In 2024, we look forward to welcoming 42 new choristers to the National Boys Choir of Australia.
Some boys will join the Elementary Choir while others with more experience will join the Junior Choir.
“Basically, we were looking for boys who simply love to sing,” Administrative and Artistic Director Andrew Bainbridge explained.
“The auditions weren’t scary nor cause for concern. I went to various primary schools around Melbourne and worked with small groups of boys for about 15 minutes.
“I just wanted to see if boys had ‘chorister potential’. I might have asked them to sing a verse of Happy Birthday, clap a rhythm or copy some pitch-matching exercises.
“Lots of boys registered online to audition at the NBCA headquarters too,” he added.
Established in 1964, the choir consists of about 200 boys aged between seven and 15 years. New choristers enjoy a two-year training period before being promoted to the Performing Choir. The boys receive excellent vocal, musical and stagecraft training in a supportive and friendly environment. There are also many outstanding performance opportunities. Besides NBCA concerts, the Choir performs at Carols by Candlelight on Christmas Eve and has sung frequently with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia, and the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic.