2011 LET THE PEOPLES SING   

EURORADIO CHORAL COMPETITION       

REGULATIONS 
(at 30.09.2010) 

1.                       Preamble     

The Let the Peoples Sing Euroradio Choral Competition is organized every two years in odd years under the auspices of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The 2011 Competition shall be coordinated by the BBC (host organization).   

The Competition is open to amateur choruses, recordings by whom are submitted by EBU Active or Associate Member organizations.     

An international jury shall listen to these recordings during the semi-finals, then select the finalists who shall perform live at the finals.   

2.                            Objectives       

 The objectives of the Competition are:   

• to stimulate interest for music performed by amateur choruses;   
• to promote the EBU's role in organizing major radio music events;   
• to provide Member organizations with choral music programming.   

3.                           Participation   

a)                  Amateur choruses     

The ensembles entered by Radio organizations shall be amateur choruses. An amateur chorus is defined as a chorus in which the individual members do not receive professional fees. This condition shall not, however, apply to the directors.     

b)                   Categories       

 Three chorus categories shall be admitted:   

I                     CHILDREN'S CHORUSES and YOUTH CHORUSES      (equal or mixed voices), none of whose members shall be over the age of respectively 15 and 19 at 31 December 2010; minimum 12 members. 
      

II                ADULT CHORUSES (equal or mixed voices); minimum 12 members (no age limit). 
   
III               OPEN CATEGORY, for choruses who perform exclusively music of particular cultural traditions or styles (e.g. folksong, gospel, barbershop, jazz, traditional music, etc.); minimum 12 members.   

c)                Registration     

Each EBU Radio Member (an EBU Member may be made up of several Radio broadcasters, such as ARD, numbering some 12 Radio organizations) shall be entitled to present as many choruses as it wishes in each of the above categories.   

The National Music Councils or international member organizations of the International Music Council (  http://www.imc-cim.org/  ), in particular the International Federation of Choral Music (  http://www.ifcm.net  ) and Europa Cantat (  http://www.europacantat.org/  ), shall be entitled to present as many choruses as they wish in each of the above categories.   

Furthermore, if there is no EBU Member in a given country or if the EBU Radio Member is not participating, a chorus may register on its own via the EBU Web site:    http://www.ebu.ch/en/radio/competitions/ltps_index.php  . In this case, the BBC will request recordings and listen to the ensemble to ensure that it corresponds to the Competition's artistic level, after which it shall decide whether or not to accept the candidate. This decision shall be final.   

A chorus may enter only in one category.   

The recordings and documentation, as well as any costs resulting from the registration, shall be borne by the organization entering the chorus.     

Choruses entered in the competition on their own are obliged, if selected, to participate in the finals in Salford (Manchester) at their own cost. A performance for the finals in their country would be an alternative only if the EBU Radio Member in their country agrees to host the chorus' performance and its transmission for the finals.   

The prize-winners of the 2009 Competition shall not be allowed to be a candidate in the 2011 Competition in any category whatsoever.   

d)                Deadline for registration and submission of recordings     

Radio organizations shall announce their intention to participate in the Competition by returning the attached registration form (Appendix A) by 30 October 2010.   
     

The recordings, scores, biographical notes and description of the choruses, including details on their members, shall be sent by Radio organizations by 30 November 2010 to:   

Mr Michael Emery   
British Broadcasting Corporation 
Producer, BBC Singers 
Room G 24, BBC Studios, Delaware Road,   
Maida Vale, London   W9 2LG   
Great Britain   

Tel:  + 44 207 765 4522 
Fax: + 44 207 765 2762   
E-mail:    michael.emery@bbc.co.uk 

4.                Procedure     

The Competition shall take place in two stages: the semi-finals and finals.   

a)                Semi-finals   

The semi-finals shall be organized at the headquarters of the host organization at the beginning of 2011, with the on-site presence of the international jury (see item 7 below). The jury shall listen to the works entered and shall select at the most nine finalists.     

Each radio station or chorus entering the competition must submit a recorded programme consisting of at least four pieces. Credit will be given to programmes which present contrasting pieces, if possible from at least two different stylistic periods or musical genres/styles.     

The total duration shall be not less than 10 minutes and not longer than 20 minutes.   

Each piece must be performed in one take (without interruption), with or without the presence of an audience.     

There shall be no editing of the recording. The recording must have been made after 1 January 2010. 
     

Children’s/Youth and Adult Choruses   

At least two pieces must be sung without the use of any instruments at all (body-produced sound effects are allowed). The rest of the programme may include non pitch-giving instruments, but these should be played by members of the chorus. Children’s choruses may, however, include one piece with accompaniment of a pitch-giving instrument, which may be played by a member of the chorus or another amateur or professional musician.     

