University Singers is the premier vocal ensemble of the UA School of Music. This advanced choir consists of music majors as well as talented choral enthusiasts from other academic disciplines across the University of Alabama. University Singers performs a wide variety of repertoire, including significant contemporary works, spirituals, world musics, and masterworks of the historic choral canon.
Under the direction of Dr. Amir Zaheri, the University Singers has a renewed mission for outreach, with recent performances in Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, and Starkville, Mississippi. In addition, four members were selected to perform in the 2017 National Collegiate Honor Choir at the American Choral Directors Association National Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Continuing a tradition of excellence in the performance of choral masterworks, University Singers recently performed the Bach Missa Brevis in A Major, Bernstein Chichester Psalms, and the Mozart Requiemwith the UA Huxford Symphony. Previous major works have included the Bach Johannes Passion, Brahms Ein deutches Requiem, Britten Cantata misericordium, Duruflé Requiem, Mendelssohn Elijah, Orff Carmina burana, and Verdi Requiem.
The UA University Singers has performed three times at the internationally-renowned Spivey Hall of Atlanta, Georgia, and they have been included in concerts with Ward Swingle, James Earl Jones, Della Reese, and William Warfield. They have made multiple recordings, premiered choral pieces at the Society of Composers National Conference, toured South Korea, and appeared at the Southern Division Conference of the American Choral Directors Association.
HOW TO AUDITION FOR UNIVERSITY SINGERS
- Auditions will take place in a virtual format on Monday, 01/11 and Tuesday, 01/12. Fill out the google form linked below to sign up for a time.
- These auditions are only for students who are not currently in University Singers this semester and would like to be considered for the spring. If you were in University Singers for the Fall 2020 term, you do not need to re-audition.
- University Singers will meet on MWF from 2:00-3:15pm in an in-person format. At this current time, all students in University Singers will be expected to participate in-person; there will be no virtual alternative provided for course instruction. Class format is subject to change per changes in University guidelines.
- All students auditioning will need to prepare the University Singers Audition Excerpt Instructions are as follows:
- Those auditioning for University Singers will be expected to sing the excerpts unaccompanied. The key area, beginning pitch, and tempo will be given.
- S – measure 4, b. 3 through measure sixteen, b. 1
- A – measure 8 through measure 23
- T – measure 20 through measure 33, b. 3
- B – measure 1 through measure 14, b. 3