Choir competition

Competition rules

International Choir Competition Mundi Cantant
  1. International competition of choirs “Mundi Cantant” is open only to amateur choirs.
  2. Participation in different categories: Choirs can compete in 2023 in a maximum of 2 competition categories.
  3. Age limit: Organisers require a list of singers with their full name and date of birth submitted in advance from choirs competing in categories limited by age.
  4. Instrumental accompaniment: In all competition categories at least one full composition must be performed “a capella”. An acoustic or electric piano will be available to give a starting note or accompaniment. Other accompanying instruments must be provided by the choir.
  5. List of compositions for the competition: List of the competition pieces containing full names of composers, titles of pieces, cycles and durations must be submitted no later than the day of the application deadline (20th MARCH, 2023). Copies of music scores must be sent electronically via email. Compositions must be performed in the order stated on the list of competition pieces and in the festival brochure. Copies of the competition scores will not be returned and will remain in the festival archive.
  6. Competition programme: If a choir competes in more than one category, a different repertoire must be prepared for each category. Each composition can be performed only once, except for the Absolute Winner Competition of Mundi Cantant.
  7. Competition compositions: Transpositions or other unauthorised adjustments to the compositions must be indicated in the submitted score and organisers must be informed about it in advance.
  8. Performances will be carried out without microphones or other amplification devices.
  9. Acoustic rehearsal at the competition venue: The maximum time provided for an acoustic rehearsal of a choir at the competition venue is 10 minutes (including entering/leaving the stage). The rehearsal time is fixed and must be respected. If the time limit is exceeded, the rehearsal will be terminated by the organisers. If the given date or time of the rehearsal is not respected, no other rehearsal time will be arranged. Thus, the participant's right to an acoustic rehearsal in the sense of these rules expires.
  10. Competition venue: Each choir must register with an authorised stage manager of a competition venue immediately after entering the venue. The stage manager will assign each choir their dressing room and a warm-up room. The maximum time in the warm-up room is 10 minutes. The minimum time for occupancy of the dressing room is 20 minutes, the maximum will be limited by capacity and current utilization of the dressing rooms. All participants are obliged to respect the time schedules at the competition venue and follow instructions of the organisers.
  11. Competition jury: Performances are judged by an international jury headed by the chairman of the jury. The decision of the jury is final.

  12. Evaluation system: Each judge has a maximum of 30 points at their disposal that are awarded according to the evaluation criteria: intonation and rhythm, vocal technique, expression and style of interpretation, dramaturgy of the competition programme, artistic impression. The final score is calculated as an average of the number of points awarded by individual judges. Based on the final score, choirs and ensembles receive an award at a corresponding award level (golden, silver and bronze). More than one ensemble can be awarded on the same level.

    13. Honourable mention (1.00 – 2.99 points)

    Bronze medal (3.00 – 10.99 points)

    Silver medal (11.00 – 20.99 points)

    Gold medal (21.00 – 30.00 points)

