Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Warm-up Exercises • Sight-reading • Conducting Patterns

Choral Arrangement

Term from Choir Direction industry explained for recruiters

Choral Arrangement is the skill of adapting or creating music specifically for choir groups to sing. It involves taking an existing piece of music (like a pop song or classical piece) and modifying it to work for different voice types (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) or creating original music for choirs. This is similar to how a chef might adapt a recipe for different numbers of people, but with music for different numbers and types of singers. People who do this work are often called arrangers or choral arrangers, and this skill is particularly important in schools, churches, and professional choir settings.

Examples in Resumes

Created Choral Arrangement of popular songs for 40-person community choir

Developed 12 original Choral Arrangements for high school vocal ensemble

Published Choral Arrangements used by over 50 church choirs nationwide

Typical job title: "Choral Arrangers"

Also try searching for:

Music Director Choir Director Vocal Music Teacher Choral Conductor Music Arranger Vocal Arranger Church Music Director

Where to Find Choral Arrangers

Professional Organizations

• American Choral Directors Association
• National Association for Music Education
• ChoralNet

Online Communities

Job Resources

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How do you approach arranging a popular song for a large choir with varying skill levels?

Expected Answer: The candidate should discuss how they consider voice ranges, create simpler parts for less experienced singers while keeping advanced singers engaged, and maintain the song's recognizable elements while making it choir-friendly.

Q: Tell me about a challenging arrangement you created and how you overcame any difficulties.

Expected Answer: Look for examples of problem-solving, such as working with difficult musical elements, meeting specific choir needs, or adapting to unusual voice combinations while maintaining musical quality.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What software tools do you use for creating choral arrangements?

Expected Answer: Should be familiar with common music notation software like Finale, Sibelius, or MuseScore, and explain how they use these tools to create and edit arrangements.

Q: How do you ensure your arrangements are suitable for the intended skill level?

Expected Answer: Should discuss assessing choir capabilities, writing appropriate vocal ranges, and creating parts that are challenging but achievable for the target group.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What are the basic voice parts in a choir and their typical ranges?

Expected Answer: Should know Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass (SATB) standard ranges and basic voice leading principles for writing for each part.

Q: How do you start the process of creating a choral arrangement?

Expected Answer: Should describe basic steps like analyzing the original piece, determining vocal ranges, and planning how to distribute melody and harmony among voice parts.