist of both men and women with not less than three (3) judges and one (1) door person.

d) When circumstances dictate and it becomes reasonably unavoidable, a director may be required to serve on a Committee which will judge his/her own students.

SECTION 2: RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE AUDITION COMMITTEE

a) Each Committee will select a minimum of one-and one-half (1-1/2) minutes of actual vocal time of uniform music for every candidate. Each Committee will take a five (5) minute break approximately every fifty-five (55) minutes.

b) Every director should bring a pitch pipe.

c) Each Committee shall tape the first three candidates. At the conclusion of the tenth auditioner, the committee will re-evaluate the first three candidates. Any score may be changed except Tone Quality.

SECTION 1: AUDITIONS - LOGISTICS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

a) To implement the one-committee auditioning of a possible maximum number of candidates:

1) All basic instructions will be issued in written form.

2) Auditions for each section will begin at 2:00 PM immediately following the Directors? Meeting.

3) Directors are encouraged to travel independently from their students, when at all feasible, to permit the students to return home when the director has responsibilities beyond the audition time of the candidates.

b) The Host shall provide the following:

1) Two areas for holding students. One for those students waiting to be auditioned and one for those students who have completed their audition.

2) Eight (8) areas in which the auditions shall be conducted.

3) Guides who will direct the students to and from the audition room.

c) The student:

1) will remain in the specified warm-up room until the student guide informs him or her to report to the audition room for his or her audition. Electronic devices of any kind are not allowed.

2) must take all personal belongings to the audition room. Students will not be allowed back into the warm-up room after they have auditioned.

3) will provide the door person with his or her audition number.

4) will sing to the backs of the judges during auditions.

5) will communicate non-verbally to the door person for a new pitch.

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6) who opts for a second start will not be penalized for a second start, providing that he/she has not completed more than half of the required passage. Only the second (2nd) performance will be judged.

7) will go directly to the designated area upon completing the audition. Absolutely no communication will be permitted with any other students who have not auditioned.

8) Any violation of these rules will bring an appropriate response from the Host Director, President and Executive Members of the Committee. Upon review of the infraction, the committee will have the power to reprimand appropriately, including complete expulsion from all activities.

d) Judges Responsibilities

1) The judges will be seated with their backs to the student being auditioned.

2) A member of the Committee with the same voice range as the student, will provide the starting pitch by using a pitch pipe, and then by singing the pitch on a neutral syllable.

3) The judges will give their full attention during the audition and then evaluate.

4) The judges will not give musical assistance during the audition.

5) The judges must not have more than a ten (10) point difference in all scoring for any auditioner.

6) The Chairperson of the Committee will be in charge of insuring the judging is consistent for that Committee.

7) New judging forms must be used for score changes.

c) The Door Person will:

1) Receive sealed envelopes with students? names, grades, schools and audition numbers, not to be opened until all judges are in their respective places and ready to begin the auditions.

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2) Take roll, assign audition numbers and familiarize the students in the warm-up room with all required audition procedures while the three auditioning judges are selecting the passage(s) to be auditioned.

3) Outside the audition room door:

a) Check each student?s name, number, grade and school from the Host Director?s master list.

b) Clearly mark the music to show the beginning, halfway point and the end of the selected passage(s).

c) Inform the students that they can have a maximum of

two (2) tries, provided they do not complete more than half of the selected passage.

4) Aid the students before the audition, attempt to keep them calm and relaxed and refrain from any distractions during the audition.

5) The door person cannot aid in the selection of the audition material or make any verbal comments about any audition until after the scores have been registered.

6) The door person will be responsible for taping the first three (3) auditioning candidates.

SECTION 1: ALL PRE-AUDITION BY-LAWS WILL BE FOLLOWED FOR DISTRICT 9 CHORUS FESTIVALS UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED BELOW.

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SECTION 2: SELECTION OF MUSIC

The following guidelines will be used to establish The choral repertoire for District 9 Choral Festivals. It is suggested that the Festival Program include:

a) A selection for women?s chorus

b) A selection for men?s chorus.

c) No more than two (2) works in a foreign language.

d) At least one work from each of the following styles:

1) Classical ( to be chosen from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and/or Romantic Periods).

2) Folk

3) Multi-cultural

4) Contemporary American

e) That the choral content be limited to not more than sixty (60) minutes.

f) That there be a balance between sacred and secular works.

g) That the Star-Spangled Banner or another patriotic work be considered.

