Rules 2021

1. The Associazione Emiliano Romagnola Cori (A.E.R.CO.), together with the Fondazione C.G. Andreoli of the ‘Unione dei Comuni dell’Area Nord di Modena’ and with the patronage of FENIARCO announces the Fourth International Composition Competition for Children’s and Youth Choirs CORINFESTA with the aim of creating new material to be widely disseminated.

2. Participation is open to composers of any nationality.

3. The competition is divided into two sections:

Section A: Towards Polyphony

a. two voices (SS or SA), no divisi;

b. a cappella or with piano accompaniment and possible small and/or body percussion;

c. of a maximum duration of 3 minutes;

d. the text chosen may be sacred or secular, in Italian (also dialectal) or English or Latin, enclosing the Italian translation; if secular, it must be suitable for the age of the singers to whom this Section refers. It will also be possible to choose one of the texts suggested in the paragraph ‘good texts for good music‘ (*).

e. the difficulty and general approach of the piece must take into account the pedagogical context of a children’s choir;

f. it is desirable to use tools for the inclusion of diversities and disabilities (Sign Languages, soundtracks, …). It will be the composer’s responsibility to illustrate the choices made by means of a dotted or synthetic-discursive legend.

Section B: Many voices, a school of life

a. three voices (SSA or SAT or SABr), no divisi;

b. a cappella or with piano accompaniment and possible small and/or body percussion;

c. of a maximum duration of 5 minutes;

d. the text chosen may be sacred or secular, in Italian (also dialectal) or English or Latin, enclosing the Italian translation; if secular, it must be suitable for the age of the singers to whom this Section refers. It will also be possible to choose one of the texts suggested in the paragraph ‘good texts for good music‘ (*).

e. it is desirable to use tools for the inclusion of diversity and disabilities (Sign Languages, soundtracks, …). It will be the composer’s responsibility to illustrate the choices made with a dotted or synthetic-discursive legend.

4. Each candidate may submit a maximum of two entries (one for each section or two for a single section). Submissions shall be made exclusively via the appropriate online form by and no later than midnight on 31/07/2021.

5. The participation fee is 30 euros per entry.

6. Each work must be sent in PDF format. The composer’s name must not appear on the score. The AERCO office shall receive the scores and send them to the members of the jury. The identity of the composers will not be disclosed by the AERCO office until after the evaluation phase has been completed. The online form shall also contain the following information: a. personal details (name, surname, address, telephone number, e-mail address); b. curriculum vitae; c. a declaration that the pieces submitted have never been published and/or awarded; d. source of the literary text, if any; e. permission to use and publish any protected literary texts from the author or publisher or rights holder; f. performance notes, if any; g. mp3 file obtained from the MIDI of the score.

7. The jury shall consist of five members who are composers and choir directors. The judgement will be final and unappealable.

8. The evaluation criteria will be: a. quality of the textual treatment; b. overall artistic impression; c. performability: compositional attention to vocal and perceptual requirements.

9. The following prizes will be awarded:

First Prize Winners (one per Section)

– cash prize of € 1,500 (one thousand five hundred euros);

– public and multimedia performance, within one year from the announcement of the winners, by the ‘Romanian Radio Children’s Choir’ (Dir. Răzva Rădos) for Section A and by the ‘Coro Gioventù in Cantata‘ of Marostica (Dir. Cinzia Zanon) for Section B;

– Multimedia recording (DVD, CD or MP3) published by the ‘Coro Aurora‘ (Dir. Luca Buzzavi) of the Fondazione C. e G. Andreoli di Mirandola (MO)

– the winners will be ‘composer in residence’ for AERCO throughout 2022.

– publication, with the permission of the authors, by AERCO;

– diploma.

Runners-up (one per Section)

– cash prize of 600 euros (six hundred euros);

– publication, with the permission of the authors, by AERCO;

– diploma.

Third classified (one for each Section)

– publication, with the permission of the authors, by AERCO;

– diploma.

First, second, third place, possible mentions

– The winning pieces (first, second, third and any special mention), if authorised by the composers, will be published on the Corinfesta website and will become the repertoire from which to draw for the special category of the Concorso Corale Nazionale Città di Riccione.

For all submitted scores

– All the pieces entered in the competition, if authorised by the composers, will be published on the Corinfesta website for choirs to use as new repertoire.

10. The jury reserves the right to indicate other compositions in addition to the winners, as well as the two (one for each Section) with the best treatment of inclusion strategies and the two (*) (one for each Section) with the best use of suggested texts. The composers of the shortlisted pieces will receive a certificate of mention.

11. Participation in the competition implies full acceptance of these rules.

(*) Special Mention: Good Lyrics For Good Music