CHORAL COMPETITION RULES

Background

The FDF Choral Competition has been an integral part of this annual event for many years. The goal of the choral competition is to enhance the music ministry of the Metropolis through encouraging youth participation; and, to promote the study and performance of the sacred music of the Greek Orthodox Church, and secular music of Hellenic heritage.

Group Eligibility

Participants must be members in good standing of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Choral group directors and parish priest will enforce this rule.
Failure to meet this standard may result in disqualification of the group from competition, or forfeiture of awards.
Directors must have the blessing of their parish priest to perform any piece of music.

Choral Competition Divisions

There are three (3) Divisions in the FDF Choral Competition which are defined by the criteria below.

Division	Age Requirement	Type
I	Average age > 13 years	Competitive
II	Average ≤ 13 years	Competitive
III	None	Non-competitive

Required Music Standards

It is required to provide four (4) copies of each musical piece performed to the judges. If music is not available, please provide a copy of the text.
Each group will sing one (1) piece representing the heritage of the Orthodox Church, including pieces from any service (e.g., Divine Liturgy, Orthros, Vespers, etc.)
Each group will sing one (1) piece representing folk songs of the Greek/Hellenic peoples in the traditional style of the region from which the piece originates.
The rest of the competition program may be built around discretionary pieces set by the director of each group.
For singing of religious music no favor will be given based upon language of delivery. Pieces performed in Greek or English will be treated as equal.

Judging Criteria and Scoring System

Category	Description	Percentage of Score
Musicianship	Technical ability in music, including intonation, phrasing, pitch, dynamics, diction, and ensemble singing (how well the group sings together).	60%
Presentation	Includes memorization, stage presence, a cappella singing, accompaniment (and how accompanying musicians are featured).	30%
Interpretation	Liturgical hymns are sung/chanted with an appropriate style; folk songs are sung with an appropriate traditional style	10%

Time Limits and Exceeding the Time Limit

Each choral group will be allotted a maximum time of twelve (12) minutes for their performance. Timing begins once the group has begun singing their first piece. Unless technical difficulties arise beyond the control of the group, any choral group exceeding the maximum time allotted will be penalized as follows:

Time Over Limit	Penalty
<1 minute	5% of total score
≥1 minute	10% of total score

Singing With Teams From More Than One Parish

A singer may compete with teams from more than one parish, provided that a written consent is furnished by the parish priests (the priests of all parishes concerned) to the FDF Board of Trustees no later than thirty (30) days prior to the annual event. Each consent form must list all the groups in which the singer will perform.