The San Francisco Bach Choir offers dedicated singers the opportunity to study and perform both Early Music and the diverse repertoire of great works from other eras and genres. We use historically informed performance practice, and perform with world-class professional instrumentalists and soloists, both period and modern.
Our volunteer singing membership is drawn from the Bay Area’s large community of trained, non-professional musicians. Our seventy-voice volunteer choir holds auditions periodically throughout the year. We are looking for experienced choral singers with good musical skills and an enthusiasm for participating in an active and dynamic musical organization.
The San Francisco Bach Choir is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment, and strives to bring the joy of music to all. We invite everyone to be a part of our community regardless of race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, physical appearance, language, social or economic status, or educational background.
We rehearse Tuesdays 7-10 PM in San Francisco (with occasional weekend workshops). Here is our full season rehearsal and performance schedule.
Dues and Expenses
- Full season dues: $360 if paid in advance
- October & December concert dues: $100 per quarter
- May concert dues: $200 (two quarters)
- Music: generally $15-35 per concert set (charged at cost)
- No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
What to Expect at Your Audition
- Vocalizing: using mostly familiar exercises, to discover: What is your comfortable and usable range? What voice part should you sing? What are your best vowels and what strategy can we use to improve the less-good ones? Is your breath working for you? Are there other adjustments we can make to increase the ease and health of your singing, and the flexibility and beauty of your tone?
- Sight-reading: Recognizing that there is a wide range of reading ability there will be three, graduated sight-reading exercises and, for those who learn more by rote, an opportunity to demonstrate that skill.
- Prepared music: New singers, please bring two copies of a prepared song or choral work. Simple is fine! A hymn, folk song, carol beautifully sung is preferable to something difficult which is not completely mastered.
Audition Inquiry Form
If you would like to set up an audition or be notified about plans for our next round of auditions in the Summer, please complete the inquiry form below.