Repertoire
Repertoire refers to the collection of musical pieces that a choir, musician, or musical group can perform. For choir directors, it's like having a menu of songs they know well and can teach or perform. Having a diverse repertoire means being able to select appropriate music for different occasions, skill levels, or audience preferences. This might include classical pieces, contemporary songs, sacred music, or folk songs. When mentioned in job descriptions, it usually indicates the candidate's experience with different types of music and their ability to choose and manage appropriate musical selections for various occasions.
Examples in Resumes
Expanded church choir repertoire to include both traditional hymns and contemporary worship music
Developed diverse repertoire of over 100 pieces for high school vocal ensemble
Successfully managed seasonal repertoire selection for community choir of 50+ members
Typical job title: "Choir Directors"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find Choir Directors
Professional Organizations
Online Communities
Job Resources
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: How do you go about selecting and building a repertoire for a new choir?
Expected Answer: A senior director should discuss assessing choir skill levels, considering audience preferences, balancing different musical styles, and planning progressive difficulty levels throughout a season while maintaining singer engagement and audience appeal.
Q: How do you handle repertoire selection for a diverse community choir with varying skill levels?
Expected Answer: Should explain strategies for choosing music that challenges stronger singers while remaining accessible to newer members, possibly including section features and careful voice part assignments.
Mid Level Questions
Q: What factors do you consider when selecting repertoire for a concert season?
Expected Answer: Should discuss considering choir ability, concert theme, audience expectations, rehearsal time available, and budget for purchasing music.
Q: How do you maintain and organize your choir's repertoire library?
Expected Answer: Should explain systems for cataloging music, tracking performance rights, managing sheet music distribution, and maintaining digital or physical music libraries.
Junior Level Questions
Q: What types of repertoire are you most familiar with?
Expected Answer: Should be able to discuss experience with basic choral music types like classical, folk songs, or contemporary pieces, showing understanding of different musical styles.
Q: How do you prepare to teach a new piece to your choir?
Expected Answer: Should describe studying the score, identifying potential challenges, planning teaching strategies, and preparing warm-ups that will help with specific piece elements.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Basic knowledge of standard choral repertoire
- Ability to teach simple to moderate difficulty pieces
- Understanding of voice parts and basic arrangements
- Familiar with seasonal music programming
Mid (2-5 years)
- Extensive knowledge of varied musical styles
- Experience with multiple difficulty levels
- Ability to arrange music for different choir sizes
- Strategic concert program planning
Senior (5+ years)
- Expert knowledge of diverse repertoire styles
- Advanced program curation skills
- Budget management for music acquisition
- Long-term repertoire development planning
Red Flags to Watch For
- Limited knowledge of different musical styles and periods
- No experience managing a music library
- Unfamiliarity with copyright and performance rights
- Poor understanding of voice ranges and capabilities
Related Terms
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