Music

Choral Ensembles

Choral Music Opportunities

Choral music thrives at CWU, with four traditional Choral Ensembles, Opera and two Vocal Jazz Ensembles offered. These ensembles comprise a mixture of voicing options, repertoire specialties, and ability levels. Our motto is if you like to sing, there's a CWU Choir for you!

Each choral ensemble has its own identity and takes special pride in what it does. The groups, usually totaling over 200 singers, provide a wide variety of quality choral repertoire, singing to thousands of audience members annually. Everything from classical to comedy, madrigals to multi-cultural music, and repertoire which includes holiday music to vocal jazz is presented in multiple concerts throughout the year

Non-auditioned groups include the popular Wildcat Chorus (tenor/bass choir), Vox Divina (soprano/alto choir) designed for those sopranos and altos with some choral experience and reading ability, as well as our largest choir, an SATB group the University Chorale. The one auditioned choir is Central’s premier traditional choral ensemble, the Chamber Choir. A rigorous audition is required for entrance.

CWU's Reputation

The CWU choirs are known across the country in both the traditional and jazz idioms. CWU's Chamber Choir enjoys a well established presence at multiple state and regional invitation only conferences. Its YouTube presence has garnered worldwide attention, including a 2015 invitation to compete in Tolosa, Spain at the Tolosa International Choir Festival!

The Vocal Jazz I ensemble is by all accounts one of the premiere ensembles of its kind in the nation. VJ1 has sung at multiple state, regional and national conferences including the 2015 National ACDA Conference in Salt Lake City and the 2018 NWACDA conference in Portland, Oregon.

Chamber Choir

Chamber Choir, CWU’s premiere choral ensemble, is normally comprised of between 24 & 32 voices in an SATB voicing. Chamber Choir requires a rigorous audition for entrance along with a full school year commitment, The ensemble is only open to returning and transfer students at the sophomore level and above.

• Meets: M, W, Th, F - 2:00-3:15 (an additional one hour weekly sectional is required, usually Tues. 2-2:50 )
• Course #: MUS 268 (Soph.), MUS 468 (Jr. Sr.) MUS 568 (Graduate)
• Director: Dr.Nicole Lamartine

Vox Divina

Vox Divina (formerly Women's Choir) is a non-auditioned soprano/alto voice treble choir, usually 30-50 voices singing music written for treble voices. It's designed for non-majors who like to sing, music education majors, and experienced singers who want to perform music just for soprano/alto voices. A wide variety of music chosen from the past 600 years is sung. If you haven't sung at CWU before, give Vox a try - come to a couple of rehearsals with no pressure - see how you like it!

• Meets: M, W, F 12:00-12:50
• Course #: MUS 211 (Fresh., Soph.), MUS 411 (Jr., Sr.)
• Director: Dr. Nicole Lamartine

University Chorale

University Chorale is the largest choir at CWU and is open to all students without audition. Vocal technique, music literacy, ear training, music education, and performance are emphasized. Chorale typically consists of 90-120 singers, one-half of which are music majors (many are instrumentalists who like to sing) and the other half come from all over campus in all disciplines.....this creates a unique and eclectic musical experience!

Chorale rehearses four hours weekly, one hour each from Monday to Thursday. Independent musicianship, knowledge about the voice, and high artistic standards are all important tenets of Professor Singh’s philosophy for the group.

• Meets: M, T, W, F – 11:00-11:50
• Course #: MUS 267 (Fresh., Soph.), MUS 467 (Jr., Sr.) MUS 567 (Grad)
  NOTE: University Chorale is listed simply as “Choir” in the online catalog
• Director: Professor Vijay Singh

Wildcat Chorus

CWU’s Wildcat Chorus is one of the Department’s most energetic groups with no audition necessary. This Tenor/Bass Choir of between 40 and 60 voices is open to all who like to sing. It is designed for non-majors who like to sing, music education majors, and experienced singers who want to perform music just for tenor/bass voices. The group reflects the CWU Choirs’ stated philosophy that at Central there is a choir for anyone who likes to sing. Further, the Wildcat Chorus prides itself on maintaining a supportive, welcoming atmosphere to everyone from guys who have never sung to those guys majoring in voice performance. Its ranks typically include about half each of music and non-music majors. Though singing in any of our ensembles is fun, the Wildcat Chorus somehow manages to raise the "Fun Factor" up to unprecedented levels!

• Meets: M,W,F 12:00 - 12:50
• Course #: MUS 228 (Fresh., Soph.), MUS 428 (Jr., Sr.)
• Director: Dr. Scott Peterson

Vocal Jazz Groups

CWU offers two vocal jazz ensembles. Each of them is designed for the singer who wants to experience the thrill of close harmony singing in the jazz idiom.

• Vocal Jazz I is the premiere vocal jazz ensemble at CWU and has been acknowledged as one of the finest collegiate jazz vocal ensembles in the country with invitations to perform at IAJE, ACDA, and MENC national conventions. Vocal Jazz 1 consists of upper level students selected for their technical skills, musicality, stylistic diversity, jazz sophistication, and performance abilities.
• Vocal Jazz II focuses on building musicianship and repertoire through improvisation, ensemble skills, stylistically authentic performance practices, and jazz concepts. Repertoire focuses on custom arrangements by students, alumni, and other Northwest jazz luminaries. Students often gain experience and skills in Vocal Jazz 2 necessary to compete for spots in Vocal Jazz 1, creating a "feeder program" for the premiere ensemble.

Large Ensemble Requirement

Chamber Choir and University Chorale are considered "large ensembles" (this only matters for music majors). Up to six quarters of Wildcat Chorus and Vox Divina can be substituted for large ensemble credits.

For more information about Choral Ensembles, contact Dr. Nicole Lamartine.