Competition
Date: 19 October 2024
Place: Music School in Bielsko-Biała, ul. Wyspiańskiego 5a
Regulations of the competition:
1. Choir selected to participate in the competition is obliged to send a set of scores (PDF) of competition compositions and the actual photo of the group (not smaller than 2000 pixels) not later than on 20 September 2024.
2. Choirs participating in the competition are obliged to participate in the inaugural concert on Friday – they prepare one sacral piece and in Saturdays’ festival concerts - they prepare a 20 minutes sacral repertoire (concert in a church) or any other repertoire (concert in a community centre, care-homes). The organizers decide about the place and time of these concerts. Not taking part in these concert will result with disqualification of the group.
3. Choirs awarded in the competition are obliged to participate in laureates' concert. Absence of the choir will lower the assessment with 5 points and will cause withdrawal of the given prizes.
Rules of the stationary and online competition:
1. The winner of last year's Grand Prix cannot participate in the competition.
2. The competition will be divided into the following categories:
A – children's choirs (up to 16 years of age),
B – youth choirs (up to 21 years of age),
C – equal voice choirs,
D – university choirs,
E – chamber choirs (up to 16 people),
F – mixed choirs,
G - senior choirs (min 30% of people over the age of 60)
3. The repertoire should comprise of unaccompanied, stylistically diverse pieces; at least one song should be composed by a composer from choir’s native country.
4. In A category - children's choirs and G – senior choirs, it is allowed to perform one piece accompanied by instruments.
5. A choir shall not change its repertoire submitted for the competition.
6. The time allowed for a performance (including going into and leaving the stage) shall be between 12 and 15 minutes.
Choirs not respecting these time limits may lose 2 points.
7. Order of performances will be drawn by the organizers.
Rules of the Jury:
1. The composition of the international Jury will be announced before the beginning of the competition.
2. The Jury of the competition will evaluate: motoric skills (tempo, rhythm, dynamics) intonation
(color, harmony) rhetoric (verbal and musical articulation)music expression (style, phrasing), repertoire selection, dramaturgy of the program and overall artistic impression.
3. The maximum score is 100 points for the whole program.
4. Scores granted by the Jury will not be disclosed.
5. All decisions made by the Jury are final.
Prizes:
Grand Prix – for the best choir of the competition
Złoty Dyplom (Golden Diploma) – 90 – 100 points
Srebrny Dyplom (Silver Diploma) – 75 – 89 points
Brązowy Dyplom (Bronze Diploma) – 60 – 74 points
The Grand Prix winner and the winners of Golden Diplomas in particular classes will receive cash prizes.
Special awards:
• for the best children's choir,
• for the best youth choir,
• for the best senior choir,
• for the best choir of Polish Association of Choirs and Orchestras, Bielsko department,
• for the most interesting interpretation of a sacral piece,
• for the most interesting interpretation of a Polish composer's piece,
• for the best conductor of the competition,
• exemption from the entry fee of the International Choir Festival and Competition "Canco Mediterrania" and the International Choir Competition by Pau Casalsa, in Barcelona and Lloret de Mar (Spain),
• nomination to participate in the Grand Prix Competition of Polish Choir Music of Stefan Stuligrosz in Poznań for the Grand Prix winner of the Festival. If a foreign group wins this award, the nomination is given to the Polish choir that scores the highest number of points among Polish choirs.
The planned total value of prizes is PLN 23 000.
The Jury reserves the right to award other prizes.
The Jury has the right to distribute the prizes in a different way than in regulations.
Cash prizes are subject to taxation according to applicable law.