FAQs

Girls are encouraged to attend a free trial class before joining, which will provide a taste of the sort of activities we offer. It’s not necessary for girls to prepare anything for this class and your daughter will not be required to sing by herself. She will be ‘buddied’ up with one of our current choristers and will participate in the class activities with the other members, allowing her to get a real feel for what weekly classes are like.

Adelaide rehearsal venues are located in Glenelg, Glen Osmond and Walkerville. View the Adelaide timetable for specific class times.

Brisbane rehearsal venues are located in Aspley, Holland Park and Indooroopilly. View the Brisbane timetable for specific class times.

Canberra rehearsal venue located in Deakin. View the Canberra timetable for specific class times.

Melbourne rehearsal venues are located in Berwick, Box Hill, Caulfield North, Essendon, Greensborough, Glen Waverley, Heidelberg, Ivanhoe, Kew, Mentone, Ringwood and Yarraville. View the Melbourne timetable for specific class times.

Perth rehearsal venues are located in Duncraig, Murdoch and Subiaco. View the Perth timetable for specific class times.

Sydney rehearsal venues are located in Balgowlah, Beecroft, Castle Hill, Chatswood, Haberfield, Kellyville, North Parramatta, North Ryde, St Ives and Waverley. View the Sydney timetable for specific class times.

There is no audition to join AGC. We have an inclusive policy and our classes are designed to cater for varying abilities and experience levels. It is our philosophy that all girls can learn to sing given encouragement and training and we aim to make music learning a positive and enjoyable experience.

Girls who complete one year of training at Concert Level (entry in Grade 7 and above) are able to audition for our Senior Performance Groups and have the opportunity to perform in many high-profile events throughout the year. Entry to our Senior Performance Groups is based on a singing and dance audition.

Girls attend weekly classes as well as one additional weekend rehearsal prior to the Winter Showcase and Annual Concert performances.

Annual fees start at $905 for junior@agc. Please see the AGC Brochure for annual fee information for your daughter’s age group.

Pro rata fees are applied for enrolments throughout the year.

Tuition fees include:

• Weekly classes
• AGC music bag
• Sheet music (Allegro level and above)
• Involvement in Production Rehearsals (Allegro to Concert Level) or Music School (Camerata and Performing Choir)
• Performance costumes (Prelude and above)

In addition to the annual tuition fee, parents are also required to purchase uniform items. Please visit the uniform information page of the AGC Online Shop for more details. A list of second hand uniforms is available and can be accessed by contacting the office.

Choristers also perform in two ticketed concerts per year:

• Winter Showcase Concert ticket prices start at $25.
• Annual Concerts are held at Melbourne Hamer Hall, Robert Blackwood Hall, Sydney Opera House, The Concourse Chatswood, Perth Concert Hall, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Canberra Girls Grammar School and the Adelaide Town Hall. Ticket prices range from $35-$60.

Please note choristers do not require a ticket.

You can enrol online by completing the Online Enrolment form.

Positions in classes are limited and allocated in date order upon receipt of your deposit.

• If a position is available: we will send you an email to confirm the position along with information regarding the start of classes.
• If a position is not available at your preferred venue: you may choose to place your daughter on our waiting list for the next available position.

Some classes have waiting lists if the class capacity has been reached.

If a position is not currently available at your preferred venue you can place your daughter on a waiting list for the next available position or you may opt to receive a refund of your $50 deposit.

Occasionally girls change their mind and we have a resignation policy included in our Terms of Enrolment with more information about discontinuing classes. Should your daughter wish to resign from the choir, please notify our Head Office prior to the first class of the term. Once classes have begun, the full fees for the current term are payable plus a $20 administration fee, regardless of attendance.

Each level of the choir has specific uniform requirements. Most uniform items are compulsory, while some are optional. Please see the Uniform Information page of the AGC Online Shop for the specific requirements for your daughter’s level.

Uniforms will be delivered to your AGC rehearsal venue within 3–4 weeks of ordering your items. New choristers should continue to wear casual clothes at rehearsals until uniforms are delivered.

Singing or dancing in a group is a wonderful option for young girls who enjoy the performing arts and would feel most comfortable learning in a safe and inclusive environment.

Weekly classes focus on developing performing arts skills in a fun and nurturing environment. Each lesson will see girls develop vocal and musicianship skills through a variety of warm-ups and technical exercises, rounds, singing games, fun songs, and learning repertoire for the mid-year and end-of-year performances.

In addition to singing, our classes include movement activities and choreography, drama and speaking exercises, and team-building games.

Extra opportunities are available to those who excel.

There are eight levels in the AGC, divided into three main groups.

Our junior@agc classes provide girls with an introduction to the performing arts. Levels include:

• Piccolo – entry in Kinder/Prep/Pre-Primary/Reception and Grade 1
• Vivo – entry in Grade 2

Our AGC training levels allow girls to take the next steps in their performing arts education, building their musicianship and confidence.

