POSTPONED – Helsinki Male Choir Weekend 17.-19.4.2020

Registration for the Helsinki Male Choir Weekend has ended! Please buy tickets from Ticketmaster or contact our office at hmcw@mieskuoro.fi for more possibilities to participate.

Participation packages for the weekend:

• Participation package Fri-Sat, EUR 99 per singer (includes opening concert Fri 17 April 2020, lunch, gala concert and after party Sat 18 April 2020, t-shirt and possiblity for choir’s own performances)
• Participation package Sat, EUR 89 per singer (includes lunch, gala concert and after party Sat 18 April 2020, t-shirt and possiblity for choir’s own performances)

Single reservations:

• Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra & the Polytech Choir Thu 16 April 2020, EUR 29/25/20
• Opening concert with the Polytech Choir Fri 17 April 2020, EUR 25
  (discount prices EUR 20 for pensioner and EUR 15 for students etc. only available via Ticketmaster in November)
• Gala concert Sat 18 April 2020, EUR 35
  (VIP tickets EUR 75 and discount price EUR 20 for students only available via Ticketmaster in November)
• Lunch Sat 18 April 2020, EUR 12
• After party Sat 18 April 2020, EUR 39
• T-shirt, EUR 15

Laulu-Miehet and Pohjan Laulu, dir. Matti Hyökki in Helsinki Music Centre in 2013. Photo: Markku Pihlaja

How to travel to Helsinki: https://www.myhelsinki.fi/en/meetings-and-events/accessibility-and-arrival

All event venues are within walking distance or easily accessible by public transport. Participating choirs are thus not required to have a bus of their own.

Accommodation offers by our cooperative hotels:

Original Sokos Hotel Tripla
Frederikanterassi 1 B, 00520 Helsinki
(to be opened in the beginning of 2020, website not yet available) standard single 110 EUR / night
standard twin/double 130 EUR / night

The number of the rooms is limited. Booking deadline: 20 March 2020 at 8 pm.

www.sokoshotels.fi
Booking code online: BCHOIR20

Tel. +358-20–1234 600 Fax +358-20–1234 640 Email sokos.hotels@sok.fi
Booking code: BHELSINKI MALE CHOIR WEEKEND 2020

Original Sokos Hotel Presidentti
Eteläinen Rautatiekatu 4, 00100 Helsinki
https://www.sokoshotels.fi/fi/helsinki/sokos-hotel-presidentti
standard single 120 EUR / night
standard twin/double 140 EUR / night

The number of the rooms is limited. Booking deadline: 20 March 2020 at 8 pm.

www.sokoshotels.fi
Booking code online: BCHOIR20

Tel. +358-20–1234 600 Fax +358-20–1234 640 Email sokos.hotels@sok.fi
Booking code: BHELSINKI MALE CHOIR WEEKEND 2020

Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna
Asema-aukio 2, 00100 Helsinki
https://www.sokoshotels.fi/fi/helsinki/sokos-hotel-vaakuna
standard single 125 EUR / night
standard twin/double 145 EUR / night

The number of the rooms is limited. Booking deadline: 20 March 2020 at 8 pm.

www.sokoshotels.fi
Booking code online: BCHOIR20

Tel. +358-20–1234 600 Fax +358-20–1234 640 Email sokos.hotels@sok.fi
Booking code: BHELSINKI MALE CHOIR WEEKEND 2020

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel
Mikonkatu 23, 00100 Helsinki
https://www.radissonblu.com/fi/plazahotelli-helsinki
standard single 150 EUR / night
standard twin/double 170 EUR / night

The number of the rooms is limited. Booking deadline: 20 March 2020 at 8 pm.

www.radissonblu.com/fi
Booking code online: BCHOIR20

Tel. +358-20–1234 700 Fax +358-20–1234 742 Email reservations.finland@radissonblu.com
Booking code: BHELSINKI MALE CHOIR WEEKEND 2020

Scandic Park
Mannerheimintie 46, 00260 Helsinki
http://www.scandichotels.com/Hotels/Finland/Helsinki/Scandic-Park-Helsinki/
standard single 89 EUR / night
standard twin/double 99 EUR / night
standard triple 109 EUR / night

