Please read the rules very carefully as they contain all the details necessary regarding the choice of a choir’s programme and the criteria for adjudication. Each choir must be familiar with the rules.
Registrations for the Rimini International Choral Competition (online) 2021 must be submitted using the appropriate online form by 30 September 2021. The Competition will take place from Friday 12th to Sunday 14th November 2021. All events will be presented ‘live premiere’ on Riminichoral YouTube channel and then remain available for deferred viewing.
Entries will be registered in order of arrival and must contain all the required data and attachments. The Choirs, within one week, will receive the confirmation of the registration or the request of the missing entries and will be invited to pay the registration fee, whose details are explained in point ‘6-Costs’. The registration will be considered completed after the payment will be registered by the Organization.
1 – Competition Classes
The Rimini International Choral Competition includes six normal categories (A, B, C, D, E, F) and a special category (X).
Each Choir may participate in no more than three normal competition classes.
A – Equal Voice Choirs (Male or Female)
B – Mixed Voice Choirs
C – Children and Youth Choirs (Male, Female, Mixed, with a maximum age of 20 years. A maximum of 10% of participants over the given age limits is allowed, but in any case within 24 years of age. The organisers reserve the right to check the age of the choristers and to evaluate particular cases).
D – Choirs with popular, folklore and or spiritual/gospel repertoire (Male, Female, Mixed)
E – Sacred Music (Male, Female, Mixed, Children and Youth Choirs)
F – Virtual Choirs (Male, Female, Mixed, Children and Youth Choirs)
X – “Gran Prix of the Rimini International Choral Competition” (first and second place finishers in categories A, B, C, D, E if their score is 80.01 or higher must be prepared to compete in this category). If a choir is a winner in more than one category, the same choir will participate only once in category X (Grand Prix) representing the first category, in chronological order, where it placed best between the two winners. Then the choir that came third in the second category will participate in category X.
Example: The mixed choir Choral first wins Category E, then it wins Category A participating only with the male singers and arrives second in Category C, reaching a score higher than 80,1 in all cases. Choir Coral will then participate in the Grand Prix as a mixed choir representing category E together as also the choir arriving 2nd in that Category. For category A, 2nd and 3rd place choirs will sing in the Grand Prix and for category C 1st and 3rd place choirs.
Number of Singers | Minimum | Maximum |
Category A | 7 | unlimited |
Category B | 7 | unlimited |
Category C | 10 | unlimited |
Category D | 7 | unlimited |
Category E | 7 | unlimited |
Category F | 7 | unlimited |
2 – Prizes
At the outcome of each competition, the following prizes will be awarded:
| 1st PRIZE | 2nd PRIZE | 3rd PRIZE |
Category A | Medal | Medal | Medal |
Category B | Medal | Medal | Medal |
Category C | Medal | Medal | Medal |
Category D | Medal | Medal | Medal |
Category E | Medal | Medal | Medal |
Category F | Medal | Medal | Medal |
Category X (Grand-Prix) | 1.000 €, Medal | — | — |
The Jury shall not assign any ex-aequo prize.
No cases of parity (ex-aequo) are allowed in the results for first, second and third place.
The first choir awarded in categories A, B, C, D, E, F will receive a medal specially chiselled for the Competition. The second choir awarded in categories A, B, C, D, E, F will receive a hand chiselled silver medal while the third choir awarded in the same categories A, B, C, D, E, F will receive a hand chiselled bronze medal.
The winner of the “Grand-Prix” (category X) will receive a prestigious handmade ceramic trophy as well as a cash prize of 1,000 Euro.
Other prizes:
Emilia-Romagna Region Award: Diploma and plaque of merit to the best choral conductor participating in category X.
Diplomas will also be awarded in gold, silver, bronze and participation bands, based on the result achieved in the competition.
The Organizing Committee reserves the right to add other prizes.
Choirs will be judged according the following criteria:
INTONATION
INTERPRETATION AND FIDELITY TO THE SCORE
SOUND QUALITY
OVERALL ARTISTIC IMPRESSION
The jury will award a maximum of 100 points for each choir, as follows:
95,01-100,00: Outstanding
85,01-95,00: Excellent
80,01-85,00: Very Good
75,01-80,00: Good
65,01-75,00: Moderate
According to the mark achieved, Bronze, Silver and Gold Diplomas will be awarded. If the choir does not achieve a Diploma (mark under 65.01) it will receive a certificate of participation. Each juror will produce a written report containing evaluations and impressions for each choir heard during the competitions. The report will be in English if possible.
