If you are interested in scheduling an audition, please use the contact information below. We will be happy to talk with you!
Timothy McDonnell, DMA
Director of Sacred Music and Associate Professor of Music
tmcdonnell@hillsdale.edu
The Choral Scholars’ schedule is intensive but rewarding. The framework is derived from the intercollegiate athletic model, and the opportunity to bond with colleagues through teamwork and camaraderie is likewise inculcated in the program. Choral Scholars rehearse Sunday through Thursday in the late afternoons, with sung services on Sundays. In the first semester of membership, Choral Scholars receive specialized and individualized training in musicianship and ensemble skills, which form that basis for a lifetime of excellent music making and enjoyment.
Sometimes qualified students audition for the Choral Scholars program, but because of the number of applicants, we are unable to accept all of them into the program. A limited number of scholarships are available to qualified students who participate in the Chapel Choir, but who for some reason are either not eligible or able to participate in the Choral Scholars program.
Absolutely not! We welcome talented students who are excited about our work from every academic area. Choral Scholars are drawn from a wide array of major study areas, and we believe this enriches the character of our environment.
Yes, students wishing to take private voice lessons can register for lessons without charge.
On-campus auditions are required as part of the Choral Scholars application process. We strongly recommend that students register for our Audition Weekend, November 11-12, 2022, to receive top priority for scholarship awards. However, if travel to Hillsdale is not possible, we can make separate arrangements to hear you in person. Note that our ability to make awards decreases as the recruitment cycle proceeds.
The Choral Scholars are the core members of the Christ Chapel Choir. The Scholars will have performances on their own, as well as their own training and development modules, but are fully integrated into the Christ Chapel Choir and its performance schedule.
Choral Scholars form the core of the Christ Chapel Choir, and therefore are part of all the sung choral services, concerts, and special events that the Chapel Choir performs throughout the school term. Choral Scholars will also have their own rehearsals, separate from the full Chapel Choir, and will prepare services and other special events which they will perform on their own.