The number of the rooms is limited. Booking deadline: 2 April 2020 via website http://www.scandichotels.fi/?bookingcode=BSMK160420

Scandic Meilahti
Tukholmankatu 2, 00250 Helsinki
https://www.scandichotels.fi/meilahti
standard single 89 EUR / night
standard twin/double 99 EUR / night
standard triple 109 EUR / night

The number of the rooms is limited. Booking deadline: 2 April 2020 via website http://www.scandichotels.fi/?bookingcode=BSMK160420

Helsinki tourist information: https://www.myhelsinki.fi/en

The meals are only available when booked in advance.

Lunch EUR 12

Salad bar
Two warm main courses (of which one vegetarian)
Selection of Music Centre’s breads, spreads

After party EUR 39

Starters on sapas board:
Cherry tomatoes and mozzarella cheese
Grandma’s cucumbers
Cellery, apple and rucola
Roasted Finnish root vegetables
Hemp snacks

Green salad with raspberry vinaigrette
Selection of Music Centre’s breads with herb butter

***

Overripe pork cheek in beer sauce
Ratatouille with Halloumi
Parsnip-potato au gratin

Coffee and brewed tea

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

VII International Leevi Madetoja Male Voice Choir Competition

International series

Total prize sum EUR 5000

Special prizes:

• The Matti Hyökki Prize for a choral conductor, EUR 2000
• Prize for the best performance of a work by Leevi Madetoja, EUR 1000 (donated by the Society of Finnish Composers’ Madetoja fund)

National series

Total prize sum EUR 2500

Special prizes:

• Prize for the best performance of a work by a living Finnish composer, EUR 500 (donated by the Society of Finnish Composers’ Madetoja fund)
• Prize for the best performance of a work by Leevi Madetoja, EUR 500 (donated by the Society of Finnish Composers’ Madetoja fund)

The jury may also award other prizes and honours.

The award ceremony of the VI International Leevi Madetoja Male Voice Choir Competition in 2015. Photo: Markku Pihlaja.

The mandatory composition in the international series:
Download sheet music (pdf): Leevi Madetoja: Ikävyys (Larin-Kyösti)
Original poem (narrated by Paavo Hyökki): https://youtu.be/conLci-TvlY

Misery (translation by Arttu Vilmi)

What an eternity of misery
hangs over these alleys!
Seldom does the sun find its way
into my chamber with its caressing rays.

Fiery pain, why do you eat at my heart,
rise, my young strength, burst through the shell,
carry me into the light and clear the path,
and cut, root and branch,
the dark tree planted at my birth!

When my restraints are loosened and the gates open,
when I feel free again,
a kantele begins to ring,
my spirit is young, it is free,
it returns to its primal strength,
it grows, it soars on its wings;
I can see, how the morning of my spirit is dawning.
Ring, eternal kantele of life, ring!

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

These editions are free to use in the competition. 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.

Songs for joint choir in the gala concert Sat 18 April 2020:

• Edvard Grieg: Sangerhilsen (Sigvald Skavlan)
• Peep Sarapik: Ta lendab mesipuu poole (Juhan Liiv)
• Jean Sibelius: Finlandia-hymni (V. A. Koskenniemi)

Participating choirs will get a link to these scores after the registration.

International series
chairperson Matti Hyökki (FI)
Georg Grün (DE)
Sofia Söderberg (SE)

National series
chairperson Tommi Niskala (FI)
Jutta Seppinen (FI)
Visa Yrjölä (FI)

Review series
chairperson Elisa Huovinen (FI)
Hirvo Surva (EE)
Markus Yli-Jokipii (FI)

The patron of Helsinki Male Choir Weekend is Debuty Mayor of Culture and Leisure in Helsinki, Nasima Razmyar.

Nasima Razmyar. Photo: Jyrki Nisonen.

Finnish Male Choir Association
Executive Director Aino Herranen
toiminnanjohtaja@mieskuoro.fi, tel +358-10-8200236

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