Membership
The Marionettes perform Shadow’s “Stranger” in December 2018
Interested in joining us? Read on!
All choirs have to audition in one form or another, and we prefer to do it in an up front and transparent way. We also know how nerve-wracking this is for many — we’ve been through it ourselves, so don’t worry. Here’s what you can expect.
When and where are auditions?
We run brief auditions, lasting just a few minutes, after our regular rehearsals (Saturday mornings for the Youth choir, and Tuesday and Thursday evenings for the adult choir). Both choirs normally rehearse at All Saints Anglican Church.
[NB: The Youth choirs rehearsals resume the first week of school each term, while adult choir rehearsals typically resume the first week in September and the Tuesday after Carnival, unless the Carnival season is a long one]
What are the auditions like? Should I be nervous?
Not at all! These are easy, straightforward auditions simply so we know what your voice sounds like, and whether you’re a soprano, contralto, tenor, or bass. Auditions consist of:
- Brief scales/Vocalisations to determine your vocal range
- Brief tonal memory exercises, where we play notes that we ask you to sing back
- (optional) You can also sing A SONG of your choice if that suits your fancy! 🙂
Do I need to be able to read music, or have previous choral singing experience?
Both of those things are a plus, but not a requirement. We do some basic sightreading training at the beginning of each season to build music literacy, and warmups and exercises at the start of every rehearsal to help build your vocal technique.
Still have questions?
No problem — you can call or email us with any questions you have. We look forward to hearing from you!
About us
The Marionettes Chorale is comprised of an adult choir (formed in 1963) and the Youth Chorale (launched in 1995, with members post-SEA age through 26, and expanded to include primary school children eight years and up in 2012). We’re a non-profit organisation, and pre-pandemic the choirs averaged 120-odd singers between them, with Youth members coming from over 50 primary, secondary, and tertiary schools nationwide. Members, plus the multi-generational artistic and production teams, are entirely volunteer.
