Competition Rules and Regulations

New in 2014 Festival Competitions!

Classical Movements is thrilled to announce that beginning in 2014, all four of our international
festivals will contain an optional competition component for choirs that wish to add some
friendly competition to their participation. Choirs will have one day of competition and singing
before a panel of international judges. Prizes include both monetary and trophy awards for
groups that demonstrate outstanding intonation, performance acumen, style, and presentation.
Add a competitive edge to your festival experience!

The following rules and regulations apply to all four of Classical Movements festivals:

Rhapsody! Childrens Music Festival Vienna, Salzburg, & Prague

2014: July 3-13
2015: July 9-19

Melodia! South American Music Festival

2014: Argentina Only, July 17-25
2015: Argentina Only, July 23-31

Ihlombe! South African Choral Festival

2014: July 17-27
2015: July 16-26

Serenade! Washington, DC Choral Festival

2014: June 26-30
2015: June 25-29

General Information

There are two categories for the competition: Adult Choir and Youth Choir
A choirs eligibility is determined by the age of the majority of the singers; a choir with
more than 75% of its singers under the age of 20 will qualify for the Youth Choir
category, and a choir with more than 50% of its singers over the age of 18 will qualify for
the Adult Choir category.
A choir must be comprised of a minimum of 20 singers and a maximum of 100 singers
for competition.
Choirs are recommended to perform a variety of pieces that highlight the groups talents.
However, Classical Movements will not advise on repertoire selections or make
suggestions for competition pieces. There are no required pieces for competition.
 Choirs are welcome to perform pieces in any language and from any time period,
including original compositions or commissions. Choirs are encouraged to choose works
that highlight their particular talents or background and demonstrate a range of styles.
The panel of judges will be comprised of international choral experts and announced
within 30 days of the competition date.
Festival competitions are subject to a minimum of five participating choirs.
By one month after the end of the festival, all choirs will receive a copy of the points
breakdown they received for their performance.
Classical Movements competitions are designed with input from a select panel of
international artistic advisors comprised of the following individuals:
o Renette Bouwer (Africa)
o Philip Brunelle (North America)
o Simon Carrington (Europe)
o Oscar Escalada (South America)
o Vytautus Miskinis (Europe)
o Aida Swenson (Asia)
o Andrew Wailes (Australia)

Rules and Regulations

A choir may participate in only one competition category. If a choir tours with multiple
formations, each formation may enter the competition as a separate entity.
All choirs must submit a list of their competition pieces to Classical Movements by two
months prior to the date of competition.
Classical Movements will decide the order in which the choirs taking part in the
competition will perform.
Each choir will have exactly 15 minutes of singing time. The start of timing will begin
when the first note of each piece is sung and will conclude at the final note of each piece.
Timing will be restarted at the beginning of the next work. The time to enter and exit the
stage will not be included, nor will the time in between selections. Choirs that exceed the
singing time will be penalized. For every minute over the allotted time, 5% of the choirs
total points will be deducted.
Only live accompaniment is allowed. The use of playback or recorded soundtrack is
prohibited. Likewise, amplification is not allowed.
Choirs may use scores for their presentation; the selections do not need to be memorized.
Works may be performed a cappella or with piano and/or body percussion
accompaniment. In the case of traditional music, traditional instruments will be allowed
as long as they are acoustic and are not electrified or amplified in any way. It is highly
recommended, however, that choirs include at least one a cappella piece in their
performance in order to highlight vocal ability.
 Choirs will be judged on the following criteria:
o Technical aspects (diction, balance, tone, accuracy, intonation)
o Interpretation (performance, styling, range)
o Choral sound quality
o Musicianship
o Artistic impression
The decision of the judging panel will be final. Any complaints must be made to the
official Classical Movements representative on the same day as the competition.

Prizes and Trophies

All singers who take part in the competition element will receive an official certificate of
participation.
In each category, the choir that wins first place will receive $1,000 and a trophy.
Choirs that place second and third will receive trophies.
In addition, the overall best choir in the festival will be awarded a commissioned work
composed especially for the choir. The composer selected will compose a work in
conjunction with Classical Movements Eric Daniel Helms New Music Program. Details
of the commission will be arranged in collaboration with Classical Movements following
the competition.
In the case of two choirs receiving the same number of points, each choir will receive a
trophy, and the cash prize will be split in the case of a first place tie. In the case of a tie
for the overall best choir, the winner will be chosen by the adjudicating panel.
Winners will be announced and prizes will be given out at an awards ceremony
immediately following the conclusion of the competition.

Please contact Sara Casar at Sara@ClassicalMovements.com for more information

about any of our international festivals!