Festival Regulations and Operations
Festival Regulations and Operations
The 2020 Festival of Bands has been cancelled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you for supporting our Festival and we hope to see you next year!!
Registration is open!
The Early Bird Deadline is December 20, 2019
To register, please complete the online form.
Refund Policy: No refunds will be issued for bands withdrawing from the Festival.
Registration is open!
The Early Bird Deadline is December 20, 2019
To register, please complete the online form.
Refund Policy: No refunds will be issued for bands withdrawing from the Festival.
General Regulations
- Participation in the Festival by Alberta bands requires the band director or ensemble to be a member of the Alberta Band Association. In the case of out-of-province ensembles, the band director or ensemble must be a current member of their respective provincial organization. No exceptions will be granted.
- Exceptions and clarifications to class level should be addressed to:
- Joyce Howdle, Festival Coordinator
Alberta Band Association
joyce@albertabandassociation.com
- Joyce Howdle, Festival Coordinator
- Each band program may enter more than one band, provided that the membership of each is different.
- Directors are not permitted to approach the adjudication table for the duration of the Festival.
- Bands are required to participate in all three facets of the festival, which include:
- the on-stage performance (60%)
- the performance clinic (20%)
- the sight-reading or fundamentals clinic (20%)
- Directors must accompany their band(s) to all three sessions. All bands must participate in all Festival adjudications. Failure to do so will result in “Comments only.”
- A Senior Community Band will be defined as a band with an aggregate playing experience of 3 years or more.
- The quality and contrasts of the music chosen will be taken into consideration in determining the final marks.
- The band director (or rep.) must register with a designated member of the technical crew upon arrival.
- A warm-up room will be made available one half-hour prior to performance time.
- The Festival will provide timpani (4), bass drum, orchestra bells, xylophone, vibraphone, chimes, gong, acoustic piano, bass amp, chairs, stands and podium.
- Each band is to provide its own snare drum, cymbals, beaters, mallets and sticks, and auxiliary percussion.
- Bands interfering with a performance by practicing, noise-making, etc., are subject to disqualification.
- Festival coordinators are not responsible for accommodation. An accommodation list is available from Tourism Red Deer or the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce.
Director's Package
The Director's Package includes information regarding:
The Level 1 Chorale Full Score can be downloaded by clicking here.
The Level 1 Chorale Parts can be downloaded by clicking here.
- Directions to Red Deer College
- Suggestions for organizing your time at the Festival
- Photographs
- Clinics
- Forms to be returned for set-up and performance order
- Residence at RDC
- Parking Maps
The Level 1 Chorale Full Score can be downloaded by clicking here.
The Level 1 Chorale Parts can be downloaded by clicking here.
Festival Literature
All bands will prepare THREE selections at their playing level, (i.e. 1 – 6), in one of five categories:
- ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (school Grade 1 – 6)
- JUNIOR SCHOOL (school Grade 7 – 9)
- SENIOR SCHOOL (school Grade 10 – 12)
- JUNIOR COMMUNITY (less than 3 years playing experience)
- SENIOR COMMUNITY (3 years playing experience or higher)
Performance Regulations
- Each band is encouraged to play an unadjudicated warm-up.
- Total stage time for a Week 1 band must not exceed 30 minutes.
- Total stage time for a Week 2 (Wed. Fri. Sat.) band must not exceed 40 minutes.
- Each participating band must provide the adjudicators with THREE original conductors’ scores for each own choice selection being performed. These must be supplied prior to the performance.
- Please ensure that all measures are numbered.
- Each band must perform at least one selection from the Syllabus
- Conductors’ scores for all syllabus selections will be supplied by the Alberta Band Association.
PLEASE NOTE: It is against copyright laws to photocopy music. - The Sight-Reading/Fundamentals portion of the Festival will not be open to public viewing, but open to the band’s entourage at the discretion of the band director.
- All bands are encouraged to attend the performances of other participants.
Clinics
In addition to a clinic with an adjudicator on the repertoire performed by each band at the Festival, all bands will receive either a Fundamentals or a Sight-Reading Clinic. All Grade One level bands will participate in a fundamentals clinic. All other band levels will participate in a sight-reading clinic.
Fundamentals Clinic for Grade 1 Bands
The Alberta Band Association recognizes that playing, listening, reading, creating and valuing are important considerations in the school music curriculum.
The components of the clinic will be as follows:
Sight-Reading Clinic for All Other Band Levels
The sight-reading portion of the Festival will be adjudicated by a separate clinician. Each band will perform one selection from a list of possible choices provided, one level below the class entered.
After the director chooses a selection, Grade 2 and 3 bands will be given five minutes to prepare, while Grade 4 to 6 bands will be given eight minutes to prepare before performing the selection. Preparation can include any techniques the director wishes except the actual playing of the instruments.
