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The competition explained


The adjudicators at each round of the competition will be judging your performance on the following criteria:

  Technical achievement
  Musicality
  Performance

We encourage choirs to demonstrate their versatility via programmes which demonstrate a variety of styles, changes of mood or pace. If your choir sings a particular style of repertoire then perform a programme that demonstrates the range of music within that. The adjudicators recognise that many choirs sing a particular style of repertoire.

Most choirs choose to perform without music scores, but it is not essential to sing from memory.

Do not feel obliged to include material which is outside your choir's usual range or to perform choreographed pieces if you don’t normally.

The most important thing is to do what you do best!

Stuart Barr, one of the judges for BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year 2008, shares his observations on the last competition:

“Being a judge on Choir of the Year is a tough job, such is the talent in the competition. So varied were the styles and musical choices that we were forced to step back and really question what makes a top choir.

Some choirs are good at rehearsal discipline and attention to detail. Some relish the adrenalin and truly rise to the occasion of singing in front of 1,000 people. Others ooze sheer musicality in every phrase they sing. Yet when we found a choir that excelled at all three, we were won over almost immediately - as were the audiences.

One of the highlights was the number of good youth choirs coming through: by far the biggest category in 2008. It's so good to see teenagers coming together to make music to such a high standard - it gets to the core of why music making is such a positive force for society."
Our Judges


Meet the Judges

Stuart BarrKen BurtonGillian DibdenStephen ConnollySusan HollingworthEugene Skeef
The competition explained

 

1. Auditions
From January to April 2012 choirs will compete in their allocated Audition venue having entered one of four categories.. Find out more.

2. National Selection
The National Selection Stage is effectively a moderation round where judges listen again to all of the Choirs of the Day from the Auditions. They will select four choirs in each category to go through to the Category Finals. This stage does not include a live event.
3. Category Finals
Four choirs in each category will perform Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall on 6 October 2012. There will be two shows – the Children and Open Finals and the Youth and Adult Finals. Judges will select one winner in each category. Together with two ‘Wildcards’ selected from the remaining finalists, the four category winners will compete at the Grand Final.
Find out more.

4. Grand Final
The final show-down! The best six choirs will compete for the title Choir of the Year 2012 at the Royal Festival Hall on 28 October, broadcast on BBC Radio and TV. The winning choir will receive a trophy and will commission a new choral work, supported by BBC Radio 3.
Find out more.

5. Voting and Judging
What are our Judges looking for? Find out more.
 
 
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