Open Category   

At least two pieces must be sung entirely without the use of instruments (body-produced sound effects are allowed). The rest of the programme may include up to three instruments of any kind, which may be played by active members of the chorus or other amateur musicians.     

The use of instruments must occur only as accompaniment and must not play a leading role in the performance. Credit will be given to choruses who focus their performance on a cappella choral singing.     

Choruses are not permitted to use any kind of amplification or  other electronic manipulation of the natural choral balance and sound.   

b)                Finals   

The finals shall be held in the form of a public concert broadcast live on Sunday, 16 October 2011.   

The finalists will be invited by the host organization to participate live in the finals, preferably in person at the venue selected for the Competition final. If they are unable to travel to take part, they may participate in the Competition from their home country, with their performance relayed to the jury, on condition that a professional radio transmission of their performance can be organized. If this is not possible, the chorus shall be obliged to participate on site and at its own cost.   

There may not be more than one chorus from the same country in each category.   

Children’s/Youth and Adult Categories   

In the Children’s/Youth and Adult Categories, each ensemble shall perform a programme of a maximum of 10 minutes. The programme may consist of several works, or a single one. The programme must be different from that of the semi-finals. There will be no restrictions as to period and style: the programme should simply show the chorus at its best.   
     

At least one piece must be sung without the use of any instruments. The rest of the programme may include non pitch-giving instruments played by members of the chorus.   

If the programme consists of only one piece, this must be sung without the use of any instruments (body-produced sound effects are allowed).   

Open Category   

Each ensemble shall perform a programme of a maximum of 10 minutes. The programme may consist of several works or a single one. The programme must be different from that of the semi-finals. There will be no restrictions as to period and style: the programme should simply show the chorus at its best. The programme must be performed completely acoustically, without any kind of amplification or electronic manipulation of the voices.     

At least one piece must be sung without the use of any instruments. The rest of the programme may include up to three instruments of any kind, which must be played by active members of the chorus or by other amateur musicians.     

Instruments may be used only as accompaniment and may not play a leading role in the performance.   

If the programme consists of only one piece, this must be sung without the use of any instruments at all (body-produced sound effects are allowed).   

The procedure for the finals will be defined by the EBU Music Group at its September 2010 meeting (Appendix B to follow).     

5.              Prizes     

There shall be a prize-winner in each category.   

The Silver Rose Bowl, the trophy of the overall winner, shall be awarded at the end of the finals to the chorus having given the most convincing performance in any category.     

Appendix C gives a list of the recipients of this award since 1961.     

The overall winner of the 2009 Competition, the Girls' Choir of the Classical Diocesan Gymnasium from Slovenia, shall perform outside of the Competition at the finals of the 2011 Competition.     

Each participating chorus and Radio organization shall receive a certificate prepared by the host organization. The finalists and the Radio organizations presenting them shall receive a diploma prepared by the host organization, mentioning their ranking in the finals (First, Second or Third Prize). 
     

6.                Radio broadcasts and promotion   

A pink offer featuring all the participants in each of the three categories shall be produced by the host organization and distributed by the Permanent Services by 31 March 2011.   

Each participating organization shall ensure that all the performances of the chorus(es) which it presents may be broadcast at no cost and without any restrictions as to the number of broadcasts or deadline by all EBU Radio Members.   

If at all possible, the organization having presented the chorus which is awarded the 2011 Silver Rose Bowl shall organize, along with this ensemble, a live concert as part of the "A la carte" Monday night concerts during the 2012-2013 Euroradio Season. It is desirable that the 2011 prize-winning choruses in their respective categories also participate in this concert, possibly as a multiplex broadcast from their home country. Any organizational questions shall be the responsibility of the EBU Members which presented them.   

Europa Cantat will provide promotion for the Competition in its magazine and on its Web site.   

7.                Jury   

 The works presented shall be evaluated at the host organization's headquarters by an international jury of seven members, including the Chairman.   

The EBU Music Group shall appoint in autumn 2010 the members and Chairman of the jury, which ideally shall be made up of:   

 a) a representative of the host organization; 
 b) a representative of four other EBU Active Members; 
 c) a representative of an EBU Associate Member; 
 d) a representative of the world of choral music   

 At least one of the jury members will be a specialist of choral music performed in specific cultural traditions or styles (e.g. folksong, gospel, barbershop, jazz, traditional music, etc).      

Travel and accommodation costs for the jury members shall be borne by their respective organization. 
     

8.                General conditions     

All decisions of the jury shall be final, and no appeal against the organization, proceedings or results of the Competition shall be allowed.   

Participation in the Competition shall imply full and complete acceptance of the articles of the present Regulations, and each participating organization shall release the EBU and the other participating organizations from any and all responsibility with respect to any complaints launched by the chorus(es) which that organization had presented.   

In the event of legal action, the French text shall apply.