Voice & Singing · Singing in English
Performing and Auditions in English
From audition to encore – the language of the stage.
Performing is exciting – and a little scary. Learn how to talk about auditions, nerves, gigs and concerts, and how to describe your own performance afterwards.
Key Words
Ten essential words with their German meaning and an example sentence.
| English | German | Example |
|---|---|---|
| audition | Vorsingen | I've got an audition for the choir on Friday. |
| stage fright | Lampenfieber | Even professionals get stage fright. |
| performance | Auftritt, Aufführung | It was her best performance so far. |
| gig | Auftritt, Gig | We've got a gig at a pub on Saturday. |
| soundcheck | Soundcheck | The soundcheck is at five. |
| backstage | hinter der Bühne | We waited backstage before the show. |
| encore | Zugabe | The audience shouted for an encore. |
| backing vocals | Background-Gesang | I sing backing vocals in a band. |
| standing ovation | stehende Ovationen | The choir got a standing ovation. |
| to perform | auftreten, aufführen | We perform twice a year. |
Word Partners
Natural English depends on words that belong together. Learn these as complete phrases.
- to go on stage
- to give a performance
- to forget the words
- to calm your nerves
- a live audience
- to get through an audition
- to bring the house down
- first-night nerves
"The final song brought the house down."
Useful Phrases
Sentence patterns you can use straight away.
Before and after
- I'm really nervous about tonight.
- Break a leg!
- How did it go?
- It went better than I expected.
At an audition
- I'd like to sing… by…
- Would you like me to start again?
- Could I have my starting note?
- Thank you for listening.
Talk About It
Answer these questions aloud, write a short paragraph, or discuss them with a partner.
- Have you ever performed in front of an audience?
- How do you deal with nerves?
- What's the best concert you've ever been part of?
- Would you rather sing solo or in a group?
Test Yourself
Click a question to see the answer.
1. What is "Lampenfieber" in English?
Stage fright.
2. What do people say to wish a performer good luck?
"Break a leg!"
3. What is "Zugabe" in English?
An encore.
Explore More
More pages in the Voice & Singing series.
Step onto the stage.
Learn the words, use them in real sentences and enjoy using your voice in English.
Prepare. Breathe. Perform.