The Sight-Reading Clinician will take into account such criteria as rhythmic accuracy, note accuracy, tempi, balance, preparation for the reading, the overall effect of the performance and the general musicianship of the group in this sight-reading environment.
The director may give visual cues for rehearsal markings and repeats during the performance, but is not allowed to verbally prompt rehearsal markings, measure numbers, or repeats.
It's important to remember that:
Fundamentals Clinic for Grade 1 Bands
The Alberta Band Association recognizes that playing, listening, reading, creating and valuing are important considerations in the school music curriculum.
The components of the clinic will be as follows:
- Perform the prescribed festival chorale, conducted by the teacher. The performance of the chorale will be adjudicated using the same evaluation criteria as the main stage performance. The Level 1 Chorale can be downloaded by clicking here.
- Play three major scales chosen from concert Bb, Eb, Ab and F major, up and down in quarter notes without repeating the top note, M.M. quarter note=120. One scale will be tongued, one scale slurred two – tongued two, one scale slurred. Conductors will be able to select which articulation to apply to which scale and be able to choose which of the three scales will be performed. Percussionists are to perform these scales on mallet instruments (the Fundamentals Clinician will determine which articulation patterns will be assigned to each scale).
- Echo on instruments a five-note melody. The melody will be a maximum of 2 bars, based on the first five notes of the concert Bb major scale, starting and ending on the tonic in either 3/4 or 4/4 time. The approximate tempo will be M.M. quarter note=84. This melody will be administered by the adjudicator.
- Clap a rhythmic pattern, a maximum of 2 measures in length, while counting the beat and subdivision out loud (e.g.: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &). The pattern will be written in either 4/4 or 3/4, will include combinations of half, quarter and paired eighth notes and quarter rests. Rhythmic patterns will be administered by the adjudicator.
Sight-Reading Clinic for All Other Band Levels
The sight-reading portion of the Festival will be adjudicated by a separate clinician. Each band will perform one selection from a list of possible choices provided, one level below the class entered.
After the director chooses a selection, Grade 2 and 3 bands will be given five minutes to prepare, while Grade 4 to 6 bands will be given eight minutes to prepare before performing the selection. Preparation can include any techniques the director wishes except the actual playing of the instruments.
The Sight-Reading Clinician will take into account such criteria as rhythmic accuracy, note accuracy, tempi, balance, preparation for the reading, the overall effect of the performance and the general musicianship of the group in this sight-reading environment.
The director may give visual cues for rehearsal markings and repeats during the performance, but is not allowed to verbally prompt rehearsal markings, measure numbers, or repeats.
It's important to remember that:
- If things start to go really awry, it's okay to stop and restart and if things are not holding together, the conductor may call out a rehearsal mark to get everyone back on track. They should not call out verbal prompts unless absolutely necessary.
- Assign parts to the percussionists before time starts for preparation.
- Tune the timpani before the time starts for preparation.
Festival Ratings
All bands will be given a rating on a sliding scale between Superior and Poor.
Superior (I)
A commendable performance for the event and the class of participants being adjudicated.
Excellent (II)
A commendable performance showing a high standard of musical accomplishments but lacking in one or more of the characteristics of a superior rating.
Good (III)
An average performance but lacking in several major characteristics of a superior rating.
Fair (IV)
A below average performance showing much room for specific improvement in almost all respects.
Poor (V)
A performance showing a lack of sufficient preparation, or other deficiencies, as indicated by the adjudicator’s comments.
Review the Onstage Performance Rubric
Review the Clinic Session Rubric
Review the Fundamentals Clinic Rubric - coming soon!
Review the Sight Reading Clinic Rubric - coming soon!
The final rating will be based on the following:
Superior (I)
A commendable performance for the event and the class of participants being adjudicated.
Excellent (II)
A commendable performance showing a high standard of musical accomplishments but lacking in one or more of the characteristics of a superior rating.
Good (III)
An average performance but lacking in several major characteristics of a superior rating.
Fair (IV)
A below average performance showing much room for specific improvement in almost all respects.
Poor (V)
A performance showing a lack of sufficient preparation, or other deficiencies, as indicated by the adjudicator’s comments.
Review the Onstage Performance Rubric
Review the Clinic Session Rubric
Review the Fundamentals Clinic Rubric - coming soon!
Review the Sight Reading Clinic Rubric - coming soon!
The final rating will be based on the following:
- Onstage performance: 60%
- Clinic session: 20%
- Sight-reading/fundamentals clinic: 20%
Festival Awards
Adjudicator's Choice Awards will be presented a the discretion of the adjudication panel.
An Adjudicator's Choice Sight Reading Award will also be presented at the discretion of the adjudication panel.
All bands that receive an overall rating of "Superior" will also receive a Superior Band Award.
An Adjudicator's Choice Sight Reading Award will also be presented at the discretion of the adjudication panel.
All bands that receive an overall rating of "Superior" will also receive a Superior Band Award.
Photography
More Information on Photography will be available soon.