Join the 5th Christmas Carols & Sacred Music Competition

Live: December 20, Online: December 21 – 29, 2024 ; Deadline for applications for those with physical participation – December 15; Deadline for applications for those with online participation – December 18, 2024.

The list of contestants and YouTube links for each are here: https://festivaluldearte.com/2024/12/21/competitors-5th-christmas-carols-sacred-music-contest/

The Live Competition will be held in Romania, at the House of Culture Câmpina, starting with 8:30 a.m.

Fill in the Annex 1 form here: https://forms.gle/ejAsGJjdv6cGzQ4U9

ORGANIZERS:

Best Bridge Services SRL in partnership with the company Time4Events SRL

CATEGORIES AND SECTIONS:

The categories of the Christmas Carols & Sacred Music Contest are:

• Professionals (those in vocational education or music schools)
• Amateurs (those who study in a private system or as a secondary instrument)

The sections are:

• Section A – Soloists – vocal (a cappella or accompanied) and/or instrumentalists – all age groups
• Section B – Ensembles (voice and / or instruments) – all age groups
• Section C – Choirs – regardless of age groups

AGE GROUPS:

The 5th International Christmas Carols & Sacred Music Performance Competition, of the Festival 4 Arts is addressed to children, youngsters, and adults, as follows:

• Group I – children aged 6 years or less
• Group II – children aged between 7 and 12 years
• Group III – youth aged between 13 and 18 years
• Group IV – youth aged between 19 to 24 years
• Group V – adults older than 24 years (No age limitation is imposed)

The age must be reached by the start date of the competition. Each competitor will participate in a single age group, but can participate in several sections, paying the fee for each.  

The competition is open to professionals (those in vocational education or music schools) and amateurs (those who study as a secondary instrument or in a private system).

PIECES REQUIRED for Christmas Carols & Sacred Music Competition:

Groups I-III will perform up to 2 (two) carols and / or songs dedicated to Christmas. They can be sung in any language the contestant wants and can belong to the universal Christian tradition. For the online competitors, they will be recorded on a single video of up to 10 minutes.

Groups IV, V and the Choirs (regardless of the age group of the members) will perform at least 2 (two) carols, songs and / or sacred music. They may perform up to 3 (three) carols, songs and / or sacred music. For the online competitors, they will be recorded on a single video of up to 15 minutes.

We do not impose a lower time limit, but only an upper one.

The online competitors will record the pieces on a single video. It will be sent as a link to YouTube. The video was published as unlisted before submission. Alternatively, it can be sent as a file via WeTransfer (or similar platforms) to the e-mail address: festivaluldearte@gmail.com .

PARTICIPATION RULES:

1. General Conditions

1.1 The participants in this contest must comply with the terms written in the Rules & Regulations of International Christmas Carols & Sacred Music Competition of the Festival 4 Arts, 5th Edition. They must also adhere to the General Rules presented here: https://festivaluldearte.com/2022/10/20/general-rules-for-participation-in-the-international-contest/.

2. Conditions for participation in the competition

2.1 The videos sent in the conditions of the present Rules & Regulation of International Christmas Carols & Sacred Music Competition of the Festival 4 Arts, will be accompanied, compulsory, by Annex 1 – Registration slip completed, dated, and signed. By signing it, the competitor / guardian acknowledges and agrees with Annex 2 – PUBLICATION RIGHT AGREEMENT and Annex 3 – Parental agreement to participate in the contest for minor participants;

2.2 Annex 1 will be completed on the same day or sent along with the video, at the email address: festivaluldearte@gmail.com. The message’s subject must be the surname, name, category, section, and age group in which the competitor participates (example: Smith John – Professionals, Soloists, Group I, respectively Ensemble X – Amateurs, Group III). Failure to comply with this mandatory requirement, as well as some omissions in the form, will lead to automatic disqualification;

2.3 Competitors will send the video-recordings having read the “PUBLICATION RIGHT AGREEMENT”;

2.4 Competitors must pay the fee of:

For soloists:

1.  25 euros, if the registration is done by November 22;
2. 33 euros, if the registration is done between November 23 – December 15;
3. 35 euros, if the registration is done between December 16 – 18.

Registration is completed only after sending the video for online competitors. You must also send the proof of payment of the participation fee in the same email with the video. Additionally, fill out the Annex 1 form.

For ensembles:

1. 18 euro / member x number of members of the ensemble, if the registration is done by December 15;
2. 22 euro / member x number of members of the ensemble, if the registration is done between December 16 – 18.

Registration is completed only after sending the video for online competitors. You must also send the proof of payment of the participation fee in the same email with the video. Additionally, fill out the Annex 1 form.

For choirs:

1. 100 euro, if the registration is done by December 15 (the amount is unique, regardless of the number of members);
2. 120 euro, if the registration is done between December 16 – 18 (the amount is unique, regardless of the number of members).

Registration is completed only after sending the video for online competitors. You must also send the proof of payment of the participation fee in the same email with the video. Additionally, fill out the Annex 1 form.

