Call for applications: 2024 Cornwall International Male Choral Festival

Choirs and ensembles of all sizes, ages and traditions are invited with their supporters to join in this exciting festival. The festival will feature male choir concerts and other singing opportunities including workshops, competitions, socialising and sightseeing. The male choir tradition in Cornwall has long been a significant part of its cultural life.

This festival will be centred on the cathedral city of Truro. However, all choirs involved in the festival will have the opportunity to perform in other venues and tourist attractions in towns and villages across Cornwall.

The event aims to bring male choirs from the UK and around the world together to join with Cornish choirs in a spirit of musical friendship and song. In previous festivals, choirs have come from Australia, Canada, South Africa, France, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Holland, Germany, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Switzerland, Finland, Faroe Islands, Jersey, Poland, Russia, Sweden, US as well as from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Accommodation

• All choirs participating in the festival are expected to pay their own travel and accommodation costs. The festival may assist some choirs from overseas in very exceptional circumstances.
• Cornwall International Male Choral Festival Ltd accepts no responsibility for any expense incurred by any choir or individual chorister participating in the Festival.

Broadcasting and recording rights

It is a condition of participation that choirs agree that:

• Any performance it gives during the International Male Choral Festival may be broadcast live and/or recorded for subsequent broadcast on radio and / or television without payment to the choir. All broadcasting rights to any performance at the Festival shall belong to the Festival which will be free to dispose of them as it sees fit.
• Any performance it gives during the International Male Choral Festival may, without payment, be recorded by contractors of the Festival and the Festival shall be entitled to possession of any such recording and shall further be entitled to reproduce any such recording and to sell, let for hire, offer for sale or hire, distribute or otherwise dispose of any recording or reproduction of recording of any such performance in any manner that it sees fit.
• For copyright reasons, no sound, video or other recording of performances is made at any event other than those authorised in writing by the festival director.

General

• It is contrary to law to perform music which has been reproduced illegally. Should a choir do so, the festival accepts no responsibility for any action taken by publishers.
• The festival accepts no legal responsibility whatsoever in respect of a choir’s participation in the festival and fringe activities.

How to apply

The closing date for receipt of entry forms and registration fees is 30 June 2023. However, such is the popularity of the festival and competition that choirs are advised to apply as early as possible.

The application form must be completed and submitted together with:

• The festival registration fee of £160 (about $180) and £80 for Cornish choirs.
• A link to a recent (less than two years old) short recording of the choir as a sound or video file unless your choir has participated in the 2019 or 2022 Festival. In this case, a recording is not necessary.
• A biography (200 words maximum) included in the application form response.
• A photograph of the choir will be requested at a later stage, closer to the festival. Details of this will come from the festival office.
• All submitted to the festival office using the online form by the closing date.
• The festival reserves the right to refuse entries and to close registration early, if the festival has reached a maximum level of entries possible.
• Participation in the International Male Choral Festival implies acceptance of all the relevant rules and regulations.

Festival entry and registration fee

• An inclusive registration and entry fee of £160 exists for participation in any aspect of the festival.
• Registration and entry fees cover any concert, the International Competitions, preferential rates at festival-organised accommodation and all associated events. All choirs are encouraged to register for the festival as soon as possible as entries will be considered on a first come, first served basis.

Festival selection

• Only applicants enclosing all the application requirements will be considered. Choirs are largely selected on the basis of their application material. The Festival Director will be happy to answer any queries choirs may have regarding any aspect of Festival participation. Priority will be given to UK choirs (outside Cornwall) that have not participated in a recent festival.

Participation and application procedure

• Choirs are required to fill in the application form here and other details as set out in this document.
• Online submission of entries is required using the form link in an invitation email sent to you or on the festival website. Bank transfer in GBP sterling of the relevant registration fee is to be made as indicated in the entry form and the applying choir must pay the bank charges. Anyone having difficulty in submission of their entry online must immediately seek advice by emailing the festival director at [email protected].
• All applicants will be notified if their entry has been accepted as soon as possible.

Prizes

In each adult category, prizes will be awarded as follows:

• 1st prize £1 000.
• 2nd prize £400.
• 3rd Prize £200.
• Best Single piece of Music £100.

In addition, trophies will be presented for:

• Best Overall Choir.
• Best Overall Conductor.
• Best UK and Cornish choirs in each category.
• Best UK and Cornish Choirs Overall.
• There will also be a Trophy and award for the Best Youth/Boys Choir and an additional trophy and award for the most entertaining performance.

View the original call here.