  13. Special jury prizes: the jury may award a special prize for exceptional performances, e.g. for an outstanding performance of a composition, conducting performance, vocal culture, dramaturgy of the competition performance and other merits of the competition performance noted by the jury.
  14. Evaluation documentation: After the announcement of results, conductor or representative of choir will have the opportunity to meet the jury that will give them feedback on their performance. The evaluation sheets of judges with comments will be available in electronic form after the festival.
  1. Absolute winner competition of Mundi Cantant is the second round of "Mundi Cantant" competition.
  2. Absolute winner competition of "Mundi Cantan" is held without an age and category differentiation. Choirs qualify based on the final evaluation of "Mundi Cantant" competition.
  3. The usual number of finalists is 5. The qualified choirs must have obtained the highest number of points in all categories of children’s, youth, adult, chamber, and senior choirs, in golden award levels.
  4. The nomination of choirs will be announced at the “Mundi Cantant” competition awards ceremony (on Saturday 3rd June, 2023). Absolute winner competition will be held in the evening on the same day. Finalists must announce the program of their performances to the organisers immediately after the announcement of the nomination.
  5. Qualification: Each choir may only participate in the Absolute Winner competition once.
  6. Qualification: If any of the qualified choirs decides not to participate in the Absolute winner competition of "Mundi Cantant", its place will be taken by the choir with the next best result. The intention not to participate in the Absolute Winner competition (for any reason) is announced by the choir at the festival registration and the decision cannot then be changed for organisational reasons.
  7. Qualification: In case of equality of points between choirs, the finalist will be chosen by the jury vote, which will take place in public at the announcement of the results of "Mundi Cantant".
  8. Competition compositions: There are no repertoire restrictions in the Absolute winner competition. Compositions used in "Mundi Cantant" competition may be performed again.
  9. Time limit: The singing time for each choir is 10 minutes. This does not include time taken by entering/leaving the stage, time between pieces or time taken by applause.
  10. Competition jury: Performances are evaluated by the jury of the International Choir Competition Mundi Cantant, guest conductors and professionals. A list of jury members will be available at the festival website after the competition as well as in the results list of the competition.
  11. Competition jury: All conductors of the participating choirs of "Mundi Cantant" are invited into the jury of the Absolute winner competition of "Mundi Cantant" except for conductors of the performing choirs.
  12. Evaluation system: Each judge has 1 vote at their disposal, which they give to one of the performing choirs. The chairman of the jury has 2 votes at his disposal. The chairman of the jury may use the second vote only in case of a draw. The choir with the highest number of obtained votes becomes the Absolute winner of "Mundi Cantant" competition.
  13. Announcement of the results: The voting of judges is public.
  14. Title and prizes: The title "Absolute winner of Mundi Cantant Competition" belongs to the choir with the highest number of obtained jury votes. The rewards may be either financial or non-financial for both the winner and the finalists of the competition. In case rewards are announced, information about them will be posted on the website of the organiser of the festival. The website is available at: www.festivalogsongsolomouc.com
Absolute winner competition

Competition categories

A - open repertoire

A1 - Children's choirs up to 12 years

A2 - Children's choirs up to 16 years

A3 - Youth choirs up to 21 years

A4 - Youth choirs up to 26 years

A5 - Adult choirs – mixed voices (S, A, T, B)

A6 - Adult choirs – equal voices (S, S, A, A), (T, T, B, B)

A7 - Chamber choirs

A8 - Senior choirs (non-competitive category)

B - Sacred music (all age categories and chamber choirs)

The repertoire must contain only sacred music pieces and must contain at least one piece composed before 1750.

C - Folklore (all age categories and chamber choirs)

The repertoire must contain only traditional/ethnic songs or their arrangements. At least one song that is performed must come from the choir's home country.

D - Popular music (all age categories and chamber choirs)

The repertoire must contain only spiritual, gospel, pop, jazz, musical and film music pieces.

E - Contemporary music (all age categories and chamber choirs)

The repertoire must contain only pieces composed after 1945, at least one of them must be from period after 2000.

Children's choirs

  • All children's choir categories have a defined age limit. The age limit is set up to 12 years of age (category A1) and 16 years of age (category A2) on the day of the competition. The organisers allow an exception for 15 % of the choir members. This exceedance of the age limit must be reported to the organisers in advance.
  • The minimum number of singers is 14.
  • The time limit for children’s choirs is 10 minutes. The time limit excludes time taken by entering/leaving the stage, the time between pieces, or the time taken by applause. The total performance duration is set to 15 minutes. If the time limit is exceeded, the competition performance may be terminated by the jury.

Youth choirs

  • All youth choir categories have a defined age limit. The age limit is set up to 21 years of age (category A3) and 26 years of age (category A4) on the day of the competition. The organisers allow an exception for 15 % of the choir members. This exceedance of the age limit must be reported to the organisers in advance.
  • The minimum number of singers is 14.
  • The time limit for youth choirs is 15 minutes. The time limit excludes time taken by entering/leaving the stage, the time between pieces, or the time taken by applause. The total performance duration is set to 20 minutes. If the time limit is exceeded, the competition performance may be terminated by the jury.

