Moore Stephens International Choir Festival of Jersey

6th - 9th October 2011

A Biennial Festival

Festival Programme

Choirs should aim to arrive in Jersey during the Thursday of the Festival and usually depart on the following Sunday. If choirs wish to arrive earlier or delay their departure we can easily organise the same together with arranging further concerts or other particular requirements. Each choir will be given a ‘guide’ who will be with them at every organised part of the Festival in order to ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible.

1 THE THURSDAY OF THE FESTIVAL

Whether choirs arrive by plane or by sea, they will be met on arrival by a Festival helper/guide who will escort them to their coach. Depending on the time of arrival and after having settled into their hotels, choirs may have some free time to explore St. Helier. If the choir needs to rehearse, this will have been organised.
18.00 Hours. Dinner will be served at the hotels. Late dinners will be organised for any late arrivals.
20.00 – 22.00 Hours. An opening reception will be held at the St. James Centre in St. Helier. Guides will walk the choirs the short distance to St. James having met them in their hotel foyers at 19.50. After a few (very few) words of welcome over a drink or two, each choir will be introduced and will sing one song of its own choice by way of its own introduction. Choirs need not dress in official choir uniforms as the evening is very informal and a grand piano is available. Many of the Festival helpers will be present to help you with any questions and any further information (in writing) may be given out. If we find we have a lot of choirs arriving after 18.00. we sometimes delay the start of the reception til 20.30. Guides will walk you back to your hotel if it is necessary at the end of the evening.

2 THE FRIDAY OF THE FESTIVAL

AM. Your morning programme can vary according to your wishes:-
(i) Concerts in Schools. We like to send our choirs out into our community and choirs performing a short (30/40 minute) concert of its own choice in a school has proved very popular both with the schools and with the choirs. Times will be arranged, transport will be provided and a guide will ensure that everything runs smoothly.
(ii) Free Time. You may decide that you want to have free time or time for your own rehearsal or take the day off to explore the Island. We will organise whatever you may wish.

PM. This is free time for you to do whatever you wish – we will help you to organise your rehearsals, tours, trips – whatever.
NB If there are a lot of competing choirs a voice competition may have to be held on Friday afternoon and this might influence the rest of the days activities. Should this need arise we would advise you of the same as soon as possible and discuss the same with you in preparing your itinerary. During Friday Choir Directors and accompanists/stage managers may care to visit Victoria College Great Hall and the Gloucester Hall at Fort Regent to view the stages upon which their choirs will compete. This will be organised by them directly with their choir’s guide.
17:30 Hours. Dinner will be served in your hotel.
19.00 Hours. On Friday evening we hold a series of concerts throughout the Island and we call these concerts the ‘Parish Concerts’. Coaches will take you to a concert venue where you will perform a 30 minute programme of your own choice. A piano and staging will be in place to ensure that you can give of your best. You will share the concert with two other choirs and these concerts usually take place in some of our bigger Parish Churches. The concerts usually attract a large audience. We ask each choir to introduce each song to the audience and to make sure that the audience understands what each song is about – audiences appreciate your information. The concerts will last for just over one and a half hours and coaches will return you to your hotel. A guide will be with you to look after you throughout the evening.

3 THE SATURDAY OF THE FESTIVAL

AM & PM. During this day the voice classes (to be announced) will take place in the Great Hall at Victoria College from approx. 9.30am. Please see the Competition Rules for musical details. The order of competition will have been drawn by the Musical Director and communicated to the Choir Directors before you arrive in jersey. Choirs will be brought by coach to Victoria College to rehearse, at least one hour and a quarter before each competition will start. Each choir will have its own rehearsal room with a piano (if requested) and water and cups. Guides will look after each choir at all times. The competitions usually go on until approx 17.00. with verbal adjudication taking place at the end of each competition. Written adjudication will follow in the post in due course. There is a Café open all day with free coffee, tea and soft drinks available and sandwiches to purchase at cost price. Once each competition is over choirs are free for the rest of the day. A coach will be available to take them back to their hotel or they can stay and listen to the remaining competitions. Non – competing choirs can attend the competitions or have free time. Winners and runners-up will be competing in the evenings ‘Choir of Choirs Competition’ at Fort Regent. Winners will receive £300.00. runners-up, £150.00. Winners and runners-up will receive their certificates immediately upon adjudication with the cash prizes and the certificates of participation being given out in the evening at the end of the Choir of Choirs Competition.
19.30 Hours. The Choir of Choirs Competition takes place in the Gloucester Hall at Fort Regent. Please see the Competition Rules for musical details. Each competing choir will be collected from its hotel by Coach at 18.15. The guides will bring the choirs to their rehearsal rooms (keyboard available on request) and stay with them and then bring them into the Gloucester Hall for the start of the competition. The order of singing will be decided by draw after the final voice competition in the afternoon and choirs will not know the order until they arrive at Fort Regent. If a choir wishes to ‘mentally’ prepare itself before competing it must arrange it with its guide who will take it out of the Hall and bring it back in again to compete. Choirs are competing for a £1,000.00. cash prize, a 'best individual performance of a piece' trophy and an audience choice trophy. Non competing choirs will have been collected from their hotels by coach at approx 18.50. and brought to their seats in the Gloucester Hall by their guides. Please note that choirs will not have an evening meal at hotels on Saturday evening as they will all have supper together after the competition.
21.30 Hours. The final competition and prize giving over, we move into the ‘Queens Hall’ in Fort Regent for the final party which includes a full meal for everyone, dancing to a brass band and a final sing of your favourite ‘party’ pieces – the songs you love to show off with! Coaches will depart at approx 23.30.

4 THE SUNDAY OF THE FESTIVAL

A leisurely breakfast and then departure. If you are staying on or have time and wish to take part in a church service we will be happy to organise this for you. There may be time to enjoy a final scenic tour of the Island and hopefully you will decide that you must return.