Regional High School Honors Choirs

The High School Honors Choir program offers Regional Honors Choirs, State Honors Choirs and an All-State Honors Choir.

The Regional Honors Choirs program includes: 
Up to four singers per voice part may audition with each school sending no more than 32 singers. Example: 4 Soprano I, 4 Soprano II, 4 Alto I, 4 Alto II, etc. For Regional auditions only, substitutions of the same voice part will be permitted up to three days prior to the event. Example: Soprano I for a different Soprano I.

Membership into all honors choirs is open by audition to students from Michigan schools holding a current (paid membership fees) MSVMA membership. Those auditioning must be members in good standing in their school’s vocal music program.

Singers will audition online individually on their own voice part. The audition piece must be sung in its entirety without accompaniment. Please refer to the instructions and guidelines below.

In each region, a choir will be chosen with a maximum of 170 singers. Participating schools will be notified of the audition results by email. Individual scores will not be released.

Singers chosen for the Regional Honors Choirs will rehearse and perform in December. The repertoire will be the same in all regions including the regional audition selection, two SSAA selections, two TTBB selections and one SATB selection. A performance will take place at the end of the day.

Audition Guideline & Procedures

Please be sure to read the instructions carefully and strive to submit your application earlier than the deadline.

All HS Regional Honors Choir Auditions must be submitted online. Travel to a regional audition site will not be required. Signature forms for parents, directors, and principals WILL NOT BE NEEDED FOR THIS ROUND OF AUDITIONS either.

Important Information

• Online Audition Start Date: Tuesday, September 3, 2024

• Online Audition Submissions DUE: Thursday, October 10, 2024

• Audition Fee: $15 per student due October 10, 2024

Audition Information

Each director will upload audition videos to their individual YouTube channel.

Videos should be marked as “Unlisted.”

Use the MSVMA Wild Apricot event link to submit all necessary student, director, and school information. Copy and paste the YouTube video link into the appropriate field.

• DO NOT include any school identifying information either in the video and/or audio recording or in the file name.

• A full body frame must be visible: head to toe.

• All auditions must be performed in the voice part listed on your school's application. (If your Director listed you as Tenor 1, do not sing a part other than Tenor 1.)

• All auditions must be performed a cappella, but the piece does NOT need to be memorized.

• Introduce yourself: First Name, Last Name, Voice Part, and Title of the Piece before singing to ensure accuracy during the adjudication process. 

• Preview your audition before you submit, ensuring the product best captures and presents your work. Ensure the image is upright (not sideways).

• The use of a microphone is limited to recording purposes only. No artificial amplification may be used.

• No sound enhancements are allowed.

• Record your audition in one take. Film edits within a piece are not allowed.

• Failure to follow audition guidelines and requirements will disqualify your submission.

Regional High School Honors Choir Audition Application

Fees

Audition: $15

Regional: $40
State: $110

Regions
Region A: Districts 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10 (except Allegan and Barry counties)
Region B: Districts 6, 8, 10 (Allegan and Barry counties), 11
Region C: Districts 4, 12, 15, 16
Region D: Districts 13, 14

Region A

Hope College

Jack Miller Center for Musical Arts

221 Columbia Avenue

Holland, MI  49423

Host: Eric Reyes

Region B
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo
Host:  Kevin West

Region C

Allen Park High School

18401 Champaign Rd

Allen Park, MI 48101

Host: Jaylon Sims

Region D
Bethany Lutheran Church
202 South 11th Street
Escanaba
Host:  John Beck

Candice Sytsma

Region A

State SSAA Coordinator

csytsma@grcs.org

Maxwell Trombley

Region B

State SATB Coordinator

maxwelltrombley@msvma.org

Jaylon Sims

Region C

State TTBB Coordinator

sims@appublicschools.com

Sydney Ogren

Region D Coordinator

sogren@eskymos.com

Consideration for All-State Honors Choir

Students who wish to be considered for the All-State Honors Choir should indicate their interest on the Region Day/State Application Form and confirm their willingness to participate by signing the form.  For more information on All State click here. 

Audition pieces will be the following:

2024: Ave Verum Corpus - Byrd (ed. Morehen)

2025: O Vos Omnes - Victoria (ed. Dunn)

2026: Sicut Cervus - Palestrina (ed. Hofstader)

2027: Jubilate Deo - Orlando de Lassus (ed. Klein)

2028: Exsultate Justi - Viadana (ed. Klein)