All costs connected with festival participation are carried by the participants, the organizers reserve the right to arrange the stay in Prague for all participants - the transportation to Prague and back is to be organized directly by the choirs.
The deadline for applications is September 15, 2010.

We are looking forward to seeing you in the romantic city of Prague and we hope you will take part in our festival. On request, we will send you packages (incl. accommodation, programme and inscription fees).

The competition programme is to be aimed mainly at Advent and Christmas music and it is supposed to last in the category of children´s choirs 12 - 14 minutes, in other categories 14 – 16 minutes.
Instrumental accompaniment is allowed, a piano will be available.
There are max. 5 pieces allowed in the competition repertoire. At least one of the competitions of the contest repertoire must be performed a capella. The contest repertoire must include at least one composition composed after the year 1950. Each choir is supposed to provide 3 copies of the repertoire scores for the jury members.
Those choirs that will include a composition by Petr Eben in their repertoire will be appraised also in the Petr Eben´s Prize competition. The composition needn´t be religious, it can be e.g. a vocal-instrumental piece.

RULES OF THE COMPETITION

I. ORGANIZER, DATE

Organizers of the festival: Millennium Agency and Agency or-fea, Prague. An expert co-organizer of the festival is Czech Choral Union.
Date: 26th November – 28th November, 2010

II. CATEGORIES

The competition is open for female, male, youth, mixed and children´s choirs in the following categories:

1) chamber choirs (up to 24 singers, including the conductor)
2) big choirs (youth and adults, minimum  25 singers)
a) mixed choirs
b) homogeneous choirs (male or female)
3) homophonic children´s choirs SA  (up to 16 years of age incl.)
Each choir can be included max. in 2 categories.

III.  COMPETITION PROGRAMME

The competition programme is to be aimed mainly at Advent and Christmas music and should last * 12 - 14 minutes in the category of children´s choirs and * 14 – 16 minutes, in  the other categories.
Instrumental accompaniment is allowed, a piano will be available.

THERE IS A MAXIMUM OF 5 PIECES ALLOWED IN THE CONTEST REPERTOIRE. AT LEAST ONE COMPOSITION OF THE CONTEST REPERTOIRE MUST BE PERFORMED A CAPPELLA. THE CONTEST REPERTOIRE MUST INCLUDE AT LEAST ONE PIECE COMPOSED AFTER THE YEAR 1950. EACH CHOIR SHOULD PROVIDE 3 COPIES OF THE REPERTOIRE SCORES FOR THE JURY MEMBERS.

Those choirs that will include a composition by Petr Eben in their repertoire will *also be appraised in the Petr Eben´s Prize competition. The composition needn´t be religious, it can be e.g. a vocal-instrumental piece, etc.

IV. ADJUDICATION SYSTEM

Carefully selected by the organizers, the jury of the competition will consist of acknowledged figures of Czech as well as international choral music. The competition performance of the participating choirs will be evaluated by our expert jury, according to the following criteria:

a) technical level – voice culture and singing technique, intonation, rhythm.
b) criteria of interpretation – correct usage of musical means of expression (dynamics, time  - - tempo, agogics, colour), construction and phrase making, style of interpretation, dramaturgy of the contest repertoire, level of difficulty.
c) overall artistic impression – expressive influence on listeners, contact of the choir with the conductor, singing from memory.

Every jury member will evaluate the contest performance of each choir by a marking system based on a scale from 0 – 30 points. The final result achieved by a choir will be worked out on the basis of the total points given by each individual juror.
Every choir will receive a written evaluation of their contest performance given by each juror, together with the total number of points. No appeals against the decisions of the jury will be allowed.
On the basis of these criteria and the received points and in accordance with international rules, the participating choirs will be assigned:

The golden diploma                                25 – 30    points
The silver diploma                       20 – 24,9 points
The bronze diploma                    15 – 19,9 points

Those choirs that will reach a total of less than 15 points for their competition performance will be awarded a certificate for their participation in the festival.
Apart from the awarding of diplomas, a winner of each category and the overall winner of the festival will be announced.
Special prices of the jury can be awarded (e.g. for the best conductor´s performance, best dramaturgy of the performance, best performance of a piece composed after the year 1950 etc.) The winners will receive gift prizes.
Petr Eben´s Prize will be awarded for the best performance of a composition by the author, regardless of other results.

V. GRAND PRIX
                                                                   
The Grand Prix competition will be a highlight of the festival, to which winners of all contest categories will be nominated.
The Grand Prix competition programme must contain 2 compositions by own choice with a total length 7 minutes, from which at least one piece was not sung in the competition  category. Both compositions have to be a cappella. All choirs should expect a possible participation in the Grand Prix competition and thus prepare an appropriate programme.
The Grand Prix competition will be evaluated by a seven-member international jury in accordance with the criteria of the adjucation system (no. IV). The choir, which will achieve in a secret vote the highest number of votes, will be awarded the Grand Prix.
The Grand Prix competition will take place during the final evening of the festival on Saturday November 27, 2010.

Contact:
MILLENNIUM Agency
Zahradníckova 20c , 150 00 Praha 5
Tel: +420 / 257 219 999 - Fax: +420 / 257 219 999
email:christmas@praguefestival.cz