Join Us
The Baden Street Singers pride ourselves on maintaining a high standard of singing, as well as a willingness to take creative risks and be adaptable musicians. Become a member nowI had completely forgotten how important music was in my life until I joined. I hadn’t played piano for years since stopping in high school, choosing instead a music-less and busy career. Since singing in The Baden Street Singers, I was reminded once more of the joy of creativity and harmony, and inspired to start playing piano for the first time in far too long.
In The Baden Street Singers I’ve found a great balance of what I want in a chorus – musical excellence, challenging repertoire, a supportive learning environment and an inclusive, welcoming culture. I love the passion in every area of the chorus, and my time here has helped me to develop my skills, both musically and in leadership.
Singing in The Baden Street Singers is the logical step up from singing in community choirs. I loved my old choir but I felt my skills had outgrown the group. This chorus gave me the confidence to extend myself and, with the help of its members, even learn a cappella arranging. Now I can create my own vocal arrangements – and I know just the group I want to arrange for.
The Baden Experience
Outwardly, The Baden Street Singers are known for our infectious energy, expressive performance and vibrant presence. Our rehearsal process is built on resourcefulness, accountability and adaptability. We aim to foster a collaborative, welcoming and inclusive rehearsal environment, so everyone is welcome to audition. Many of our members come from musical backgrounds – for example, as instrumentalists or having performed in school choirs – but just as many don’t.
We pride ourselves on maintaining a high standard of singing, as well as a willingness to take creative risks and be adaptable musicians. Members are encouraged to grow and nurture their musical skills not only as an ensemble but also as an individual. This means our singers are expected to spend time outside of rehearsals learning new music and revising learned repertoire so that we can make the most of our time together and have efficient rehearsals.
The Baden Street Singers sing all genres of a cappella music! You name it, we do it. Our members particularly enjoy singing in the barbershop style but we don’t like to lock ourselves into one genre. We perform all year round in large choral festivals like Denmark Festival of Voice, and often produce our own shows, including for Fringe World. As well, we normally travel interstate to the annual Barbershop Harmony Festival to perform to – and compete with – friendly rivals in other parts of Australia and New Zealand. You can listen to recordings of us on our YouTube channel.
We employ a rolling repertoire model – rather than learning a set for a season then discarding all that hard work, we gradually add and subtract songs from a larger set as each coming event requires. This allows us to have lots of songs, for most occasions, at the ready. Most members find that the first few months of joining us can feel quite hectic as there’s quite a bit to catch up on but once they have, it’s smooth sailing.
Speaking of joining…
The Audition Process
The Baden Street Singers rehearse in Shenton Park Community Centre, 19:00 – 21:30 on Thursdays. We hold auditions on request all-year round. We would highly recommend attending a rehearsal as a guest so that you can meet everyone, ask questions and ensure that this is the right group for you.
Your audition will be to our musical director, Nick Schurmann, as well as the respective section leaders for the soprano, alto, tenor/baritone and bass sections.
The audition process will take about 10-15 minutes, and consists of the following:
- Brief interview on musical background
- Performing a short excerpt of your nominated vocal part, in a quartet, with section leaders
- A range/vocal placement test
- An optional solo, without accompaniment, of any song of your choosing
There is no sight singing component to the audition.
Upon registering for an audition, you’ll receive some more information, including some tips and tricks, in an email.
If you’d like to attend a rehearsal as a guest, please contact [email protected].
Rehearsal Venue
We sometimes need to practice in other venues, so please get in touch with us before visiting a rehearsal.
Shenton Park Community Centre
240 Onslow Rd, Shenton Park WA 6008
Shenton Park Community Centre
Book your audition
To book your audition, please fill in the form below, or email us at [email protected].