- With that in mind, I thought it was be a good idea to give you all a 'How to Guide' when it comes to entering the Guernsey Music Eisteddfod
So first off, how does the Guernsey Eisteddfod work? - The Guernsey Music Eisteddfod is a ten-day long festival of music. There is a variety of 'classes', which are divided up by age (Under 8, Under 10, Under 12, Under 15, Under 18, Over 18 and Open Classes), by style (Classical, Jazz, Pop, Musical Theatre etc.), and also divided up by instrumentation and combination (piano / voice / violin etc, and solos / duos / ensembles etc). There are literally hundreds classes available, so it's pretty easy to find something to suit you, even if you are new to it. Anyone is eligible to enter, in whatever class they want as long as they fit the criteria. By that I mean, if you're over the age of 18 and what to sing an operatic solo, you go in the 'Opera Over 18's' class. The age brackets for the Under 18 categories can be a little confusing for some, so I'll lay it out - It is the age the competitor is on the 31st August. So if your son turned 10 on the 6th september, he can still enter the U10 class. Some people find it easier to think of their current school year:
- Under 8 = Year 3 and below
- Under 10 = Year 5 and below
- Under 12 = Year 7 and below
- Under 14 = Year 9 and below
- Under 15 = Year 10 and below
- Under 16 = Year 11 and below
- Under 18 = Year 13 and below
Another point that I cannot stress enough: READ THE RULES AND REGULATIONS! - The committee who organise and operate the Eisteddfod are all doing it unpaid and in their own free time, they don't have time or resources to sort through errors, or chase people up. But from your point of view, it would really suck to spend months working hard on a rendition of 'Bring Him Home', only to be disqualified by the adjudicator because you sung it in the 'Tenor Solo' class - the 'Tenor Solo' is for classical songs, and whilst, yes, technically it is a 'tenor's' song, it is a musical theatre song, it belongs in the 'Songs from the Shows' class. Make sure you double check that the songs/pieces you want to do are in the appropriate class - if you're not sure, ASK SOMEONE! Incidentally, with the classical voice classification classes, make sure you know what voice you are! If you're unsure you can actually check one of my recent personal blog posts about vocal coaching here: http://lydian-modes.blogspot.com/2015/10/vocal-coaching.html
- It will also cost you money to enter the eisteddfod (per class) - it's around about £6 for a solo adult class, and the entry cost vary with age and number of competitors, so do check. You can find any other information you need by going to the website: http://www.guernseyeisteddfod.com
Now that you know how the Eisteddfod works, here is a list of important questions to ask yourself before you enter:
1) Is your piece/song appropriate? - As well as genre appropriateness for the right class, you need to consider age appropriateness. If you're U18 and wanting to perform in the U18 classes, that's fine, however, you (and/or you teachers/parents) may want to consider what your choice of pieces are, and whether they are appropriate. It seems a little pedantic, but don't want to watch a 10 year old girl sing 'All about that Bass' for the U15 pop class, nor do I want to be the teacher teaching her to do it! For some of the more light entertainment classes (Pop, Jazz, Musical Theatre), sometimes bad language or innuendo inevitably make their way into the material - that's fine, but know your audience, and know your age bracket. I like to think of the Eisteddfod with the minds eye of film classification and watershed. If it's an U12 then you need to think universal in content. If it's U18 you can probably get away with one or two mild swearwords and a bit of innuendo, and in Over 18 classes you can probably get away with most things. However, bearing in mind that most of the audience are likely to be families, and most of the classes happen before 9pm, it's worth considering whether many children will be likely to watch the class (especially if it's a popular class like 'Songs from the Shows')
2) Have you picked the right piece? - Don't pick ridiculously challenging music for yourself unless you're a) at the skill level to do it, or b) have the time practice! Also consider your style - are you going to struggle with a classical song? Would pop be a better genre for you? Is Jazz piano not your thing but Film Music is? Also, don't assume that technical wizardry is better. A really difficult piece played not so perfectly is not necessarily better than a simply piece that is played flawlessly - On the entry form it even asks for 'Grade', where you can state an approximation of the skill level of your piece (or yourself). This is usually taken into consideration, and I find most adjudicators will mark with a certain amount of Skill Level vs Execution
3) Who/What will accompany you? - I speak from years of experience of having people contact me the week before the Eisteddfod starts to ask me to accompany either them or a student/child, and inevitably I have to turn them down. Start thinking NOW as you're considering your entries, 'who can play this for me?' There are so many great accompanist out there (and not just on piano, guitar as well), but ask them sooner rather than later and avoid disappointment - if you're not sure who to ask to accompany you, ask the Eisteddfod committee to give you a few names of people to approach. Some classes allow backing tracks - if you want to use one, make sure to check the rules and regulations as to whether they are allowed in your class, make sure it's appropriate for you to perform to (it's not allow any vocals on it), and make sure you check that it works, and hand it in with your entry (along with the sheet music!!)
4) Do you (really) have the time to rehearse it properly? - This ties in a little with skill level, but also fits in with how many classes you want to do. I'm an Eisteddfod veteran, I compete in multiple classes (usually around 10, sometimes as many as 20+), but I have the time to do it! Not everyone does. Seriously consider how much time you can dedicate to practicing and performing on the day. And if you're planning to enter a duet/trio/quartet or group number, discuss it with your fellow performers and make sure you can all commit equally!
At the end of the day the Guernsey Music Eisteddfod is about taking part and having fun, but you want to be in the best possible position to do your best and not be disappointed because you didn't read the rules or consider your commitment capability enough.
- And if all else fails and it gets to the day of your performance and you really can't do it, just contact someone at the Eisteddfod and pull your entry - don't just not turn up, because that's really rude, and a hassle that nobody should need to bother with.
I hope this has all be useful to everyone! Remember, entries (that's your filled in entry form, entry fee, sheet music and (if required) backing track) need to be in on November the 7th 2015 and can be handed in at The Guernsey Grammar School - also remember, if in doubt, ASK!
