Come join the voices of the Peoria Area Civic Chorale! 
When you are prepared for an audition, please complete the online application found here.
In addition, throughout its history, the PACC has consistently remained a strong advocate for collaborative efforts with many other Central Illinois performance organizations including the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, the Central Illinois Jazz Orchestra, the Heartland Festival Orchestra, Opera Illinois, Peoria Ballet, the Air National Guard Band of the Midwest, and most recently, WTVP Peoria.
Members of the Peoria Area Civic Chorale discover weekly opportunities to grow, develop, and excel as musicians along with opportunities to stretch their creative imaginations and musical skills resulting in artistic presentations of extraordinary beauty. If this sounds interesting, then the Peoria Area Civic Chorale is for you. Prior experience of choral singing is essential, and you must be able to read music. Adults, college students, and high school students (with at least junior standing) are eligible for consideration.
When you are prepared for an audition, please complete the online application found here. Once we have reviewed your application, the PACC Business Office will contact you to coordinate your audition, either virtually or in person.
The 2022-2023 Concert Season
- PACC WEEK for An American Family Christmas: December 12-18, 2022 at Washington Five Points
- PACC WEEK for An American Rhapsody: Gershwin and Friends: May 1-6, 2023 at Washington Five Points
PEORIA AREA CIVIC CHORALE AUDITIONS:
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT SUBMITTING A VIRTUAL AUDITION:
Send the following materials to both pacchorale@gmail.com and jdhenrydma91@gmail.com.
- A description of your musical background and skills.
- Two recordings (YouTube links, mp3s, etc.) of music that you feel best represents your current level of musicianship.
- In addition, please fill out the online Peoria Area Civic Chorale Audition Application.
IN-PERSON AUDITION VENUE
In-person auditions from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on January 17, 2023 will be conducted in the Sanctuary of First Christian Church on 6400 North University, Peoria, IL.
IN-PERSON AUDITION PROCEDURES:
- Complete and submit the online audition application. Once submitted, the PACC Business Office will call you to coordinate an audition time.
- Bring two songs of your own choosing (i.e., anything from a hymn tune to an operatic aria or a folk melody to a popular song).
- You may not be asked to sing both selections in their entirety, but obviously you must be prepared to do so. Although memorization is not required, you should select pieces that you feel best represent your current musicianship.
- Bring two copies of each selection: one copy for the artistic director and the second copy for our piano accompanist.
- You may be asked to demonstrate music reading skills (rhythmic and tonal) and tonal memory. The excerpts used in the audition will test your sense of pitch, rhythm, and ability to self-correct. Keep in mind that very few singers regard music reading (especially reading music at first sight) as their strength!
- It’s advised that you arrive 5-10 minutes before your audition in order to compose yourself or briefly vocalize before entering the actual audition. There will be a designated warm-up area and a waiting area. Auditions typically last between 10-15 minutes.
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT PACC AUDITIONS AND THE ENSEMBLE
Who attends the “In-Person” Audition?
When are the Audition Results Available?
You may not be invited to join the Peoria Area Civic Chorale because of a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, an (1) incompatible timbre for the existing blend of the ensemble, (2) insufficient vocal training, (2) poorly prepared audition music, (3) another candidate vying for the same position presented a stronger audition or, (4) you are auditioning for a voice section that is currently not in need of expansion.
If I am not offered singing membership following my audition, may I re-audition at a later date?
If you auditioned and were not offered membership, you may re-apply following one full, performance season of the Chorale (i.e., either fall or spring). For instance, if you unsuccessfully auditioned in August, you may re-audition in January.
What are the typical expenses for singing membership?
When/where are the ensemble’s rehearsals?
The Peoria Area Civic Chorale rehearses on Tuesday evenings from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at First Christian Church on 6400 North University from mid-August through mid-December and then again from mid-January through mid-May.
The Civic Chorale’s annual An American Family Christmas is presented in December while an annual spring concert is presented late April or early May. On occasion, the Peoria Area Civic Chorale also collaborates with area symphonies in the production of major, choral/orchestral masterworks.
What is PACC Week?
- Monday: Last rehearsal at our regular location to solidify music memorization.
- Tuesday: Tech night (lights & sound) and the ensemble’s first night in the performance venue.
- Wednesday: 2nd TECH night in the performance venue
- Thursday: Dress rehearsal (full concert dress required for pictures and full performance)
- Friday-Sunday: Friday night opening with three evening performances in December and two evening performances in the Spring.
Do singers find memorization an overwhelming challenge?
The thought of memorizing music can be daunting for many potential ensemble members, yet memorization determines the singer’s ability to be responsive to the conductor, to sing more freely, and to be more communicative with the audience. The good news is that within the PACC rehearsal environment, music memorization has always been an easily achievable ensemble goal mitigated by audio rehearsal files that contain all vocal parts with individual parts highlighted.
SINGER RE-ADMISSION POLICY
Any Peoria Area Civic Chorale singer who has missed a concert season(s) but desires a return to active singing membership, will be required to re-apply for active membership with the Artistic Director via email communication at least one month prior to the start of the concert season in which s/he wishes to return. Re-applications will be handled on a case-by-case manner and determined primarily by the current musical needs of the Peoria Area Civic Chorale. Singers who wish to be considered for re-admission to active membership will not be required to re-audition.