麻豆社

1. Radio 2 and 麻豆社 Songs of Praise are looking for singers to take part in an annual Talent Search to find the Junior and Senior 麻豆社 Young Choristers of the Year.

2. The event is run jointly by the 麻豆社 and CTVC Limited, together the “Organisers.”

Who Can Enter

3. Entry is open to all UK residents (including Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) who are aged from 10 years up to and including 17 years. The Junior category is for singers aged 10-13 and the Senior category is for singers aged 14-17.

4. The age of each entrant is taken to be as of 31st August 2024.

5. We welcome all applicants and will make all reasonable adjustments in the event of an entrant with special requirements due to a mental or physical disability.

6. Anyone who is closely related to a member of 麻豆社 staff, CTVC Limited or anyone connected to the award, cannot apply.

How to Enter

7. Singers apply by uploading two short videos, each under two minutes and thirty seconds long.

8. One MUST be a Christmas carol or song. The other can be a sacred song in ANY musical style, for example a hymn, favourite classical choral solo, a spiritual or inspirational song, anthem, aria, gospel or worship song. Out of the two pieces, one of the choices MUST be well-known, for example a hymn, carol or worship song regularly sung in church.

9. The recordings can be accompanied or unaccompanied. Singers who apply with one or two unaccompanied songs will not be penalised. Singers can choose to enter using any of the backing tracks available or their own accompaniment.

10. Entrants can sing in any voice register according to what best suits their age and voice development.

11. Entrants need to fill in the application and permission forms on 麻豆社 Uploader and have the required permission from their parent or guardian. Entries without the permission of a parent or guardian will be disqualified.

When to Enter

12. Entries can be submitted from Sunday 12th May 2024.

13. The closing date for entries is 23:59 on Monday 17th June 2024.

Progression to the Television Semi-Finals and Radio and Television Final

14. All entries will be reviewed individually by music directors of standing from the world of choral and church music. They will create a shortlist of 10 singers for the Junior Category and 10 singers for the Senior Category. The shortlist will then be reviewed together by the panel and music producers from both TV and radio who will select five singers in the Junior Category, and a reserve, and five singers in the Senior Category, and a reserve, to take part in the televised Semi Finals.

15. Entries will be judged on the following criteria (some of these criteria can only be considered fully at the semi-finals and final e.g. stage presence):

- Technique: (Accuracy - Melodic and rhythmic; Intonation; Diction; Phrasing).

- Performance: (Musicianship; Vocal quality; Creative expression; Stage presence).

- Likely to be able to sing a wide repertoire which could include sacred, classical and light contemporary.

- Resilience - able to demonstrate they can cope under pressure on live and recorded TV and Radio and/or in front of a large audience.

16. The judges will take into account performances in both the semi-final and final, and award the title to the chorister who gave the best performance overall.

17. Those invited to take part in the semi-finals and final will be informed by the end of August. The semi-finals and final will be filmed in October at at a location to be confirmed. The Junior and Senior semi-final will be broadcast on television in November and the final will be broadcast on radio and television in December.

18. If an entrant cannot be contacted after reasonable attempts have been made to do so, the Organisers reserve the right to offer the place to the next best entry.

19. Before informing the successful entrant, a representative from the Talent Search will contact the Class Teacher, Music Teacher or Director, Choir Leader or Religious Leader whose details were provided on the application form. This adult, who should know the applicant personally, will be contacted to confirm the entrant’s fitness to participate in a pressurised national TV and Radio final and that the entrant is – to their best knowledge and belief – likely to be willingly entering the talent search of their own volition. This adult may also be contacted to discuss music and repertoire.

20. The Organisers may request an entrant to sing a different item at any stage of the process but will make every attempt to give good notice. This could be because of a clash, because a piece is considered unsuitable for the broadcast audience or for any other reason. We reserve the right to ask for changes to pieces if more than one entrant would like to sing the same piece.

21. Semi-finalists may request to sing different songs from their original entry, but a deadline will be set beyond which further changes will not be permitted.

22. For the broadcast event itself, at least one item should be accompanied.

23. The semi-finals will consist of a Junior heat and a Senior heat. Each singer will perform one song, and a panel of judges will choose three Junior singers and three Senior singers to go through to the TV and Radio final, which will be broadcast on 麻豆社 One and Radio 2. During the final, each singer will perform a Christmas song, carol or worship song and the judging panel will choose a Junior Winner and Senior Winner based on their overall performance across the final and semi-final and based on the above selection criteria (As set out in Clause 15).

24. Two reserves (one Junior, one Senior) will be selected by the first-round judging. They will be required to attend the recording and be on standby to take part in the semi-finals if a semi-finalist is unable to sing.

