Song Selection for Audition?

Question

I'm looking for some songs that I can possibly sing for my Senior Choir Audtion in March. I'm currently a Junior, and I'm currently singing Alto in a SATB choir. My range is appx. F3 - F5.

I'm planning on auditioning for the Senior Choir in March. I need:

Two songs for open audition (by different artists)(March 15)
One song for first callback (March 30)
One song for second callback (April 14)

So, basically I need four songs. One song that I was considering using would be 'Children Will Listen', from Sondheim's Into The Woods (Sung most notably by Bernadette Peters, starting in 1988).

I used 'Children' as my solo piece for our winter concert in December.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks!

Cheers,

Rosefern

Thanks for all your help! I'll probably choose at least one Sondheim song (for the first audition), and possibly another for the callback.

I'm thinking about 'No One Is Alone', I have the recording of Bernadette Peters singing it at Carnegie Hall. I'm fairly good at singing her material, and I do like the song. I probably won't sing 'Children Will Listen' again.

In response to the question about the pianist, I'll be working with the same pianist (a very close friend) that played Children for me, he's very talented with Sondheim, and R&H.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Particle Man by They Might be Giants
Brings down the house every time.
Also "So What" by Ministry.

Answer 2

If you can sing Sondheim well, do it, cause Sondheim is so tough it earns you more respect. But Children Will Listen, since you've already sung it (I'm supposing those who listen to your audition will have heard this performance?), might not be the best choice. Maybe No One Is Alone or Send In The Clowns. Also think about doing a son in Italian to show off technique - Caro Mio Ben is a famous standard. Then maybe a modern soft pop - Norah Jones, Bonnie Raitt, Susan Tedeschi. Maybe Sunrise or Nightengale - don't do anyting too famous or you sound like an imitator. You could also do a more standard Irish Ballad or even a old timey Broadway song like Sound of Music or I Could Have Danced All Night. Most important is to have fun and show off your range. Break a leg!

Answer 3

Stay away from pop songs. This isn't a show choir you are auditioning for! For the same reason, I'd keep the "show tunes" to a minimum. Go for something more traditional that will show off your range, intonation, vibrato... whatever good technique you have. Try to find solo pieces in the style of what your choir normally sings.

I'm an instrumentalist, not a vocalist, so I don't know of any really good pieces of music off the top of my head, but do some research by talking to either your choir director or a vocal teacher. I teach instrumental music, and if one of my students came into an audition with a show tune or a pop song, I wouldn't be able to take the audition very seriously. It just means this student doesn't have a clue as to what they are doing and didn't try to find the appropriate music for this ensemble.

Have you tried out for any regional or all-state choirs? Use that audition music. Go online to find good solo and ensemble pieces that are used by your state. I'm including a page from the Wisconsin Music Educator's website that has the state solo list for vocal solos (for alto) for this year. That could give you a starting point, anyway.

Good luck with your auditions!!

Answer 4

Be careful with doing Soundheim. His songs are difficult to play so the pianist might not be great at accompanying you.

Here are some other songs to consider:

Falling In Love With Love from Cinderella
It Might as Well Be Spring from State Fair
You've Got Possibilities from It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's Superman!

Answer 5

Perhaps a song from the musical Les miserables. "On my own" or "I dreamed a dream" are both well known and lovely pieces. You could try "I feel pretty" from Westside story? Also how about something classical to show your flexibility? Perhaps an aria by Handel, or the Pie Jesu from Fauré's Requium, they're both gorgeous! Goodluck!

Answer 6

Well, since you've sung a song by Bernadette before, you might could use 'Stay with Me', also from Into the Woods, or 'Witch's Lament'. Bernadette also starred in Gypsy, so you could do 'Rose's Turn'.

Answer 7

How about:

Lean On Me by DC Talk

and

Play With Fire by Hilary Duff

I can't think of anything else. Maybe you could sing something from a musical that you like?

I hope your audition goes great.

Answer 8

-Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell
-Memory by Andrew Lloyd Webber (from Cats)

...also have you seen Celtic Woman? There are some great female solos there.