The participation fee will be paid by bank transfer to the account of Best Bridge Services SRL opened at ING Bank, Bucharest, IBAN: RO22INGB0000999903782351, CUI: 7524371, RO22INGB0000999903782351 (SWIFT Code: INGBROBU). The payment order must include: Participant’s Name, Section and Age Group.

or

By PayPal:

The fee is not refundable.

Proof of payment of the participation fee and the videos will be sent by email at festivauldearte@gmail.com , in the same time as the completed Annex 1.

2.9 Competitors can participate in the solo and ensemble section, with the fee payment for each of them.

3. Competition period of the Christmas Carols & Sacred Music Competition

3.1 The second edition of the International Christmas Carols & Sacred Music Competition  of the Festival 4 Arts takes place according to the following calendar:

• October 19 – December 18 – Registration of competitors, receipt and evaluation of videos. The videos will be sent only during the registration period for the competition, namely starting with October 19 and no later than December 15, 23:59 for physical participation and December 18 at 23:59 for online participation;
• December 19 – Publication of all videos on the YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/Festivaluldearte 
• December 20 – Live competition for all categories, sections and groups; publishing the list of online competitors and the links to YouTube on the festival website https://festivaluldearte.com/;
• December 21 – 29 – Public vote and the judging by the Jury for each category/section/age group. The Jury will not be influenced by the public vote;
• December 29 – Winners announcement and Laureates Online Gala, after 8 p.m. EET

3.2 The competition period and all the mentioned dates may be modified. The organizers must announce any changes in the competition regulations in advance on the aforementioned web page.

4. Technical details

The videos sent as files must be in .avi, .wmv, .mov or .mp4 format. The recordings must be clear in both image and sound, made without disturbances, background noise etc. The device must be positioned to capture the whole body of the performer and the instrument. The footage should be landscape.

Make sure you have the consent of the accompanying musician on the recording.

Where necessary, the accompaniment can be provided by any means available to the competitor. Although „live” ensemble recordings are preferred, „record session” recordings on Zoom-type platforms are also accepted. Audio processing of the recording are not allowed.

The video recording must contain all the contest pieces.

Please dress in a neat and proper manner. Use of professional cameras or equipment is not a must. Videos taken with simple equipment, like mobile phones, are enough.

5. The Jury of the Christmas Carols & Sacred Music Competition

The Jury has 6 members, as follows:

For age groups I and II (categories A and B, all sections), and age groups III and IV, category B, all sections:

Prof. Mărioara Marcu, Prof. Andrei Dănuț, Prof. Ruxandra Brezeanu. (Please, click translate for their Biographies in English)

For age groups III and IV, category A, and group V all categories and sections:

Prof. PhD. Silvia Voinea – President of the Jury, Conf. PhD. Claudia Codreanu, Prof. Fernando Araujo (Austria)

The jury will decide, based on a score, the winners of the prizes for each category, section and age group.

The biographies of the jury members can be found on the festival website.

The jury will decide, based on a score, the winners of the prizes for each category, section, and age group. The decisions of the Jury are unique and final, no appeals are allowed. 

6. Prizes of the International Christmas Carols & Sacred Music Competition

6.1 Contestants who participate physically will get their diploma and medals, provided by Time4Events, on the day of the contest. The online participants in the contest will get diplomas posted on the site or submitted online upon demand. The number and value of pupils/students in the contest will determine the recognition given. Their mentors and the piano accompanying professor also get a Diploma of Excellence (on demand).

6.2 The competition will have a Trophy, if the Jury appreciates so, of 150 Euros. Each section may obtain a “Grand Prix”, depending on the appreciation of the Jury, and each age group of each category and section will be awarded the First Prize, the Second Prize, the Third Prize and Mentions. After announcing the winners, we will publish the Laureates Gala.

The prizes will consist of money for Grand Prix only, offered by the company Time4Events, promotion on the festival’s YouTube channel and on Facebook, inviting the winners to give recitals. Expenses for transport, accommodation, and meals for participation in recitals are not reimbursed. The prizes also include discounts on the participation fee for the Masterclasses organized in the summer of 2025. This depends on the interest and availability of the winners. All winners are invited to register for a Zoom interview in which they can make public their achievements and projects. The interview will be broadcast on the YouTube channel of the Festival (https://youtube.com/c/Festivaluldearte).

The number of prizes will be decided by the Jury, depending on the artistic value of the competitors.

6.4 The decisions of the Jury are unique and final, no appeals are allowed.

7. Judging Criteria

The jury will pay special attention to the quality of interpretation, respect for the musical text, expressiveness and interpretive personality in approaching the musical-artistic discourse, for instrumentalists, and for singers, the jury will pay special attention to the following issues:

• accuracy of interpretation,
• correct vocal range,
• pitch and tone quality,
• diction and elocution,
• voice projection,
• stage presence,
• breath control
• the overall value of the video recording.