AGO Choirmaster Certification

The American Guild of Organists was chartered in 1896 by the Board of Regents, University of the State of New York, to administer a comprehensive series of examinations for professional certification.  Examinations have played a central role in the Guild’s work since its founding.  Being professionally certified can play a major role in your life and career. Choirmaster certification attests to a candidate’s ability to lead a choir and establish effective procedures necessary for a successful choral program. The Choirmaster exam requires proficiency in the following areas.

1. Rehearse and conduct a choir on choral music in the worship service.
2. Harmonize a melody at the keyboard.
3. Demonstrate basic keyboard skills and knowledge of chord progressions.
4. Transcribe from dictation and detect errors in played passage.
5. Analyze form in choral music.
6. Show knowledge of Gregorian chant and its distinctive notation.
7. Demonstrate knowledge of hymnody and liturgy.
8. Articulate principles and guidelines for vocal training.
9. Be familiar with choral literature.
10. Show familiarity with music history and literature.

Choirmaster Certification Educational Resources

The ear training exercises and the past exams below are offered by the AGO Certification Committee for candidates to use to prepare for Choirmaster certification.

pdf-large-typeSolutions for Choirmaster Ear Training

 

pdf-large-typeSolutions for Choirmaster Ear Training – Error Detection

 

Past Choirmaster Exams

pdf-large-typeChoirmaster Exam 2019 (solutions for the 2019 exam will be posted in October, 2019)

 

pdf-large-typeChoirmaster Exam 2018

 

pdf-large-typeSolutions for the 2018 exam

 

 

Contact Cliff Hill Music or Lois Fyfe Music for purchasing Choirmaster repertoire.