admission requirements

Church music

Bachelor

Read more about admission requirements and entrance exams!

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Main subjectEar training and music theoryPiano

About the main subject examination

Duration:
Unless otherwise indicated the audition takes approximately 45 minutes including evaluation.

Evaluation of the audition:
The candidate is given three individual grades on a scale of 7 for:

A: chosen piece, etudes and scales
B: forwarded assignment
C: Prima Vista

The test is only considered “passed” if the applicant has achieved a minimum of 02 in each of the three disciplines.

1. A self-selected assignment:
Difficulty level in accordance with the following works:

  • Buxtehude: Præludium, fuga og ciacona C-dur, BuxWV 137.
  • J. G. Walther: Koncert efter Vivaldi, LV 133
  • J.S. Bach: Præludium og fuga C-dur, BWV 545.
  • F. Mendelssohn: Sonate c-mol.
  • C. Franck: Prélude, fugue et variation.
  • Jean Langlais: Incantation pour un jour Saint, eller Fantaisie eller Thème et variations fra Hommage à Frescobaldi.

 

The recording program can optionally be selected and composed of several individual movements with a total playing time of 12-15 minutes.

You are very welcome to contact one of the conservatory's organ teachers in order to organize your admission program.

2. A list of five minor works from different style periods (e.g. choral with embellished c.f., simpler trio movement)[l1] :

One og the pieces can be written by the applicant. The examiners select one piece, of which the applicant is notified three weeks prior the admission test.

3. A rehearsed choral with pedal from the Danish Choral Book is played with your own prelude and performed as:
a) choral play (1 manual + pedal)
b) melody play (2 manuals + pedal)

4. An assigned task, which is submitted approx. 14 days prior to the admission test:
Difficulty level in accordance with Franz Tunder: Prelude in G minor (Bechmann 2), Buxtehude: Ein feste Burg, BuxWV 184 or J.S. Bach: Prelude and fugue in C minor, BWV 533.

5. Prima vista play:
An organ composition without a pedal and a lighter choral with a pedal.

6. Prima vista-harmonization:

A 2-period choral melody, the first period with 4-st. harmonization, the other only with melody, which is harmonized on the spot (with pedal).



For the major subject ‘organ’, the following is also required:

A written theoretical test:

  • Preparation of a choral.
  • To solve the task, two hours of piano play are available.

Ear training and music theory:

The test consists of a collective written part including ear training as well as theory, and an individual oral test in ear training.

WRITTEN TEST

Duration: Approx. 2½ hours

Purpose

The test consists of three parts: The first part is an auditive test, where the applicant must answer a number of listening comprehension questions. The second part is a test of dictation and correction where a recorded piece of music must be compared to the score. The third part is a visual test including score reading and harmonization.

The purpose of the test is to identify how far your aural and orientation abilities as well as your musical knowledge carry. Because of this, the tasks of all three parts of the test range in difficulty from relatively simple to more complicated levels.

The test can be taken in Danish, English or German.

Aural training/theory test

Auditive test

  • identification of style periods (e.g. renaissance, baroque, romanticism)
  • identification of ensemble of the composition (e.g. chamber music, solo concert)
  • identification of tonality types (e.g. minor/major, modal)
  • identification of time/metres (e.g. duple metre, tripel metre)
  • identification of texture types (e.g. homophonic, polyphonic)
  • identification of musical form (e.g. AA, AABA)
  • identification of instruments (e.g. oboe, bassoon, viola)
  • identification of chords (i.e. minor/major/diminished/augmented triads, seventh chords, clusters)
  • identification of chord types in musical contexts
  • identification of intervals
  • identification of key from stated starting tone
  • notation of bass part and identification of chord functions in a four part chorale with stated soprano part

Visual test

  • identification of chords incl. C clefs and transposing instruments
  • identification of style period
  • identification of tonality types
  • identification of modulating course of a melody
  • identification of texture types
  • identification of musical form
  • identification of chord types
  • identification of intervals
  • notation of the first 10 notes of the harmonic series from a given fundamental note
  • localising errors in a 4-part chorale movement
  • notation of middle parts in a 4-part chorale
  • harmonic analysis of a 4-part chorale

Dictation and correction test

  • correction of a short melody
  • notation of a melody where the rhythm has been given beforehand
  • notation of the rhythm of a melody where the notes have been given beforehand
  • notation of the upper voice in a score
  • correction of a score compared to a recording

The auditive test has a duration of approx. 40 minutes, the dictation- and correction test approx. 30 minutes and the visual test 60 minutes. There is a 10 minute break between each of the tests.

Download

Here you can download an example of the entrance examination:

As pdf:

As mp3:

Oral test:

The 15-20 minutes oral test consists of:

Aural test:

  • Imitation of short melodic phrases
  • Imitation of triads and seventh chords (singing the chords broken)
  • Imitation of the bass part as played in a short harmonic progress
  • Imitation of short rhythmic phrases

Sight singing:

  • Sight singing of melodies (major and minor, a cappella as well as with accompaniment).  Difficulty gradually increasing.
  • Singing intervals upwards from a given tone within an octave 

Sight reading of rhythms:

  • Sight reading of rhythmic phrases notated on one staff line using syllables of the applicant's choice. Time signatures might include: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 3/8, 4/8 and 6/8

 

Piano:

The test in piano as a general subject is evaluated by 2 internal teachers from the piano department.

Duration:
Approx. 10 minutes.

Evaluation is given on a scale of 7

Piano and guitar are exempt from the examination in piano playing as a general subject.

Piano as supporting subject

One or two piano pieces of a level of difficulty corresponding to:

  • An allegro movement from a sonatina by F. Kuhlau or M. Clementi 
  • J. S. Bach: A 2-part invention
  • Béla Bartók: Romanian Carols
  • Oscar Peterson: Jazz Exercises, Vol. 2

If only one such piano piece is played, the applicant furthermore has to play a self-chosen song/melody with chords at a level of difficulty corresponding to a Danish højskolesang (a standard song book) or similar.

  • Previously prepared 4-part chorale (from a Scandinavian chorale Book or a Bach chorale).
  • Cadences with up to 4 accidentals (3 voicings)
  • Major and minor scales (all three types: melodic, harmonic and natural) played over two octaves, using both hands simultaneously
  • Sight reading (piano part or chord/melody)