Adult choirs

  • It is supposed the youngest singers are 18 years old at least. There is no other age limit.
  • The minimum number of singers is 14.
  • The time limit for adult choirs is 15 minutes. The time limit excludes time taken by entering/leaving the stage, the time between pieces, or the time taken by applause. The total performance duration is set to 20 minutes. If the time limit is exceeded, the competition performance may be terminated by the jury.

Chamber choirs

  • There is no age limit in chamber choir category.
  • The number of singers is established from 9 to 24.
  • The time limit for chamber choirs is 15 minutes. The time limit excludes time taken by entering/leaving the stage, the time between pieces, or the time taken by applause. The total performance duration is set to 20 minutes. If the time limit is exceeded, the competition performance may be terminated by the jury.

Senior choirs

  • It's a non-competitive performance with the possibility of being awarded special jury prizes.
  • The supposed average age of the choir members is 60.
  • The minimum number of singers is 14.
  • The time limit for senior choirs is 15 minutes. The time limit excludes time taken by entering/leaving the stage, the time between pieces, or the time taken by applause. The total performance duration is set to 20 minutes. If the time limit is exceeded, the competition performance may be terminated by the jury.

Vocalis Bellus

International competition of vocal ensembles

Competition rules

International competition of vocal ensembles Vocalis Bellus
  1. 1. International competition of vocal ensembles “Vocalis Bellus” is open only to amateur ensembles.
  2. It is expected that the vocal ensemble is not conducted by an artistic director or conductor during the competition performance as is the case with choirs.
  3. The ensemble is required to perform at least one piece a cappella. An acoustic or electric piano will be available to give a starting note or accompaniment. Other accompanying instruments must be provided by the ensemble.
  4. List of compositions for the competition: List of the competition pieces containing full names of composers, titles of pieces, cycles and durations must be submitted no later than the day of the application deadline (20th MARCH 2023). Copies of music scores must be sent electronically via email. Compositions must be performed in the order stated on the list of competition pieces and in the festival brochure. Copies of the competition scores will not be returned and will remain in the festival archive.
  5. Competition compositions: Transpositions or other unauthorised adjustments to the compositions must be indicated in the submitted score and the festival organisers must be informed about it in advance.
  6. Performances will be carried out without microphones or other amplification devices.
  7. Acoustic rehearsal at the competition venue: The maximum time provided for an acoustic rehearsal of a ensemble at the competition venue is 10 minutes (including entering/leaving the stage). The rehearsal time is fixed and must be respected. If the time limit is exceeded, the rehearsal will be terminated by the organisers. If the given date or time of the rehearsal is not respected, no other rehearsal time will be arranged. Thus, the participant's right to an acoustic rehearsal in the sense of these rules expires.
  8. Competition venue: Each ensemble must register with an authorised stage manager of a competition venue immediately after entering the venue. The stage manager will assign each ensemble their dressing room and a warm-up room. The maximum time in the warm-up room is 10 minutes. The minimum time for occupancy of the dressing room is 20 minutes, the maximum will be limited by capacity and current utilization of the dressing rooms. All participants are obliged to respect the time schedules at the competition venue and follow instructions of the organisers. Warm-up rooms and dressing rooms may in certain cases have a limited maximum capacity. The dressing rooms are not used for singing, but only for changing and storing things during the competition performance!
  9. Competition jury: Performances are judged by an international jury headed by the chairman of the jury. The decision of the jury is final.
  10. Evaluation system: Each judge has a maximum of 30 points at their disposal that are awarded according to the evaluation criteria: intonation and rhythm, vocal technique, expression and style of interpretation, dramaturgy of the competition programme, artistic impression. The final score is calculated as an average of the number of points awarded by individual judges. Based on the final score, choirs and ensembles receive an award at a corresponding award level (golden, silver and bronze). More than one ensemble can be awarded on the same level.