Diploma | Level | Points |
Bronze Diploma | 1 | 65,01 – 70,00 |
2 | 70,01 – 75,00 | |
Silver Diploma | 1 | 75,01 – 80,00 |
2 | 80,01 – 85,00 | |
Gold Diploma | 1 | 85,01 – 90,00 |
2 | 90,01 – 95,00 | |
3 | 95,01 – 100,00 |
3 – Repertoire
CATEGORY A (Equal Voices Choirs): a piece of free choice, a cappella or with instrumental accompaniment, lasting between 2 and 7 minutes of pure singing
CATEGORY B (Mixed Choirs): a piece of free choice, a cappella or with instrumental accompaniment, lasting between 2 and 7 minutes of pure singing
CATEGORY C (Children and Youth Choirs): a piece of free choice, a cappella or with instrumental accompaniment, lasting between 2 and 6 minutes of pure singing
CATEGORY D (Popular, Folklore, Spiritual, Gospel): a piece of popular music (from the country of origin of the choir), spiritual or gospel lasting between 2 and 6 minutes of pure singing. The integration of singing with stylistically justified choreographic movements is also allowed
CATEGORY E (Sacred Music): a piece of sacred music, a cappella, ancient or contemporary of free choice lasting between 2 and 7 minutes of pure singing
CATEGORY F (Virtual Choirs): a piece of free choice, a cappella or with instrumental accompaniment, in virtual choir, lasting between 2 and 6 minutes of pure singing
CATEGORY X (Grand-Prix): The first and second winners of categories A, B, C, D, E, if with a score equal to or greater than 80.01, must be prepared to compete in category X and will not be able to use the piece sung as a repertoire for a previous category. The piece in this category can be freely chosen, a cappella or with instrumental accompaniment, lasting between 2 and 7 minutes of pure singing. In the case of a popular piece, the provisions of category D apply to the integration of singing with choreographic instruments.
4 – Jury and Awards
The choirs will be judged by a jury made up of members known and esteemed nationally and internationally. The result will be announced immediately at the end of each competition category. The Grand-Prix winner will also be announced after the end of this category. The medals and other trophies will be sent by post to the address provided by the choir during registration. The diplomas will be made in PDF format and sent via email.
5 – Audio e Video Specifics
- The videos must have been filmed in the last 3 years, live at concerts or rehearsals; The video must be owned by the choir itself which therefore holds the rights, recorded without the aid of audio post-production. There are, however, no equipment limitations for taking the video itself.
- The video file must be sent to the Competition Secretariat via WeTransfer or similar software. Videos sent as a simple link to YouTube or similar platforms will not be considered. It is possible to use videos already released by the choirs themselves.
- Format: 16:9, horizontal
- Codec: H264
- Resolution: 1920×1080 pixels
- Frame 25 FPS/sec.
- Video file format: MP4 o MPEG2 (better mp4)
- Audio Codec: better if AAC-LC (stereo)
- Sample Rate 48Khz
6 – General Rules
- Each choir cannot sing the same repertoire in two or more competition categories (A, B, C, D, E, F, X).
- Ninety percent of the choir members, except the conductor, must be amateurs and not professionals.
- Choirs will be penalized by a total of two points for not respecting the above time limits.
- Accompaniment, unless otherwise specified, can be performed with a piano, with any type of instrument, including orchestra. It will not be allowed, however, to sing over a recorded audio track.
- The Choirs will no longer be able to change the repertoire after sending it to the Competition Secretariat.
- Copies of the scores that will be performed must be attached together with the registration form, it being understood that each choir is responsible for owning the original copies.
- The Artistic Director of the Competition reserves the right to limit the number of entries in each category.
- The Artistic Director of the Competition reserves the right not to admit the Choirs to the single categories.
- The Artistic Director of the Competition reserves the right to change these rules if necessary.
- The final decision of the Jury is final and no appeal will be allowed against any aspect of its work.
- Each performance may be broadcast live and/or recorded by streaming on the network, radio or TV without any compensation for the Choirs. All the broadcasting rights of all performances during the Festival belong to the Organisation itself, which will be free to dispose as it wishes.
- It is contrary to the laws in force to perform music that has been reproduced illegally. The Organisation does not assume any responsibility for any legal action taken by the Publishing Houses.
- Neither party will be liable for damages for delay or failure to perform the choral festival if such delay or failure is caused beyond its control, including but not limited to Acts of God, governmental restrictions, war, health hazards, riots, earthquakes, floods and/or any other cause beyond the reasonable control of the party whose performance is affected.
- The request to participate implies acceptance of all the Rules of the Competition.
7 – Costs
Immediately after acceptance of the entry by the Organisation, the entry fee of 250 Euro for the first category chosen and 150 Euro from the second on (for each choir and for each category chosen) must be paid. For choirs that will register by 31st July 2021 a 10% discount on the above mentioned amounts will be applied. In case of cancellation of the Competition by the Organization the amount paid as entry fee will be refunded in full.
The registration fee must be paid in full to Musica Ficta immediately after the choir has been accepted by the Committee, by bank transfer or PayPal. Any bank charges will have to be charged to the requesting choir.
The Artistic Director of the Competition
Prof. Andrea Angelini
Download the Rules in English
