The Student Room Group
Reply 1
You could probably try for CUMS - grade 8 should get you into CUMS 2, but I can't guarantee that, of course!

College choirs - it depends which college?
you're also in a good position as a string player. Us brass and wind players have to fight over very limited numbers of parts but I guess there would be at 8 or so desks of firsts and the same for seconds in the big orchestras. If you don't get in you could always take up viola. You would have to accept being laughed at by everyone but you would have to face far less competition.

Musicboy
Reply 3
There are non-audition orchestras (eg UCPO) too and many colleges have orchestras of their own... what college are we talking here?
king's college. i intend to audition for the college choir, but this might be a bit too hopeful of me because i've only had experience in my school choir so far. could i join other college choirs as well as my own college one?

hmmm... the viola eh. orchestra would certainly be less amusing if i were at the receiving end of viola-based humour. but as the viola is so much easier and crapper than the violin, i suppose playing it would mean i could join better orchestras.

is the CUMS the best orchestra in the university? is it therefore mostly made up of music students? what sort of thing do they expect for the audition?
Reply 5
PhilomenaGuinea
king's college. i intend to audition for the college choir, but this might be a bit too hopeful of me because i've only had experience in my school choir so far. could i join other college choirs as well as my own college one?


If, as I assume, you are a girl, you can't join King's choir. It's all male and possibly the most famous chapel choir in the world. They do however have a mixed choir called "King's Voices" who sing about once a week; don't think that's so hard to get into, but they're not as good as the proper choir.

And yes, you can sing in other colleges' choirs, though unless you're good enough to get a scholarship you'd have a tough time getting into e.g. Clare, Trinity, Caius.

CUMS 1 and CUSO argue over the "Best orchestra" title, but they're both excellent. CUMS 2 is of a slightly lower standard but still very good, and UCPO is non-audition but still produces some decent music despite having an absolutely enormous wind section. Most of the music students I know (that play orchestral instruments) are in CUCO (chamber orchestra) or CUMS 1, but I don't know that many.

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