    11. Honourable mention (1.00 – 2.99 points)

    Bronze medal (3.00 – 10.99 points)

    Silver medal (11.00 – 20.99 points)

    Gold medal (21.00 – 30.00 points)

  11. Special jury prizes: the jury may award a special prize for exceptional performances, e.g. for an outstanding performance of a composition, conducting performance, vocal culture, dramaturgy of the competition performance and other merits of the competition performance noted by the jury.
  12. Evaluation documentation: After the announcement of results, artistic director or representative of ensemble will have the opportunity to meet the jury that will give them feedback on their performance. The evaluation sheets of judges with comments will be available in electronic form after the festival.
  13. The best vocal ensemble, i.e. the one that receives the most points in the competition, will have the opportunity to perform at the final concert as part of the Absolute Winner Competition of Mundi Cantant.

Competition categories

F - Category of vocal ensembles – open repertoire

Vocal ensembles

  • There is no age limit in vocal ensembles category.
  • The number of singers is established from 2 to 8 people.
  • The time limit for vocal ensembles is 10 minutes. The time limit excludes time taken by entering/leaving the stage, the time between pieces, or the time taken by applause. The total performance time should not exceed 15 minutes. If the time limit is exceeded, the competition performance may be terminated by the jury.

Conditions of participation

The festival programme is composed of the Mundi Cantant competition and festival concerts. This year the maximum number of competition categories is 2.

Registration fee

The registration fee for participation in the festival is set according to the table below.

RECOMMENDED FESTIVAL ACTIVITIES PRICE / participation in 1 category PRICE / participation in 2 categories PRICE for senior choirs (participation in non-competitive category A8)
3 DAYS
Thursday 1.st June 2023 – Saturday 3.rd June 2023		 workshop for the final concert with rock oratory (1 lesson at least), active participation in an accompanying concert, participation in the competition Mundi Cantant (if qualified, also in Absolute winner Competition), results announcement, meeting with jurors, participation in the final concert with rock oratory 450,- CZK / person 600,- CZK / person 150,- CZK / person
2 DAYS
Thursday 1st June 2023 – Friday 2nd June 2023		 active participation in an accompanying concert, participation in the competition Mundi Cantant (Children's choirs), results announcement, meeting with jurors 300,- CZK / person 400,- CZK / person  - 
2 DAYS
Friday 2nd June 2023 – Saturday 3rd June 2023		 workshop for the final concert with rock oratory (1 lesson at least), participation in the competition Mundi Cantant (if qualified, also in Absolute winner Competition), results announcement, meeting with jurors, participation in the final concert with rock oratory 300,- CZK / person 400,- CZK / person 100,- CZK / person
1 DAY
Friday 2nd June 2023
OR
Saturday 3rd June 2023		 participation in competition Mundi Cantant (if qualified, also in Absolute winner Competition), results announcement, meeting with jurors 200,- CZK / person 300,- CZK / person 50,- CZK / person

Registration fee includes:

  • Participation in the International competition of choirs Mundi Cantant
  • Rehearsals in rehearsal rooms
  • Participation at the results announcement ceremony
  • Copies of jurors' evaluation sheets and competition's results sheet
  • Competition diploma and medal
  • Participation of choir representatives at meeting with judges
  • Promotion package for choir members
  • Online presentation of ensemble
  • Participation at accompanying concerts in many places in Olomouc

Masterclasses

We offer the massterclass for choirs on Sunday 4th June 2023 during the Festival of Songs Olomouc 2023. The length of the course is 1h. The course will always be led by one of the judges of the competition, who evaluated the choir's competitive performance. The masterclass is not included in the registration fee. The price of masterclass is 6000,- CZK per choir.
Candidates can apply for it until 20th March 2023.

Necessary steps for a successful application of a choir:

Submitting an application form (electronic application form / PDF or printed form) by:

Application deadline – 20th MARCH, 2023.

Other required documents:

  1. A high quality, colour photo of the ensemble (width not less than 1000 pixels, 300 DPI)
  2. Choir's biography (max. 800 symbols)
  3. A list of competition compositions (including full names of composers, full titles of pieces / cycles of compositions, duration of each composition, and the order of performance).
  4. Copies of music scores of all competition compositions must be sent electronically by email.
  5. MP3 or URL link to a recording of at least one piece performed by the ensemble (no more than 3 years old).
  6. Confirmation of payment of the registration fee against advance invoice.