• Allegro – entry in Grades 3 (ACT, NSW, VIC, WA) and 4 (QLD and SA only)
• Avanti – entry in Grade 4 (ACT, NSW, VIC, WA) and Grade 5 (QLD and SA only)
• Prelude – entry in Grade 5 (ACT, NSW, VIC, WA) and Grade 6 (QLD and SA only)
• Concert – entry in Grade 6 and above (ACT, NSW, VIC, WA) and Grade 7 and above (QLD and SA only)

Girls who reach Concert level are eligible to audition for our senior performance levels, which include:

• Camerata
• Performing Choir

All of our choristers take part in our mid-year ‘Winter Showcase Concert’ and end-of-year ‘Annual Concert’. Annual Concerts are held at Melbourne Hamer Hall, Robert Blackwood Hall, Sydney Opera House, The Concourse Chatswood, Perth Concert Hall, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Canberra Girls Grammar School and the Adelaide Town Hall.

By performing with their level group as well as in the massed finale, choristers feel comfortable performing on stage even at a very young age and find the concert experience to be a lot of fun!

In addition to these performances, junior@agc parents are invited to attend a demonstration lesson to see a regular class in action.

It is standard for girls to spend one year in each of our Training Levels before progressing up to the next class. When girls reach Concert Level – our highest Training Level – they are eligible to audition to become part of Camerata, one of the Senior Performance Groups.

Entry into Camerata is in part based on recommendations from each chorister’s tutor and is limited to those who successfully meet all audition criteria, including an assessment of vocal quality; level of independence when holding a vocal part; ability to absorb and perform complicated dance routines; general musicianship, stage and presentation skills, as well as their social readiness and ability to work within a team.

It is normal for girls to spend several years in the Concert Level so that they are prepared for the advanced activities of our Senior Performance Groups. After completing at least one year in Camerata, choristers are then invited to audition for Performing Choir. Girls may remain in the Senior Performance Groups until they complete Year 12.

Girls in the choir have many opportunities to be recognised for their vocal and performance potential.

Each year, girls are invited to audition for specialist groups, which include:

• Cantini – selected from Piccolo and Vivo levels
• Cantissimo – selected from Allegro and Avanti levels
• Canto – selected from Prelude and Concert levels

These groups rehearse for one hour each week in addition to regular classes.

All AGC concerts feature small groups of girls and soloists who rehearse their special speaking and singing parts in the Stellata class formed twice each year. More information about extension opportunities can be found in the AGC Chorister Handbook.

We do not issue written reports, however our tutors maintain progress records of each chorister’s development and are always happy to speak with parents at the rehearsal venue about their daughter’s progress. More information can be found in the AGC Chorister Handbook, or alternatively you can Contact Us at our Head Office at any stage for further information.

Each year our team of music educators and conductors from around the country gather to select songs that will appeal to the choristers at each age level; their parents come concert time; event organisers for public engagements; and our staff team who work with the repertoire to create wonderful educational and performance opportunities for the girls.

The Australian Girls Choir is renowned for its entertaining, colourful, choreographed performances and our repertoire needs to be extremely diverse to meet all of our aims. In previous years choristers at various choir levels have sung:

• A medley of songs from the blockbuster The Greatest Showman
• ‘Jellicle Songs For Jellicle Cats’ and ‘Memory’ from the musical Cats
• Songs written especially for our younger levels on the themes of the beach – ‘Between the Flags’, and sheep – ‘All’s Wool that Ends Wool’
• Our senior choristers have even managed to fit ‘A Chorus Line Medley,’ Bulgarian song ‘Kaval Sviri,’ gospel tune ‘I Sing Because I’m Happy,’ ‘Nella Fantasia’ and ‘We Go Together’ from Grease into the one program!

Each level of the AGC has a class capacity based on the girls’ age. In our junior levels, class sizes are set lower as girls are developing new skills, building confidence and learning how to work successfully in an ensemble setting.

In our more senior classes, the girls’ skills have developed to include complicated choreography and harmony singing, and this requires the support of a larger group. In our large senior groups, we may have two or three tutors working with the girls. Class capacities for each level are as follows.

• Piccolo Level: 25
• Vivo and Allegro Levels: 30
• Avanti and Prelude Levels: 35
• Concert Level: 40+
• Camerata and Performing Choir: 80

In addition to the girls’ class tutor, each venue has a manager who is responsible for overseeing the safety and wellbeing of our choristers.

We are very proud of our vibrant and engaging staff team who all teach for the AGC in addition to their own busy and varied full time activities; some are school music teachers, private vocal teachers, professional performers, and tertiary performing arts, music or education students. Many of our staff were once members of the choir themselves and all undertake regular professional development and training in the AGC curriculum.

Choristers in our senior performance groups (Camerata and Performing Choir) are invited to perform at many additional engagements each year, which range from television appearances to sporting events to high profile public events. Visit our Latest News page to find out more about recent events our choristers have been involved in.

Under normal circumstances, we tour internationally and nationally each year, and choristers in Concert level, Camerata and Performing Choir are invited to audition for involvement in these tours. Touring is not a compulsory element of involvement in the choir, however is certainly something that many choristers work towards when they reach these senior levels. View our Current Chorister Handbook for more information.

Absolutely! The Australian School of Performing Arts runs school holiday workshops which are great fun and cover a range of performing arts activities over a two day period. Visit the Performing Arts Holiday Program page for more information.