District Choral Festival

Registration Requirements

  • Students should be enrolled in grades 6 to 12 and members in good standing in their school's vocal music program.

  • Choirs must be composed of a minimum of 12 students.

  • Ninth grade students should perform at the same level in all events throughout the year and are expected to meet the performance standards of the level in which they participate.
  • A completed and signed registration form should be postmarked or hand delivered to the District Manager. Fees and deadlines are determined by each District. Please consult your District Page for details.
  • Registration is completed online using the Festival Scheduler. For login information, click here. Online scheduling questions should be directed to Andrea Gay at andreagay@msvma.org. For technical issues, contact janet@msvma.org
  • In signing the registration form, the principal and the director agree to supervise the students from their school to ensure proper conduct at the Festival. Improper student conduct may result in sanctions by the MSVMA Board of Directors.
  • Choirs must pay fees at the time of registration. 
  • Payment should be made by school check or director’s personal check payable to MSVMA and must be postmarked by the deadline. Fees are non-refundable.
  • Failure to meet established district deadlines will result in your events not being scheduled or a late registration fee of $50 per event fee for choir festival and $20 per event fee for solo & ensemble festival.

Registration Fees
Fees:  $140 per choir


Payment can be made by:

  • School, booster organization, or director’s personal check payable to MSVMA

  • Credit card on the scheduling website or by calling 231.592.9344

  • Purchase order submitted by the postmark deadline

Your events will not be scheduled unless we receive your payment or purchase order postmarked by the deadline. If the purchase order payment has not been received by the first day of the festival, your events will not perform. 


Payment should be mailed to the address printed on the invoice. Fees are non-refundable. Returned checks are subject to a $25 fee. Late registration will be available with a $50/event fee for choral festival or a $20/event fee for S&E for seven days after the deadline but must be paid by credit card only.


Repertoire

  • Each choir must perform two selections of a contrasting nature. The literature performed must contrast rhythmically and/or melodically and/or harmonically.
  • For the 2024-2025 Festival Season, the required repertoire lists are suggested repertoire. Directors will enter their repertoire choices directly into the scheduler. The sightreading  voicing must match the voicing of one of your selections. There is no sight-reading level attached to your songs; directors may choose whichever level they feel is best for their students. See District Festival Documents (on the right side of this page) to view repertoire lists.
  • Adjudicators will be required to comment in writing on the choice of literature via the rubric. 
  • Non-traditional choral music sung at choral festival needs to fall within the framework of the MSVMA choral rubric. Click here to view further considerations regarding non-traditional choral music sung at choral festival.
  • Choreography is not allowed. However, artful staging and appropriate choral movement that reflect performance practice of the genre is permitted. The use of choreography will result in no Final Determination.
  • JHMS directors may change the key to meet their singers' needs. It is not acceptable to rewrite a score but adaptation is permitted.

    Festival Performance of Original Arrangements

    • All copyright laws will apply. This includes use of copyrighted texts.
    • In order to perform an arrangement of a copyrighted piece, you must have written permission that includes all pertinent information.
    • Adjudicators are required to comment on the quality of literature for all Choral Festival events.
    • All other MSVMA Festival literature requirements apply.
    • Participants at events must use copyright compliant scores of music. Each adjudicator must be presented with a copyrightcompliant score. Directors will be required upon registration to certify that the legally required number of original copies have been purchased or secured for performance at this event.


    Sight Reading

    • Policy change for 2023-2024 School Year -  All choral festival entries must sight read in their school category, i.e. HS must read HS and JHMS must read JHMS. The director must choose the voicing of festival sight reading to match the voicing of one of the two performance pieces. The director may choose any level. 

    24/25 District Choral Festival Announcement

    • District Choral Festival is fast approaching. This is a reminder to all High School directors who will be singing at the Intermediate level that there is a raised fourth (Fi) in this year’s sight reading (using the sequence Fa-Fi-Sol). Preparation will help ensure a successful sight reading experience.

    • To make preparation easier, MSVMA has assembled some practice examples for you to use in your daily sight reading. These PDF files can be downloaded and reproduced for your choirs. They include a variety of voicings with the chromatic sequence appearing in various voice parts (the chromatic sequence is only written in one voice part).

    • You can access these practice examples by going to the MSVMA website, then selecting Resources, next go to Repertoire & Sight Reading, and then go to Sight Reading Resources. Or you can click on the following links:

      Unison Examples

      HS Intermediate Examples 1

      HS Intermediate Examples 2

      HS Intermediate Examples 3

      HS Intermediate Examples 4


    Performance
    • District Festival participation includes warm-up, performance, clinic and sight reading.
    • Every attempt will be made to honor performance date and time requests.  Schools sending multiple groups cannot be assured of same day scheduling. 
    • Choirs may be scheduled to sing from 8 AM to 6 PM
    • Accompanists must have original copies of selections.
    • Choirs must provide one original score of the selections with measures numbered for each of the adjudicators. Failure to do so will result in a no final determination rating.
    • The use of musical scores during performance is optional.
    • Performances will be recorded.
    • When performing music requiring accompaniment, live accompaniment must be used unless it is avant-garde or 21st century music requiring electronic or taped accompaniment as part of the composer's compositional and performance intent.
    • Allotted performance time includes stage entrance and exit.
    • Any changes in the literature must be emailed to the District Manager one week prior to the first day of the Festival.  Changes in repertoire after this date will result in a "no final determination" rating.


      Final Determination

       I Excellent   96-120 
       II Good   72-95
       III Fair   46-71
       IV Developing   24-45


      Choirs with a Final Determination of I Excellent qualify for State Choral Festival.

      For more information on festival participation, click here.


      Choral Festival - Optional Choir Background Information

      Are there circumstances related to your choir that you would like to share with festival adjudicators?


      MSVMA offers an opportunity for you to share information about your choir through its Choir Background Information form. This option helps you convey circumstances or information to adjudicators. Complete the Choral Background Information form on the scheduler. 


      For more information about the Choral Background Information form, you may contact your District Manager.


                                                                                                          

        Michigan School Vocal Music Association

        P.O. Box 1131

        Big Rapids, MI 49307-1131

        (231) 592 - 9344

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