Contest Rule Changes
CHANGES COMING TO CONTEST
From 2012
Regional contest choruses and quartets have a max time of 7 minutes (not 6 minutes) for the contest performance. This applies to our 2012 contest in May.
From 2014
- The regional competition format will be expanded to include two contests:
- a traditional contest (called the “International Division”) in which chorus and quartet competitors sing two competition songs; and
- a package contest (called the “Open division”) featuring one competition song plus an entertainment package.
- That the organization invite respected celebrity judges who have strong musical credentials, not necessarily recording artists, to judge at international, in addition to the regular eight‐member panel (from 2015).
- That International Chorus and Quartet Finals and the Harmony Classic contests include one required barbershop arrangement to be identified by the competitors for the judging panel (from 2015).
More details on the regional contest changes from 2014 (from the October Pitch Pipe):
The International Board of Directors, the Judge Specialists and the Education Direction Committee enjoyed lengthy discussions about the recommendations by the Competition Task Force, and we are all very excited by what is coming to a contest stage near you! Here are the results: As of Regional Competitions in 2014, there will be two quartet and chorus competitions at the Regional level — the International Division and the Open Division.
- International Division – for competitors who wish to qualify for International. You will compete with two contest arrangements and receive numeric scores. Choruses will be able to qualify for Harmony Classic and International based on your winning scores, as per usual.
- Open Division – for competitors who do not wish to qualify for international. You will present a 10-minute entertainment package that includes one contest arrangement, and you will receive level scores. Competing in the Open Division will satisfy the requirement that a registered chorus must compete once every three years. However, you will not qualify for international awards. (Last year’s outgoing champions may also compete in the Open Division for level scores.)
- A Regional Audience Choice Award will be established for the Open Division and will be based on votes by audience members.
- Competitors in the International Division and the Open Division will be drawn for order of appearance in the normal manner. You will not be introduced according to the division you are competing in, but your division will be listed in the program.
As of International Competition in Las Vegas in 2015, both the Quartet and Chorus finals will require that two contest songs be sung in the semifinals, but only one traditional contest song be sung in the entertainment package (compared to two right now). A maximum of 100 points per judge will be awarded for the contest song and 100 points per judge for the entertainment aspects of the performance. The criteria for the entertainment package scoring will be developed and decided by the Judge Specialists by June 2012, with judge training to follow in 2013. Everything will be in place by regional competitions in 2014.
More information:
