OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES (30 June 2017)

Transcription

1 Pan Pacific Barbershop Convention September 1 October 2017 OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES (30 June 2017) 1. Application a. These Rules apply to quartet and chorus contests held within the 2017 Pan Pacific Barbershop Convention to be held in Sydney, Australia from Wednesday 27 September to Sunday 1 October 2017 inclusive. b. This Pan Pacific Convention is designed for competitors whose home region is in, or whose coast has a border on, the Pacific Ocean. These regions include: i) Australia (BHA); ii) iii) iv) New Zealand (BHNZ); Japan; USA (BHS Far Western District, including Division 1 - Southwest (including Hawaii), Division 2 - Southeast, Division 3 Northwest); and USA/Canada (BHS Evergreen District, including Division I - British Columbia/Alaska, Division II - Washington, Division IV - Oregon). c. The BHA Convention and the BHNZ 2017 Convention will be held in conjunction with the 2017 Pan Pacific Convention and will be conducted in accordance with their home country rules. d. If a conflict arises between these Rules and BHS, BHA or BHNZ rules, these Rules will take precedence, except in regard to the BHA or the BHNZ National contests, in which case the home country Contest Rules will take precedence. e. In matters not specifically covered by these rules, BHA or the Contest Administrator may exercise reasonable latitude and prerogative provided that the established ethics and policies of the Barbershop Harmony Society are observed in principle. 2. Appointments a. The Contest Control Authority for this Convention will be the National Council of Barbershop Harmony Australia (BHA). c. The Contest Administrator for the 2017 Pan Pacific Convention will be appointed by the Chairman of the Australasian Guild of Barbershop Judges (AGBJ). Pan Pac 2017 Official Contest Rules Approved by BHA Council PanPac Page 1

2 3. Definitions a. Age calculations - The terms 'years of age', and 'aggregate age' require that the age to which they refer shall be determined from the whole number of birthday anniversaries the member has already had. Fractions of one year shall not be included in the calculation. b. Open Quartet is a male quartet. c. Senior Quartet is a male quartet in which all members are 55 years of age or over and the aggregate age of all four members is at least 240 years, on or before the date of the Senior Quartet Contest. d. Youth Quartet is a male quartet in which all members are 25 years of age or under, on or before the date of the Youth Quartet Contest. e. Mixed Quartet is a quartet that must contain at least one (1) female and one (1) male member. f. Open Chorus is a male chorus. g. Mixed Chorus is a chorus comprising no more than 60% male or 60% female members, excluding the Music Director. h. Small Chorus is a male chorus that consists of at least 9 performers and up to 16 performers (excluding the Music Director), i.e. 9 to 16 singers on stage. i. Medium Chorus is a male chorus that consists of more than 16 performers and up to 30 performers (excluding the Music Director), i.e. 17 to 30 singers on stage. j. Large Chorus is a male chorus that consists of more than 30 performers (excluding the Music Director) i.e.31 or more singers on stage. 4. Contests a. Open Quartet The Open Quartet contest will have no age restrictions on entry; b. Senior Quartet The Senior Quartet contest may be entered by Senior Quartets only; c. Youth Quartet The Youth Quartet contest may be entered by Youth Quartets only; d. Mixed Quartet The Mixed Quartet contest may be entered by Mixed Quartets only; and e. Open Chorus The Open Chorus contest may be entered by any chorus of at least 9 members (excluding the Music Director). f. Mixed Chorus The Mixed Chorus contest may be entered by any Mixed chorus of at least 9 members (excluding the Music Director). 5. Eligibility to Compete Quartets a. All competing quartets must be registered with their home country governing association (where appropriate) prior to lodging an entry to the contest and at the time of the contest. b. Entrants for the BHA and BHNZ National Quartet contests must qualify for entry into their National contest, in accordance with their home country rules, before they are deemed eligible to enter the respective Pan Pac 2017 Open, Senior, Youth and Mixed Quartet contests. This means, in effect, that BHA and BHNZ registered quartets must qualify at an in-country contest or evaluation process before being invited to appear at their National Contest and the Pan Pac. c. A quartet may change one member between qualifying for a national (and Pan Pac) contest, and the National (and Pan Pac) contest itself. Any change must be reflected in the quartet's registration with its respective home country governing association prior to the commencement of the national contest. d. Previous and current BHA and BHNZ Champion quartets are deemed eligible the enter the Pan Pac 2017 Open and Senior Quartet contests, whether or not they are restricted from entering Pan Pac 2017 Official Contest Rules Approved by BHA Council PanPac Page 2

3 their home National contest; but they must still qualify as in 5b above, to be deemed eligible for the Pan Pac contests. e. Except as provided in Rule 5d above, a BHA or BHNZ quartet must meet both their home country National contest requirements and these Pan Pacific 2017 requirements in order to compete in any quartet contest at the Pan Pacific 2017 Convention. f. Each member of a competing quartet must be a registered delegate to the 2017 Pan Pacific Convention. g. To be eligible to enter a Senior Quartet contest, a quartet must meet the Senior Quartet definition in Clause 3a above prior to the commencement of the contest session in which they appear. h. A member may compete in more than one quartet in any one contest (note that Open, Youth, Senior and Mixed quartet contests are regarded as separate contests). i. A competing quartet must not contain more than one member of another quartet competing in the same contest (see note above in 5h). 6. Eligibility to Compete Choruses a. A competing chorus must comprise nine or more members on stage, excluding the Music Director. b. A Chorus Director may be male or female. Nothing in these Rules will be so construed as to limit the rights of a chorus to appoint or replace its chorus director at any time. c. All competing choruses must be registered with their Home Region governing association (where appropriate) prior to lodging an entry to the contest. d. Each member of a competing chorus (including the Music Director) must be a registered delegate to the 2017 Pan Pacific Convention. e. A member may participate, either as director or singer, with more than one chorus in any contest. 7. Contest Entry Procedures a. Contest entry forms and instructions for their completion will be available on the Convention website at least ten weeks prior to the opening of the Convention. b. The closing date for finalising entries is 1 September c. Competitors must submit their entry by following the instructions that appear under the Contests tab on the Convention website. Separate instructions appear on the website for entries to the Chorus and Quartet contests d. The Entry Form and its accompanying Notes contain detailed instructions for its completion. e. A Contest Entry Form is not valid until the appropriate Entry Fee is paid. Instructions for payment are shown on the Entry Form and displayed with the entry information under the Competitor Info tab on the Convention website. f. For payment and planning purposes, entrants for the Chorus contest must indicate on their entry form the Chorus Size category they are entering (based on the intended number of singers they will present on stage). For contest awards however, their classification as a Small, Medium or Large chorus will be determined by the Contest Administrator during their performance, based upon the actual number of singers appearing on stage. 8. Structure of the Quartet Competitions a. The Open Quartet Contest will consist of two stages: a Semi-final and a Final. The Finals for the Pan Pac Open, the BHA Open and the BHNZ Open Quartet contests will be conducted in parallel within the Finals session. Pan Pac 2017 Official Contest Rules Approved by BHA Council PanPac Page 3

4 b. Contestants eligible for the Open Quartet Final will be determined from the scores in the Open Quartet Semi-final. The contestants selected to progress to the Open Quartet Final session will be: i. the 10 top scoring Pan Pac quartets overall; ii. the 10 top scoring BHA quartets (some of whom may already be eligible under 8b.i); and iii. the 7 top scoring BHNZ quartets, (some of whom may already be eligible under 8b.i). c. If the Semi-final scores indicate a tie or ties among those eligible for the Open Final, the Contest Administrator may increase the number of contestants eligible to proceed to that Final. Finalists must perform two songs in the Final stage and those songs are to be different from those performed in the Semi-final stage. The combined score allocated by the judges in both the Semi-final and the Final will determine rankings. d. Separate results will be published for each of the Open Quartet Final categories shown in 8b above. These will be limited to the number of quartets in the relevant Final. Rankings will be determined for: i. BHA Open Quartets from eligible BHA contestants in the Open Quartet Final; ii. BHNZ Open Quartets from eligible BHNZ contestants in the Open Quartet Final; and iii. Pan Pac 2017 Open Quartets from all contestants in the Open Quartet Final. e. The Senior Quartet Contest will consist of a single stage only, conducted concurrently with the Open Quartet Semi-final. Senior Quartets may be eligible to enter both the Senior Quartet contest and the Open Quartet contest, but will perform only once, unless selected for the Open Quartet Final. Ranking will be determined for: i. BHA Senior Quartets from all eligible BHA contestants in the Senior Quartet contest; ii. BHNZ Senior Quartets from all eligible BHNZ contestants in the Senior Quartet contest; and iii. Pan Pac 2017 Senior Quartets from all contestants in the Senior Quartet contest. f. The Youth Quartet Contest will consist of a single stage only, conducted concurrently with the Open Quartet Semi-final. Youth Quartets may be eligible to enter both the Youth Quartet contest and the Open Quartet contest, but will perform only once, unless selected for the Open Quartet Final. Ranking will be determined for: i. BHA Youth Quartets from all eligible BHA contestants in the Youth Quartet contest; ii. BHNZ Youth Quartets from all eligible BHNZ contestants in the Youth Quartet contest; and iii. Pan Pac 2017 Youth Quartets from all contestants in the Youth Quartet contest. g. The Mixed Quartet Contest will consist of a single stage only, conducted concurrently with the Open Quartet Semi-final. Ranking will be determined for: i. BHA Mixed Quartets from all eligible BHA contestants in the Mixed Quartet contest; ii. BHNZ Mixed Quartets from all eligible BHNZ contestants in the Mixed Quartet contest; and iii. Pan Pac 2017 Mixed Quartets from all contestants in the Mixed Quartet contest. 9. Structure of the Chorus Competition a. The Open Chorus competition will consist of a single-stage contest for: i. BHA Choruses from all BHA contestants in the Open Chorus contest; ii. BHNZ Choruses from all BHNZ contestants in the Open Chorus contest; and iii. Pan Pacific 2017 Choruses from all contestants in the Open Chorus contest. b. For each of the above groupings, ranking will be determined for: i. All Choruses; ii. Small Choruses; iii. Medium Choruses; and Pan Pac 2017 Official Contest Rules Approved by BHA Council PanPac Page 4

5 iv. Large Choruses. c. For the purpose of awards, contestants will be classified in accordance with Clause 3 above as Small, Medium or Large by the Contest Administrator, according to the number of performers they actually have on stage during the contest (excluding the Music Director). d. The Mixed Chorus competition will consist of a single-stage contest for: i. BHA Choruses from all BHA contestants in the Mixed Chorus contest; ii. BHNZ Choruses from all BHNZ contestants in the Mixed Chorus contest; and iii. Pan Pacific 2017 Choruses from all contestants in the Mixed Chorus contest. 10. Judges and Contest Administrators a. Accredited Contest Judges and the Contest Administrators will be appointed by BHA in their respective categories, on the advice of the Australasian Guild of Judges and the Barbershop Harmony Society Contest and Judging Committee, in accordance with their qualifications to judge one of the three scoring categories or to act as a Contest Administrator. b. A minimum of two judges per scoring category will be used. c. Contest judges shall refrain from coaching any of the competing quartets within the 30 days preceding the contest. d. The Judging Panel will nominate one of its members to act as the Sound Check Judge. 11. Scoring a. Each scoring judge awards a score from 0 to 100 for each song. All contestants will be judged in the three scoring categories: I. Singing The Singing judge(s) will evaluate the degree to which the performer achieves artistic singing in the barbershop style. This is accomplished through precise intonation, a high degree of vocal skill, and a high level of unity and consistency within the ensemble. Mastering these elements also creates a feeling of fullness, ring, or expansion of sound throughout the performance. When artistry is present, these elements will be natural, unmanufactured, and free from apparent effort, allowing the performer to fully communicate the theme of the song; II. Music The Music judge(s) will evaluate the song and arrangement, as performed. He will adjudicate the musical elements in the performance: melody, harmony, range and tessitura, tempo and rhythm and metre, construction and form, and embellishments. The Music judge will judge how well the musical elements of the performance establish a theme, and the degree to which the performance demonstrates an artistic sensitivity to that theme. He will adjudicate the degree to which the musical elements of the song and the arrangement display the hallmarks of the barbershop style; and. III. Performance The Performance judge(s) will evaluate how effectively the performer brings the song to life that is, the believability of the theme in its musical and visual setting. He will respond to both the vocal and visual aspects of the performance, but he principally will evaluate the interaction of those aspects as they work together to create the image of the song. He will adjudicate the quality and appropriateness of the overall effect. The Performance judge will evaluate everything about the performance that contributes to the emotional impact on the audience. 12. Songs and Arrangements a. Each contestant is required to perform two songs only in any one contest stage. If entering a contest with more than one stage, a contestant should prepare four songs, two for each stage of the contest. b. Within any one contest, a contestant may not repeat a song or a substantial part of any song. The term song may refer to a single song or a medley in which major portions of two or more songs are used. A parody of a song previously sung would be considered repeating a song. c. A song performed in contest must be in good taste, be neither primarily patriotic not primarily religious in intent, and have a melody and implied harmony consistent with the barbershop style. d. All songs performed in contest must be arranged in the barbershop style, which is an unaccompanied vocal style of music. Songs must be sung without any kind of musical Pan Pac 2017 Official Contest Rules Approved by BHA Council PanPac Page 5

6 accompaniment and without instrumental introduction, interlude, or conclusion. The latter provision applies to both the entire performance and each individual song. e. Contestants must comply with the copyright law in the acquisition, arranging, learning and performance of songs used in contest performance and must so certify on their contest entry form. 13. Sound Equipment and Lighting a. Contestants may not use their own equipment to electronically amplify or alter their voices. Violation of this rule may result in forfeiture by the Performance judge(s). b. The stage setting will be set up sufficiently in advance of the starting time of each contest session so that the sound equipment and lighting may be tested under the supervision of the Contest Administrator, acting on the advice of the Sound Check Judge. c. The contest will not start until the Contest Administrator has given approval to do so. d. No changes to sound or lighting equipment will be made during a contest session, unless specifically approved by the Contest Administrator, and shall be only for the sole purpose of correcting a malfunction. 14. Staging of Performances a. Persons who are not members of the competing chorus or quartet may not appear on stage during the performance. b. The Performance judge(s) will have jurisdiction over issues of staging. Further information on unacceptable staging is available in the Performance category of the Barbershop Harmony Society Contest and Judging Handbook. c. Actions by any contestant that are deemed suggestive, vulgar or otherwise not in good taste will be penalised by the judges. d. Non-singing dialogue is generally not a part of a contest performance. However, brief comments made with supporting visual communications may be permitted, more clearly to establish the mood or theme, to assist the transition of packaged songs, or to aid the effect of closure of mood or theme. e. Spoken words deemed to be excessive or detrimental to the performance shall be penalised by the Performance judge(s) up to and including forfeiture. f. During a contest performance, no competitor may wear or display a medal or ribbon awarded in a previous barbershop contest. 15. Operation of the Contests a. The Contest Administrator is responsible for ensuring that the contest environment is as fair and consistent as possible for all competitors. b. Once a contest begins, and until the contest results are determined, the Contest Administrator is completely in charge of the operation of the contest. c. The Contest Administrator alone has the authority to stop a competitor s performance and its judging and to reschedule part or all of the performance later in the contest. d. Announcement of the results of each contest will be the responsibility of the Contest Administrator. 16. Order of Appearance a. The order of appearance for any contest or stage of a contest will be determined by a random draw conducted by the Contest Administrator. b. The Contest Administrator will adjust any drawn Order of Appearance so that a person performing in more than one quartet or chorus will not be required to be on stage with less than two other performances between his appearances. Pan Pac 2017 Official Contest Rules Approved by BHA Council PanPac Page 6

7 c. Contestants will sing in the order in which their names appear in the Order of Appearance, unless the Contest Administrator excuses such appearance owing to circumstances beyond the control of the contestants. d. The Contest Administrator will determine whether to give an excused contestant the opportunity to appear after all other contestants in that contest session. e. Any contestant not previously excused by the Contest Administrator that fails to perform in its assigned order of appearance in a contest session may be given the opportunity to appear after all other contestants in that contest session or stage. The contestant will then be penalised five points per scoring judge by the Contest Administrator. f. If there are two or more excused or penalised contestants, their order of appearance will be determined by the Contest Administrator. 17. Ranking of Contestants a. The judges will report their scores to the Contest Administrator immediately following each contestant s performance. b. Contestants will be ranked in accordance with the cumulative total scores of points awarded by the panel of judges. c. The Open Quartet Final ranking will be determined on the accumulation of scores in both the Semi-final and Final stages of the contest. d. Except for first place ties, tied scores will not be broken, and the official scoring summary will list the tied contestants in alphabetical order by the name of the quartet or chorus, as appropriate. e. A tie for first place will be broken by ranking the contestants according to their overall scores in the Singing category or, only if that does not break the tie, according to their overall scores in the Music category. If a tie still exists, the tie will stand. f. Where contestants remain tied, each will be allocated the same place number, and the next lowest scorer will be allocated a place number as if the tied contestants had been allotted sequential place numbers. g. Where a tie situation occurs, any awards that immediately follow the tied ranking will not be awarded, e.g. where a tie for second place occurs, no third place is awarded. 18. Penalties and Forfeitures a. A scoring judge indicates forfeiture by awarding a score of zero. b. There will be no public announcement of any penalty or forfeiture. Penalties and forfeitures will be published as part of the official scoring summary, with citation of the rule that was violated, if appropriate. 19. Awards a. The number of awards will be determined by the number of contestants in a contest Division, as follows: i. Fewer than 4 contestants: 1st only; ii. Fewer than 6 contestants: 1st and 2 nd only; and iii. 6 or more contestants: 1 st, 2 nd and 3 rd as appropriate. b. Subject to Rule 19a above, awards will be made as follows: i. Pan Pacific Open Quartet Contest Gold, Silver and 3 rd, 4 th and 5 th place Bronze Medals, and trophy for winner; ii. Pan Pacific Senior Quartet Contest Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals, and trophy for winner ; iii. Pan Pacific Youth Quartet Contest Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals, and trophy for winner ; iv. Pan Pacific Mixed Quartet Contest Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals, and trophy for winner ; Pan Pac 2017 Official Contest Rules Approved by BHA Council PanPac Page 7

8 v. Pan Pacific Open Chorus Contest Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals, and trophy for winner; vi. Pan Pacific Mixed Chorus Contest trophy for winner; vii. Pan Pacific Open Chorus Size Divisions trophy for First Place in each Division (Small, Medium, Large); c. BHA and BHNZ may also present awards for their respective national contests during the medal presentation ceremonies. 20. Official Results a. An official scoring summary will be published by the Contest Administrator immediately following the announcement of the winners of any contest. b. The official scoring summary will show: i. contest date and location; ii. names and positions of the judges and contest administrators; iii. names of the songs sung by each contestant in the order sung; iv. points awarded for each song in the order Singing, Music, Performance, and Total points; and v. total score for each contestant expressed as a Percentage of the total possible score. Pan Pac 2017 Official Contest Rules Approved by BHA Council PanPac Page 8