Inside the Tunisia88 Polyphonic Choir: Auditions, Rehearsals, and National Performances

Six Polyphonic Choirs. Five Arab Choirs and Orchestras. Eleven regional ensembles, 400 choristers, three audition windows a year. Tunisia88's choir program is one of the largest structured youth choral programs operating on the African continent. Here is what it actually looks like from the inside.

What is a Polyphonic Choir?

A Polyphonic Choir performs multi-voice Western choral music: harmonized works arranged for soprano, alto, tenor and bass voices, often combining original Tunisian compositions with adapted international repertoire. The term 'polyphonic' refers to the multi-line harmonic texture, where each voice section carries an independent melodic line that fits together with the others.

Tunisia88 runs six Polyphonic Choirs, each anchored in a different region. Each choir brings together the best voices from Tunisia88 clubs in that region, selected through a competitive audition process.

The audition process

Tunisia88 opens three audition windows each year. The August window is for returning choristers and for students who performed strongly at end-of-year events. The October window, the largest, is the main intake for new choristers. The February window brings in final voices before the concert season.

To audition, a student must be an active member of a Tunisia88 club. The audition is run by regional coordinators and assesses voice range, pitch accuracy and basic rhythmic sense. Prior formal training is not a requirement: many of Tunisia88's strongest choristers entered with no formal experience beyond their club sessions.

Rehearsals

Each regional choir holds regular rehearsals organized by the regional coordinators. Rehearsals are in-person, held at schools or community centers in the region. The repertoire is prepared months in advance and includes pieces specifically composed for that choir's season.

Some of the pieces performed in the Polyphonic Choirs are original works written by Tunisia88 club members and arranged by the program's music team. A student who writes a piece in the Song Contest one year might hear it performed by 60 voices the next.

Performances

The choir season culminates in public performances, typically held between January and May. Choirs perform at venues across their region, reaching audiences that include families, schools, local officials and cultural institutions.

Tunisia88 has also staged joint performances bringing multiple regional choirs together. The program's international connections have produced collaborative performances with ensembles from Europe and beyond, giving Tunisian choristers an audience and a context well outside their region.

The Arab Choirs and Orchestras

Alongside the six Polyphonic Choirs, Tunisia88 runs five Arab Choirs and Orchestras. These ensembles specialize in Arabic musical traditions, combining choral singing with traditional instrumentation. The Arab Choir program is a deliberate counterpart to the Polyphonic program: both exist under Tunisia88, both draw from the same club network, and both have equal standing in the program's structure.