Choir

REGISTRATION

Registration Process        

1. Registrations open at 9am on Monday April 28th & close at 5pm on Friday May 2nd.
2. There are a certain number of places available in each section, refer to the proposed timetable. Groups will be allocated to sections in the order registrations are received.
3. NOTE: This may happen before the close of registrations. Once places are filled schools will be placed on a waiting list
4. Registration can only be submitted on-line at www.vsmf.com.au
5. Groups must indicate on their application form their 1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd attendance preference for each category they are entering.
6. Requests made after May 2nd (close of applications) will be considered if possible. Please consult the proposed timetable when stating preferences

 Download – 2025 VSMF Choir Proposed Timetable

1. $80.00 per school choir plus $12.00 per participating student.
2. Registration fees are inclusive of GST.
3. Cancellations received prior to Friday July 4th 2025 may apply for a refund of the participating student’s fees only. After July 4th no refunds will be made (this includes students who do not attend the actual event). Fees will still be applicable even if groups have withdrawn.
4. If the Festival is postponed or cancelled due to Covid19 restrictions, a full refund will be provided.
5. Registrations will not be accepted without a school order number. A tax invoice will be sent on receipt of registration.

General Procedure

1. Each choir will be given an arrival time. After registration the choir will be assigned to a courier who will have the responsibility of acting as a guide for the choir.
2. Standard COVID-19 safety measures that will include sanitising, audience spacing and mask wearing (if appropriate).
3. Schools must adhere to arrival and departure times. Any school that departs without completing all activities without prior arrangement with the Festival Administrator may be excluded from receiving a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze award.
4. Each choir will participate in three activities:

PERFORMANCE

Pre-performance warm –up

Performance to a panel of adjudicators

ON STAGE TUTORIAL

Post-Performance workshop on stage with the chief Adjudicator

LISTENING

Each choir will listen to 2 other choirs perform.

PARTICIPATION CRITERIA

SCHOOL CHOIRS

1. The Festival is open to students who are currently attending any primary or secondary school, and who are participating in school/college choirs
2. Combined school groups may participate if that choir rehearses on a regular basis. Confirmation of this arrangement must be sent with the registration form and co-signed by the principals of the schools involved.
3. Teachers may not sing with the choir.
4. All school groups must provide the necessary ratio of staff supervision to the number students attending the Festival. It is not the responsibility of VSMF staff to monitor group behaviour. This also applies to groups attending the evening and weekend sessions.
5. No school may register the same choir or a choir made up of 80% of the same performers in two different levels within the same genre of ensembles (eg. Junior Secondary Choir & Open Secondary Choir)

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

CHOICE OF REPERTOIRE

1. Please refer to category information for specific regulations regarding choice of music.
2. Any ensemble that fails to meet the performance criteria as set out for each category may be excluded from receiving a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze award. This decision will not be at the discretion of the Chair of Adjudicators.

PROVISION OF CONDUCTOR SCORES

You will need to provide copies for all pieces you are performing

1. Participating groups are required to provide two (2) copies of each work being performed for adjudication purposes.
2. All changes to the work must be clearly indicated
3. Each piece is to be stapled together with the name of the school clearly marked.
4. All pieces provided for the adjudicators must have each bar numbered.

 

1. Please refer to category information for specific regulations regarding performance criteria.
2. If the total performance time as permitted in the performance criteria is exceeded, excess performance time will be subtracted from the on stage tutorial time.
3. Each choir will receive an award being Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze. Refer to Choir Section information for eligibility.
4. Excess performance of more than two (2) minutes may result in exclusion from receiving a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze award. This decision will be at the discretion of the Chair of Adjudication.
5. Any choir that fails to meet the performance criteria as set out for each category may be excluded from receiving a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze award. This decision will be at the discretion of the Chair of Adjudication.
6. The decision of the panel of adjudicators is final. No further correspondence will be entered into.

EQUIPMENT

1. All schools must use the equipment supplied.
2. Schools must provide all auxiliary percussion eg: triangle, cabasa, tambourine etc. required for their performance
3. The following equipment is supplied for all choirs: choir risers, conductor’s stand, keyboard amplifier, electric piano and acoustic piano.

ADJUDICATOR’S COMMENTS    

Adjudicators will provide both a written adjudication sheet and recorded comments. Adjudication comments are recorded and made available to all participating schools.

 

PRIMARY SECTION:

• Minimum membership of 10 performers
• Performance time not exceed 8 minutes
• One teacher may accompany the choir on piano or guitar.
• No recorded accompaniment may be used
• Each Choir must perform at least two (2) contrasting, published pieces of music.
• Repertoire suitable for this section could be sourced from the following books:
  Oxford Junior Voiceworks Vol 1 & 2
  Choral Time – Yr. 3 & 4 ,Bk 1 & Bk 2; Yr. 5 & 6 Bk 1, Bk 2 or Bk 3
• Australian repertoire selected from composers featured in ANCA Reading Days from 2017 to 2025: Paul Jarman, Mark Puddy, Annie Kwok, Dan Walker, Katherine Ruhle, Ruth McCall, Todd McNeal, Daniel Brinsmead, Ben Van Tiernen, Nicholas Buc, Glyn Lehmann, Deborah Cheetham and Paul Stanhope. Works by other Australain composer can also be performed.

Each Choir is required to perform at least one part song in their programme and is it is highly recommended choirs consider Australian works, selected from the list of composers.

JUNIOR SECONDARY SECTION:

• Minimum membership of 10 performers
• Performance time not exceed 10 minutes
• One teacher may accompany the choir on piano or guitar.
• No recorded accompaniment may be used
• Repertoire suitable for this section could be sourced from the following books:
  Oxford Junior Voiceworks Vol. 1 & 2
  Choral Time Secondary Bk 1
• Australian repertoire selected from composers featured in ANCA Reading Days from 2016 to 2025: Paul Jarman, Mark Puddy, Annie Kwok, Dan Walker, Katherine Ruhle, Ruth McCall, Todd McNeal, Daniel Brinsmead, Ben Van Tiernen, Nicholas Buc, Glyn Lehmann, Deborah Cheetham and Paul Stanhop. Works by other Australain composer can also be performed.

Each Choir is required to perform at least one part song in their programme and is it is highly recommended choirs consider Australian works, selected from the list of composers above.

OPEN SECONDARY SECTION:

• Minimum membership of 10 performers
• Performance time not exceed 12 minutes
• One teacher may accompany the choir on piano or guitar.
• No recorded accompaniment may be used
• Each Choir is required to perform at least one 3 or 4 part song in their programme, and one Australian work of their choice

• Australian repertoire selected from composers featured in ANCA Reading Days from 2016 to 2025: Paul Jarman, Mark Puddy, Annie Kwok, Dan Walker, Katherine Ruhle, Ruth McCall, Todd McNeal, Daniel Brinsmead, Ben Van Tiernen, Nicholas Buc, Glyn Lehmann, Deborah Cheetham and Paul Stanhop. Works by other Australain composer can also be performed.
• 2025 ANCA Repertoire Reading List