SECTION 3: VOCAL SPOTS AND SOLOS WITHIN THE CONCERT PROGRAM AND CABARET

a) Two prerequisites must be satisfied before a student may audition for a solo:

1) The student must have the recommendation of his or her director.

2) The student must be pre-registered with the Host Director.

b) Each Public CONCERT shall have two (2) SOLO SPOTS.

c) For incidental solos, three (3) students will be selected as finalists, with the final choice to be made by the Guest Conductor.

d) A student may be selected to perform both a Solo Spot and an Incidental Solo from within the Concert Repertoire. Any Concert Solo Performance does not automatically preclude student(s) from performing in the Cabaret.

e) Students may audition in one or more of the following categories: SOLO, DUET or TRIO, QUARTET or LARGER ENSEMBLE. However, selection shall be limited to any two of those three categories.

f) All music should be memorized for the audition.

g) It is the responsibility of the auditioning student and/or his/her director to obtain accompanists prior to auditions.

h) A Committee of not less than five (5) judges and one (1) timekeeper will audition solos. This Committee is an open Committee and any director interested is invited to serve as a judge. However, no director may comment or vote for his/her own student.

I) Singing time for the solo audition will be limited to one-and-one-half

(1-1/2) minutes. Time will be called by the timekeeper.

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j) The FEATURE VOCAL SPOT is not restricted to a solo performance.

k) All solo auditions, whether part of the selected program, a spot solo or cabaret, should be evaluated on judging sheets using the following criteria:

1) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - Superior facial expression; excellent eye contact; superior musicianship; great audience appeal;

Excellent stage presence

2) STRONGLY CONSIDERED - Energetic; active face; excellent musicianship; good eye contact; some audience appeal; possible performance selection

3) CONSIDERED - Some energy; limited facial expression; secure lyrics; average musicianship; average audience appeal

4) NOT RECOMMENDED - No facial expression; rigid stance; little energy; insecure; poor musicianship; no eye contact

l) The Solo Auditions Committee will use the scoring sheet shown in ADDENDUM D which uses subjective judgement of the criteria listed in

c) above and allows for consensus of the judges in the selection of solo spots or cabaret "acts".

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m) The maximum number of "acts" chosen shall be decided by the Host Director and the Solo Auditions Committee shall recommend and select up to that maximum.

n) In the event of any tie, the deciding vote will be cast by the timekeeper.

A) Students auditioning as piano accompanist are to be informed of all procedures and information prior to auditioning.

B) Students will audition on all District Festival Selections which are scored for piano accompaniment.

C) The auditioning committee shall consist of at least three (3) directors, none of which has a student auditioning as accompanist, and, whenever possible, the guest conductor.

D) Based on auditions, the Committee will recommend which selections each student will accompany. However, final determination will be made by the guest conductor.

E) If any accompanist selected is unable to play the accompaniments to the satisfaction of the Auditioning Committee and/or the guest conductor, then:

1) The Auditioning Directors and/or guest conductor must express their concerns to the Host Director and the District President by the end of rehearsals Thursday evening.

2) The Auditioning Directors, Host Director, Guest Conductor and District President will meet as a group to decide on an appropriate course of action.

3) This group is empowered to engage one or more professionals, either salaried or unsalaried, to accompany the chorus on the selection(s) as needed.

4) Whenever possible, the unsalaried professional(s) shall be drawn from a list of choral directors who will serve as volunteer "backup" accompanist(s) for this purpose.

5) Directors on the volunteer list will be assigned by the host director to one or more specific selections from the program provided by the guest conductor to the host director. Each "backup" accompanist will be responsible to prepare the specific selection(s).

F) The guest conductor, in consultation with the auditioning committee, will be requested to recommend one accompanist to represent District 9 at the Regional Chorus Festival. The decision is to be based on the following two (2) points:

1) The student?s technical ability based on auditions.

2) A subjective evaluation of the student?s musicianship as demonstrated during his/her working time during the Festival.

G) The accompanist selected for Regional Chorus will be notified by the Host Director immediately following the final concert.

SECTION 1: It is the responsibility of those directly involved with a Festival:

A) to propose and establish reasonable fees to cover their specific expenses ( and to provide a portion of the operating expenses for the District). The District Chorus Host MUST submit a budget to the District President for preview by the Executive Committee before their regular September meeting. The Executive Committee, at their September meeting, will review all fees and establish limits where they deem necessary.

B) to submit a check and financial statement within two (2) weeks following the District Festival to the Secretary/Treasurer of District 9 and the Secretary/Treasurer of PMEA.

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