CALL FOR ENTRIES IS NOW CLOSED! Participants for Season III will be announced soon.
CALL FOR ENTRIES
TOGETHER IN SONG SEASON III
TV series to feature regional Choral Groups
WGBY is pleased to announce a third season of TOGETHER IN SONG and how you and your choral group might be able to be a part of the excitement and fun.
Last year’s season, hosted by Kevin Rhodes, Music Director of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, showcased the talents of over 1300 singers of 42 choirs throughout WGBY’s viewing area. The TOGETHER IN SONG website had over one hundred thousand page visits and the live festival weekend was available for viewing on wgby.org with thousands of views! We want this year’s season to be as exciting and as representative of the wealth of choral music tradition in Western New England as last year’s, and we are working on some exciting changes recommended by the TIS Advisory Committee.
We’re seeking entries for TOGETHER IN SONG’s third season starting Friday, September 28, 2012. The deadline for submission is November 21, 2012.
WGBY’s GOAL for TOGETHER IN SONG
To again celebrate the living choral tradition in Western New England by showcasing up to 50 non-professional choral ensembles in a 10-week television series entitled “Together in Song: A Celebration of Choral Music in Western New England.” The series will culminate in choral showcase that will be broadcast live on WGBY.
Categories – Important Changes this Year
This year, thanks to suggestions from our TIS Advisory Committee, rather than categorizing by choir age group and size, we will be categorizing by age group and musical genres. There will be a total of 10 categories. Out of the 10 categories, 4 will be for children’s groups as follows:
Children (Elementary and Middle School Choirs)
- Classical
- Folk/World
- Gospel
- Pop/Fun/Musical Theater/Jazz
All Other Choirs (including High School, College and Adult Choirs)
- Barbershop
- Folk/World
- Gospel
- Pop/Doo Wop/Jazz
- Sacred Classical – example Bach Motet, Jesu, meine Freude
- Secular Classical – example Randall Thompson, “The Road Not Taken”
ELIGIBILITY
Musical Groups dedicated to the enjoyment of choral music, and who are based in Western New England (the WGBY service area of Western MA, Northern Connecticut, Southern Vermont andNew Hampshire) are eligible for consideration. Applicants should upload a 2-4 minute video clip of their ensemble to YouTube, MySpace, or Facebook. Submissions on DVD will also be accepted. The deadline for submission is November 21, 2012. In order to participate in the TV series, choirs must be available for taping in the WGBY studios between January 21 and February 16. All participants must also be prepared to be available on April 28, 2013, in the event that they are selected to perform in the Choral Showcase. Choirs that participated in previous seasons may submit entries for Season III.
Important Dates
September 28, 2012 Call For Entries
November 21, 2012 Deadline For Entries
December 21, 2012 Participants Announced
Jan. 21-Feb. 16, 2013 Ensemble Tapings
February 18-22, 2013 Snow Dates for Missed Tapings
March 16, 2013 Season III Premieres
April 16, 2013 Showcase Winners Announced
April 28, 2013 Showcase
REVIEW PROCESS AND CRITERIA
Participation is determined by a Jury. All participants will be notified in late December 2012.
TV Series
Once selected, ensembles will be responsible for preparing a set of approximately 4 minutes duration. This may be one selection or up to three, as long as the total duration is approximately 4 minutes. Instrumental accompaniment will be limited to piano, or small acoustic instruments held by singers. Choir Directors will indicate which genre each selection is in. Choirs can perform selections in more than one genre or all in one genre.
Performances will be taped in WGBY’s Springfield studios throughout the months of January and February, 2013 (Monday through Wednesday evenings, or Saturday day-time if needed). There will be enough time for several “takes” of your performance.
“Together in Song: A celebration of Choral Music in Western New England” will premier in the spring of 2013, and will air on Saturday evenings. As the season unfolds, judges and viewers will vote for the best in each category, who will perform in a spectacular, choral showcase which will be broadcast live on Sunday, April 28, 2013.
Choral Showcase – All on One Day!
We are planning on one big, live extravaganza on Sunday, April 28, 2013. We will keep you posted on the details as they develop. All participating groups must be ready to perform in the choral showcase in the event that they are selected by the judges. A single choir will be able to be recognized in one category only – if their performances are chosen as best in more than one category, they will be recognized and go to the festival for the genre for which they received the most votes. The choir with the second highest votes will be chosen for the other genre. For the finale, the choirs that are selected will perform the piece that earned them first place for their genre and other pieces in any genre from their repertoire.
Due to time constraints, the time between notification and the live choral showcase performances (April 28) is short. Therefore we recommend that directors select and prepare their set for the showcase before April 16.
We are also working on a commissioned song to be performed by all Showcase performers during the live program. Info will be sent out shortly.
