Syllabus
West Coast Concert Choir Festival
2020 Syllabus Information
Festival Date: April 22, 2020
Location: T. Gil Bunch Centre for the Performing Arts
Brentwood College School
2735 Mt Baker Rd
Mill Bay, BC
Festival Co-Chairs & Inquiries:
Preamble
The West Coast Concert Choir Festival is a non-competitive festival intended for school choirs at the middle school and secondary school level as well as adult or community choirs. Choirs need not be from the local area, or even the west coast. Our aim is to provide the best festival experience possible, with ample warmup time, shared performances, and workshops that allow our adjudicators to make the most of their time with visiting choirs.
Management
The Festival is under the management of the Festival Co-Chairs. Questions not dealt with in these rules should be referred to the Co-Chairs, whose decisions will be final and binding.
Registration and Deadlines
Registration and fees will be due no later than February 1, 2020. Late entries may be accepted at the discretion of the Festival Co-Chairs. Please note that registration fees are non-refundable. Following registration, directors will receive instructions on how to complete the online Choir Information Form, which will be due by April 1, 2020.
Choirs choosing to dine on campus must submit meal fees by April 1, 2020.
Directors are asked to notify a Festival Co-Chair of any cancellation at least 24 hours in advance.
Immediately after the registration due date (February 1), the Co-Chairs shall determine the program order. Performance time preference will be given first to groups travelling from a distance and second by date of registration.
Arrival
Choirs are asked to arrive no less than 30 minutes in advance of their scheduled warmup time, although earlier arrivals are welcome. Directors are asked to proceed to the Festival Reception Desk in the lobby of the T. Gil Bunch Centre for the Performing Arts for check-in. During check-in, please provide to Reception two original copies of each piece to be performed. No photocopies for adjudicator, performer or accompanists are permitted unless accompanied by a letter of consent from the copyright owner or publisher. Downloaded music is permitted provided proof of purchase is supplied.
Personal Storage & Warmup
Following check-in, you will be guided to a space for storage of personal effects as well as to your warmup room at the appropriate time. You will have 30 minutes for warmup. Following your warmup, you will be guided to the Killy Theatre for performance.
Performance
The time allotted for each performance is 20 minutes. Following their performance, the choir will adjourn to the Asper Room for their clinic with the adjudicator.
Participants, parents and teachers are not permitted to go to the adjudicators’ desks to speak to the adjudicators.
During the adjudication, a Festival Assistant will gather adjudicators’ remarks and recordings and deliver them to the director. All unclaimed reports will be delivered to the Reception Desk in the Ross Academic Centre at Brentwood College School for pick-up. Any requested alternative arrangements shall be communicated to a Festival Co-Chair.
Equipment
The Festival will provide three-tiered risers, a grand piano and music stands as needed. Each warmup space will also be equipped with pianos.
Accompanist
Choirs are expected to supply their own accompanist. If this is not possible, the service of an accompanist may be arranged by notifying a Co-Chair at least a month in advance. Accompaniment other than piano is permitted with the prior consent of the Co-Chairs. If a recording is used, a laptop and/or CD player, monitor speakers and an auxilary cable will be provided. More information can be obtained by contacting a Festival Co-Chair.
Choice of Repertoire
Choirs should sing three contrasting selections of their own choice. Middle school choirs may sing two selections. Adult and community choirs may exceed this limit with the permission of the Festival Co-Chairs. Note that for choirs who go on to perform at MusicFest Canada, three songs are required for all particpating choirs at that festival.
Conduct
The conduct of a participating choir and its individual members is the responsibility of the director. It is expected that participants will demonstrate respect at all times for the rights of others and conform to all rules of the Festival. Problems and violations brought to the attention of Festival Co-Chairs will be dealt with appropriately and may result in dismissal. Dismissal may result either from conduct which is perceived to be detrimental to the aims of the WCCCF or interference with another choir’s performance.
The unauthorized use of cameras (flash and non-flash), cell phones, and recording equipment during adjudicated sessions and ALL performances is prohibited. Do not enter or leave the theatre while a choir is performing. Do not converse during a performance or adjudications. In general, please keep conversations quiet so as not to distract the Adjudicators. Please turn off cell phones, pagers, electronic watches, etc.
Rules Enforcement
The Festival Co-Chairs will enforce all Festival Rules and Regulations.
Complaints and Protests
Any complaint, concern, or protest must be made in writing to a Festival Co-Chair and submitted on or before the final day of Festival. Complaints must not be directed to the Adjudicators.
MusicFest Canada
Outstanding Canadian school choirs may be invited to perform at the MusicFest Canada National Festival. Selected choirs will be notified by the Festival Co-Chairs in the days following the festival.
Choral Classes
- C101 – University or College Vocal Groups, no age restrictions.
- C102 – Community and Church Vocal Groups, no age restrictions.
- C301 – Vocal Groups whose members are the maximum age of 17 years as of January 1, 2019 or are registered in Grade 12.
- C401 – Vocal Groups whose members are the maximum age of 15 years and the minimum age of 11 years as of January 1, 2019.
- C501 – Vocal Groups whose members who are registered in Grades 1-7
Standard of Performance Awards:
Choirs entering the Festival will receive a Gold, Silver or Bronze award if they perform to the standard as set by the adjudicator. There will be no first, second or third.
GOLD (comparable to a numerical score of 90-100)
Superior, outstanding performance, worthy of distinction of being recognized as the very best.
SILVER (comparable to a numerical score or 85-89)
Excellent, unusual in many respects. A performance of distinctive quality.
BRONZE (comparable to a numerical score of 79-84)
Good performance shows accomplishment and marked promise.