CHORAL SIGHT-READING CRITERIA

CLASS AA

Meter:        2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and cut time

Key:           Up to three sharps; up to four flats; major keys; no

modulations

Texture:       Mostly homophonic; counterpoint less than 20%

Harmony:    I, ii, IV, V, V7, & vi chords

Intervals:     Skips in the I chord, and adjacent tones in the IV and V7

chords

Rhythm:      Eighth, quarter, half, whole notes and rests; dotted quarter

and half notes; one-beat triplet; eighth-quarter-eighth

syncopation

Voicing:       SATB; SSAA; TTBB

Text:           Choirs may sing the lyrics or their preferred method of

sight singing for either or both the accompanied and

unaccompanied readings.

CLASS A

Meter:        2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and cut time

Key:           Up to three sharps; up to four flats; major keys; no

modulations

Texture:       Homophonic

Harmony:    I, ii, IV, V, V7, & vi chords; authentic and plagal cadences

Intervals:     Skips in the I chord, but no major or minor 6ths; adjacent

tones in the IV and V chord

Rhythm:      Eighth, quarter, half, whole notes and rests; dotted quarter

and half notes

Voicing:       SATB; SSA; T (T and/or B) B

Text:           Choirs may sing the lyrics or their preferred method of

sight singing for either or both the accompanied and

unaccompanied readings.

CLASS B

Meter:        2/4, 3/4, 4/4

Key:           Up to three sharps; up to four flats; major keys; no

modulations

Texture:       Homophonic

Harmony:    I, IV, V chords; authentic and plagal cadences

Intervals:     Skips in the I chord, but no major or minor 6ths; adjacent

tones in the V chord

Rhythm:      Eighth, quarter, half, whole notes and rests; dotted quarter

and half notes; minimal use of rests

Voicing:       SATB; SSA; T (T and/or B) B

Text:           Choirs may sing the lyrics or their preferred method of

sight singing for either or both the accompanied and

unaccompanied readings.

CLASS C

Meter:        2/4, 3/4, 4/4

Key:           Up to three sharps; up to four flats; major keys; no

modulations

Texture:       Homophonic

Harmony:    I, IV, V chords; authentic and plagal cadences

Intervals:     Skips in the I chord, but no major or minor 6ths; adjacent

tones in the V chord

Rhythm:      Eighth, quarter, half, whole notes and rests; dotted half

notes; minimal rests; no ties across bars

Voicing:       SATB; SA; TB

Length:       16 to 48 measures

Form:         Repetitious formal structures

Text:           Choirs may sing the lyrics or their preferred method of

sight singing for either or both the accompanied and

unaccompanied readings.