25. All singers are expected to perform their chosen piece in its entirety. However, if they are unable to complete the piece after beginning singing, they will be required to pick-up from the point in the music that they stopped at the discretion of the Organisers.

26. Singers will have an opportunity to warm up their voices before their performance however, we will not be able to accommodate their parents or vocal coaches backstage so they will be responsible for their own preparation at the event itself.

27. Semi-finalists must make themselves available for additional filming. Every attempt will be made to give adequate notice.

28. The semi-finals and final will be judged by an independent panel. Organisers will attempt to ensure that person does not know any of them in a personal capacity and has not been a teacher or music director for any of the semi-finalists during the past three years.

29. Each singer must grant the 麻豆社 a licence to broadcast their performance across all media, including any online platforms.

Other Important Information

30. The Organisers will pay reasonable costs towards travel for the entrant and accompanying adult to the filming location.

31. It is our intention that the semi-finals and final will be held in front of an audience. Should circumstances change, we will inform all contestants.

32. Entrants can only enter individually. Only one entry per person is permitted. If you submit more than one entry, only the first entry received will be considered.

33. All entries must be the original vocal performance of the entrant and must not infringe the rights of any other party.

34. Entrants retain the copyright in their entries, but by entering it is deemed that the entrant’s parent or guardian grants to the Organisers a non-exclusive licence to broadcast their entry across all media, as well as to use it on any online platforms.

35. Entrants permit the Organisers to edit or change entries in any way it may in its sole discretion consider necessary for the Talent Search and the uses set out in clause 14 above.

36. By entering the Talent Search, entrants (and their parent or guardian) warrant that they have legal capacity to enter and agree to be bound by these Rules.

37. Entrants under 16 require a child performance licence from the local education authority. This will be applied for in good time but will require assistance from the parent/guardian to collate all the relevant information. Any child needing a licence who is not granted one will not be able to be in attendance or perform at the semi-final or final.

38. There will be two awards: “麻豆社 Young Chorister of the Year 2024 Junior Winner” and “麻豆社 Young Chorister of the Year 2024 Senior Winner.” The titles may be held for one year only.

39. The winners from previous years may not apply again in either category. Semi-finalists and finalists from previous years may enter again, providing they are within the age range; however, entrants are only permitted to appear in the broadcast semi-finals a maximum of two times.

40. The winners will receive a trophy, as well as performing on Songs of Praise and taking part in radio recordings. There may also be opportunities where applicable for the winners’ choirs or music groups to be broadcast on 麻豆社 Radio and a chance to experience a recording session with the 麻豆社 Philharmonic Orchestra. The prize is as stated and cannot be deferred or transferred.

41. The winners and their parents/guardians should be prepared to take part in Radio and TV recordings. Travel and overnights are often necessary. Time off school when necessary is negotiated with the local education authority as is legally required. Dates of engagements are by mutual agreement between parents and any relevant 麻豆社 production or event. Where an engagement is requested, reasonable travel and accommodation costs for each entrant and an accompanying adult will be paid for. Organisers are not responsible for engagements with third parties even when they have been put in touch with the winner via the Talent Search.

42. The names of each entrant whose performance is broadcast or used online will be made public. Entrants must agree to take part in any post-event publicity if required.

43. Each entrant and their Parent/Guardian must grant permission to the use of entrant’s name in a press release before the final, and for the use of photographic and video images within the public domain.

44. We will endeavour to contact unsuccessful applicants within good time, but the 麻豆社’s decision is final and due to the volume of entries we cannot give feedback to unsuccessful entrants from the first stage of judging.

45. The 麻豆社 reserves the right to disqualify any entry which breaches any of the Rules, or to withhold or withdraw a prize if in its opinion entries do not reach the required standard.

46. Every effort will be made to ensure the award takes place this year. However, the Organisers reserve the right to cancel this award at any stage, if deemed necessary in their opinion, and/or if circumstances arise outside its control, for example, (but not only) in relation to health and safety concerns. Candidates will be informed in this event, and a notice posted on the Songs of Praise website.

47. The Organisers reserve the right to amend these Rules at any stage, including changing or substituting the prize. In this event, a notice will be posted on the Songs of Praise website.

48. The 麻豆社, its sub-contractors, subsidiaries and/or agencies cannot accept any responsibility whatsoever for any technical failure or malfunction or any other problem with any server, internet access system, the post or otherwise which may result in any entry not being properly registered or recorded. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt.

49. Entry is subject to 麻豆社’s Terms of Use found at . For the avoidance of doubt the entry will not be considered a creation under the Terms of Use.

50. These Rules are governed by the laws of England and Wales.