Payment details

Bank details:

OLArt21, z.s.

Bank name: Fio banka, a.s.

Account No: 2702110297/2010

IBAN CZ74 2010 0000 0027 0211 0297

SWIFT/BIC FIOBCZPPXXX

  • The registration fee must be paid by bank transfer after submitting the registration form against advance invoice.
  • All bank transfer fees are paid by the sender.
  • The registration fee is non-refundable in case of cancellation of participation.
  • Final total amount of registration fee will be determined after the choir's arrival according to the real number of participants. In the event of an advance overpayment, the overpayment will be refunded within 14 days at the latest. In case of advance arrears, the difference will be paid by the choir in cash upon registration.

Final provisions

  • By submitting the application, participants express their agreement with making the video and audio recordings.
  • By submitting the application, participants express their permission that the video and audio recordings will be used by the organizers of the festival for documentary and promotional purposes, publication of materials in the media and on the web.
  • The festival programme may be changed.
  • By submitting the application, participants agree with the terms of the competition and the above- mentioned conditions of participation in the festival.
  • The personal data provided is used exclusively to check compliance with the competition rules (categories limited by age) and will not be provided to a third party. This data will be deleted after the end of the festival.

Conditions of participation

The festival programme is composed of the Mundi Cantant competition and festival concerts. This year the maximum number of competition categories is 2.

Registration fee

The registration fee for participation in the festival is set according to the table below.

RECOMMENDED FESTIVAL ACTIVITIES PRICE / participation
1 DAY
Friday 2nd June 2023
( + Saturday 3rd June 2023		 participation in the COMPETITION, results announcement, meeting with jurors, (for winners: also the opportunity to perform at the Saturday's final concert as part of the Absolute winner Competition) 1600,- CZK / ensemble

Registration fee includes:

  • Participation in the International Competition of Vocal Ensembles Vocalis Bellus
  • Rehearsals in rehearsal rooms
  • Participation at the results announcement ceremony
  • Copies of jurors' evaluation sheets and competition's results sheet
  • Competition diploma and medal
  • Participation of artistic director or representative of ensemble at meeting with judges
  • Promotion package for choir members
  • Online presentation of ensemble
  • Participation at accompanying concerts in many places in Olomouc

Necessary steps for a successful application of an ensemble:

Submitting an application form (electronic application form / PDF or printed form) by:

Application deadline – 20th MARCH, 2023.

Other required documents:

  1. A high quality, colour photo of the ensemble (width not less than 1000 pixels, 300 DPI)
  2. Ensemble's biography (max. 800 symbols)
  3. A list of competition compositions (including full names of composers, full titles of pieces / cycles of compositions, duration of each composition, and the order of performance).
  4. Copies of music scores of all competition compositions must be sent electronically by email.
  5. MP3 or URL link to a recording of at least one piece performed by the ensemble (no more than 3 years old).
  6. Confirmation of payment of the registration fee against advance invoice.

Payment details

Bank details:

OLArt21, z.s.

Bank name: Fio banka, a.s.

Account No: 2702110297/2010

IBAN CZ74 2010 0000 0027 0211 0297

SWIFT/BIC FIOBCZPPXXX

  • The registration fee must be paid by bank transfer after submitting the registration form against advance invoice.
  • All bank transfer fees are paid by the sender.
  • The registration fee is non-refundable in case of cancellation of participation.
  • Final total amount of registration fee will be determined after the choir's arrival according to the real number of participants. In the event of an advance overpayment, the overpayment will be refunded within 14 days at the latest. In case of advance arrears, the difference will be paid by the choir in cash upon registration.

Final provisions

  • By submitting the application, participants express their agreement with making the video and audio recordings.
  • By submitting the application, participants express their permission that the video and audio recordings will be used by the organizers of the festival for documentary and promotional purposes, publication of materials in the media and on the web.
  • The festival programme may be changed.
  • By submitting the application, participants agree with the terms of the competition and the above- mentioned conditions of participation in the festival.
  • The personal data provided is used exclusively to check compliance with the competition rules (categories limited by age) and will not be provided to a third party. This data will be deleted after the end of the festival.

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