Helsinki Male Choir Weekend 17.-19.4.2020

VENUE AND DATE

The VII International Leevi Madetoja Male Voice Choir Competition will be held at the Helsinki Music Centre (Mannerheimintie 13 A, Helsinki) on Saturday 18 April 2020. The competition organiser may transfer parts of the competition to some other venue in Helsinki should the number of participants so require.

SERIES

The competition has international, national and review series. Choirs from abroad may participate in the international or review series, professional singers only in the international series. Finnish amateur choirs may participate in any series.

The competition organiser has the right to limit the number of participants in each series. Participation will be confirmed in order of registration.

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

International series

The maximum duration of the choir’s performance, transfers included, is 15 minutes. The repertoire must consist of a cappella music but may include pitchless percussion instruments. The repertoire is optional but must include:
• the mandatory composition by Leevi Madetoja: Ikävyys (Melancholy, 1916, words Larin-Kyösti, © YL Male Voice Choir)
• a composition by a living composer from the choir’s own country
The language of performance is optional; this also applies to the mandatory composition.

National series

The maximum duration of the choir’s performance, transfers included, is 15 minutes. The repertoire must consist of a cappella music but may include pitchless percussion instruments. The repertoire is optional but must include:
• the mandatory composition by Leevi Madetoja: Hämärän ääniä (Dusk, 1916, words Larin-Kyösti, © YL Male Voice Choir)
• a composition by a living Finnish composer
The language of performance is optional; this also applies to the mandatory composition.

Review series

The maximum duration of the choir’s performance, transfers included, is 10 minutes. The choir will receive oral feedback from the jury immediately after the performance. The repertoire may include accompanying instruments; the responsibility for these will lie with the choir. The repertoire is optional and may be performed in any language. There is no mandatory work.

REGISTRATION

Choirs wishing to take part in the competition must register online by 31 December 2019 at www.mieskuoro.fi/madetoja2020. The registration form will go online on 1 January 2019.

Choirs wishing to take part must also submit the following documents to toiminnanjohtaja@mieskuoro.fi by 31 December 2019:
• a presentation of the choir in Finnish, Swedish or English (file format doc, docx or pdf, or link to a web page)
• a presentation of the choir’s conductor in Finnish, Swedish or English (file format doc, docx or pdf, or link to a web page)
• 2 photographs of the choir (file format jpg, minimum width 1,500 pixels)
• 2 photographs of the choir’s conductor (file format jpg, minimum width 1,500 pixels)
and send via regular mail to Suomen Mieskuoroliitto, Klaneettitie 6–8, FI-00420 Helsinki:
• legal sheet music (original published sheet music or manuscript copies approved by the composer) of the choir’s competition repertoire.

PARTICIPATION FEE

The fee for participation in the competition is EUR 400 in the international series, EUR 300 in the national series and EUR 200 in the review series. The participation fee will be invoiced after the registration period.

The registration fee will not be returned should a choir cancel its participation. Each choir will be responsible for its own travel, accommodation and other expenses.

JURY

For each series, the board of the Finnish Male Choir Association (Suomen Mieskuoroliitto) will appoint a jury consisting of a chairperson and at least two other members.

Participants will all receive written feedback from the jury after the competition.

ORDER OF PERFORMANCE AND GALA CONCERT

The order of performance in each series will be decided in a draw conducted by the competition organiser. Participants will receive a precise competition schedule not later than one month before the competition.

Choirs selected by the jury will be obliged to perform in the competition’s gala concert at the Helsinki Music Centre on Saturday evening 18 April 2020 for no separate fee.

PRIZES

The total prize sum in the competition’s international series is EUR 5,000 and in the national series EUR 2,500. No monetary prizes will be awarded in the review series. Special prizes approved by the board of the Finnish Male Choir Association may also be awarded.

SHEET MUSIC

The music for the mandatory works in the international and national series will be posted in pdf format on the competition website (www.mieskuoro.fi/madetoja2020) on 1 January 2019. Before this, it will be on sale at SULASOL, Klaneettitie 6–8, FI-00420 Helsinki; sales@sulasol.fi, tel. +358 10 8200 221). The editions on sale include singable translations in Swedish and German.

Only legal sheet music is permitted in the competition (original published sheet music or manuscript copies approved by the composer). The organiser has the right to check the legality of the sheet music.

RECORDINGS

The competition organiser has unlimited right to record, photograph, video and broadcast on radio, television or the Internet and to stream any of the competition performances and concerts for no separate fee. The competition organiser may transfer any of the above rights to another party.

These competition rules were ratified by the board of the Finnish Male Choir Association on 4 November 2017. The original language of the rules is Finnish, and any disputes will be settled by the board of the Finnish Male Choir Association according to the Finnish version.

FURTHER INFORMATION
www.mieskuoro.fi/madetoja2020
Finnish Male Choir Association, Executive Director Aino Herranen: toiminnanjohtaja@mieskuoro.fi, tel. +358 10 8200 236

The chair of the jury

International series: Matti Hyökki (FI)
National series: Tommi Niskala (FI)
Review series: Elisa Huovinen (FI)

Other jury members will be published in spring 2019.

The mandatory composition in the international series:
Leevi Madetoja: Ikävyys (Larin-Kyösti)

The mandatory composition in the national series:
Leevi Madetoja: Hämärän ääniä (Larin-Kyösti)

The sheet music for the mandatory works are also on sale at SULASOL, Klaneettitie 6–8, FI-00420 Helsinki; sales@sulasol.fi, tel. +358 10 8200 221). The editions on sale include singable translations in Swedish and German.

Only legal sheet music is permitted in the competition (original published sheet music or manuscript copies approved by the composer). The organiser has the right to check the legality of the sheet music.

Friday 17 April 2020

Male choir seminar

Concerts and informal performances

Opening concert
The Polytech Choir, dir. Saara Aittakumpu

Satuday 18 April 2020

Male choir seminar

VII International Leevi Madetoja Male Voice Choir Competition
Helsinki Music Centre

Concerts and informal performances

Gala concert
Liiton Miehet, dir. Paavo Hyökki
Jury’s selection from the competition and the prize ceremony
Helsinki Music Centre, Concert hall

After party
Helsinki Music Centre

Sunday 19 April 2020

Concerts and informal performances

Practical information about the event, such as participant packages, travel, accommodation, concerts and other performances, will be published in spring 2019.