MSVMA Choral Festival

Overview

The Michigan School Vocal Music Association (MSVMA) sponsors district and state choral festivals, which are adjudicated events for vocal music groups from member schools. Each curricular choir participates in District Choral Festival. Ensembles perform two selections for a panel of adjudicators who provide written feedback, have a clinic with one adjudicator, and sight-read for another adjudicator. Each ensemble participates at one of three levels: Advanced, Intermediate, or Primary, which corresponds to the level of difficulty of the choral literature and sight-reading exercises.

Festival Ratings History - Curricular Ensembles

A Cappella Choir (auditioned mixed choir)

Bel Canto Purple (auditioned treble choir)

Bel Canto White (auditioned treble choir)

Cantando (non-auditioned treble choir)

Cantare (non-auditioned tenor-bass choir)

MSVMA Scoring System History

2017-present

In 2017, MSVMA eliminated the use of the Excellent with Superior Distinction final determination.

Final Determinations (District & State Choral Festivals)

Excellent (I) = 96-120

Good (II) = 72-95

Fair (III) = 46-71

Poor (IV) = 24-45

2013-2016

In 2013, MSVMA continued using the 2008 adjudication rubric, but reversed the five-point scale: 5 = superior, 4 = excellent, 3 = good, 2 = fair, 1 = poor.

Sub-scores for both performance and sight-reading range from 30 (top score) to 6 (lowest score).

As such, overall rating scales were modified accordingly, with a top rating of 120.

Final Determinations (District & State Choral Festivals)

Superior = 112-120 (later referred to as Excellent with Superior Distinction)

Excellent = 96-111

Good = 72-95

Fair = 46-71

Poor = 24-45

2008-2012

Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year MSVMA began using an adjudication rubric with a five-point scale: 1 = superior, 2 = excellent, 3 = good, 4 = fair, 5 = poor.

The performance rubric uses six categories: Tone Quality, Pitch, Rhythm, Diction, Interpretation, Presentation.

Sub-scores for both performance and sight reading range from 6 (top score) to 30 (lowest score).

A final rating is determined by adding the total points earned from three performance judges with the points earned from the sight reading judge, for a top rating of 24.

At State Choral Festival, there is no sight reading, so only the three performance judge scores were employed.

Final Determinations (District Choral Festival)

Superior = 24-32

Excellent = 33-56

Good = 57-79

Fair = 80-107

Poor = 108 and above

Final Determinations (State Choral Festival)

Superior = 18-24

Excellent = 25-42

Good = 43-59

Fair = 60-80

Poor = 81 and above

1975-2007

From at least the 1975-76 school year, MSVMA gave ratings based on a four-point scale: 1 = excellent, 2 = good, 3 = fair, 4 = poor.

The performance rubric used five categories: Tone, Pitch, Rhythm, Technique, and Interpretation / Presentation, with sub-scores ranging from 5 to 20.

The overall rating was determined by averaging the performance rating and the sight reading rating, with the performance rating taking precedence.