More than singing: a university choir as a cultural hub

During auditions for our university choir, it quickly became evident that the number of students, faculty and alumni applying to join was less significant than the diversity of their motivations. Many viewed the choir primarily as a means of stress relief and emotional balance alongside exhausting professional or academic responsibilities. Others hoped to reconnect with earlier training that career paths unrelated to music had interrupted. A third group sought mainly to belong to a meaningful community within a large, often impersonal institutional environment.

As a conductor and music educator, I have long been aware that choral singing is not merely a musical activity. It is a powerful tool for belonging, mental well-being and identity. Nevertheless, significant uncertainty accompanied the launch of the choir in 2021. Would students and staff members, already burdened by demanding workloads, be willing to commit regularly to such an activity? Could a coherent musical ensemble be maintained over the long term? And could artistic ambition be balanced with inclusivity without compromising either?

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Conducting this highly heterogeneous group was going to demand pedagogical sensitivity, empathy, conflict-management skills and a deliberate approach to community-building in order to reap the rewards. Here’s how the choir was formed and what we have learned along the way.

Announcing the choir and building trust from the outset

From the beginning, it was clear that establishing an amateur university choir went far beyond founding a new artistic ensemble, and that what we were attempting was to fill a longstanding gap in the cultural life of the university. Students, academic staff, clinical professionals, administrative employees and alumni were all invited to participate. The response exceeded all expectations. More than 100 people expressed interest in joining the choir. 

One of my key priorities was to avoid creating an elitist image. At the same time, it was essential to communicate clearly that choral singing, even at an amateur level, requires responsibility, regular attendance and commitment to collective work.

Negotiating professional standards and accessibility during auditions

Designing the audition process required careful pedagogical and ethical consideration. While the choir was never intended to operate at a professional level, certain basic musical competencies, such as intonation, a sense of rhythm and the ability to sing independently, were necessary for the ensemble to function.

Auditions consisted of simple vocal warm-ups, the performance of a freely chosen song, sight-singing of short musical excerpts, and finally the assessment of vocal range for voice-part placement. The aim was not to exclude but to ensure that every singer could participate successfully and confidently in the rehearsal process. As a result, the choir began with more than 80 active members.

Ensemble composition: diversity is a starting point, not a challenge

Musical backgrounds among choir members ranged from complete beginners to experienced choristers and instrumentalists. Diversity in ages was equally striking, with first-year undergraduate students rehearsing alongside colleagues well beyond retirement age. In terms of nationality, Hungarian singers form the majority, but international students, present from the beginning, have gradually become an integral part of the ensemble.

This diversity proved to be both a strength and a challenge. It enriched the social and cultural fabric of the choir, yet it also fundamentally shaped the nature of leadership required.  

Challenges encountered in everyday practice

Voice balance and vocal realities

As is common in amateur choirs, female voices significantly outnumber male singers, while true bass voices are scarce. So, a persistent challenge is achieving balanced voice parts. This imbalance imposes constraints on repertoire selection and requires realistic rethinking of sound ideals. It also raises pedagogical concerns, such as avoiding vocal strain among male singers and maintaining motivation despite structural limitations.

Differences in musical background

The wide disparity in musical literacy among choir members poses substantial methodological challenges. Gradually, we have transitioned to a listening-centred learning model supported by digital tools. Recorded voice parts, distributed in advance, enable singers to practise independently and at their own pace, significantly increasing rehearsal efficiency.

Time constraints and attendance

With one rehearsal per week, attendance inevitably fluctuates. Managing absences, repeating instructions and maintaining collective progress requires patience and adaptability. At the same time, these constraints encourage the development of more efficient rehearsal strategies and reinforce the importance of shared responsibility among choir members.

Achievements beyond performances: impact and institutional resonance

The choir has established a stylistically diverse core repertoire. Programmes range from early Renaissance sacred and secular works through Baroque, Classical and Romantic compositions to 20th-century and contemporary choral music. This openness has proved essential to long-term engagement. One of the most remarkable outcomes has been an exceptionally low dropout rate. The emergence of self-organised chamber groups, regular social gatherings and shared artistic goals have all contributed to an intense sense of belonging.

The choir presents two full-length concerts each season in prominent venues and regularly performs at university and charitable events. Consistently full audiences have provided clear confirmation that the choir fulfils a genuine cultural need. More importantly, feedback from university staff has highlighted the ensemble’s positive impact on morale and institutional identity.

In a university with centuries-old traditions, strong international visibility and a large, diverse academic community, the absence of a structured amateur choir had gone largely unnoticed – until the moment an attempt was made to create one. Based on this experience, I would strongly encourage other universities to view choirs not merely as artistic projects but as strategic instruments for community building and well-being. Flexibility, pedagogical sensitivity and institutional support are far more important than achieving immediate artistic perfection. Digital tools should be embraced as facilitators rather than substitutes for collective music-making, and community-building efforts should be planned intentionally rather than left to chance.

Finally, no reflection on choral work in a Hungarian context would be complete without acknowledging the intellectual legacy of composer and ethnomusicologist Zoltán Kodály. His words remain as relevant today as ever: “Music is a fundamental necessity of life, like air. Many people only realise this when it is absent.”

László Matos is deputy dean of András Pető Faculty and conductor of the university choir at Semmelweis University.

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