Rules
“Erik Fordell Grand Prix” choir competition 2025
I Organiser
The competition is organised by KuoroKokkola ry.
II Purpose of the competition
The purpose of the competition is to give choirs an opportunity to compete with each other regardless of choir type and size. The required repertoire for the competition consists largely of Finnish choral music. The aim is to raise awareness of the choral compositions of composer Erik Fordell as well as other Finnish composers and those composers who are working or have worked in Finland.
III Participation
The competition is open to all choirs from the Nordic countries and Estonia regardless of the age of the singers and the choir type. Singing must be performed without instrumental or musical accompaniment and without sound reinforcement. The minimum size of a choir is 16 singers.
IV Stages of the competition
The competition has one category, and it will be carried out in two rounds.
1) The 6–8 choirs that will enter the competition final will be selected in a qualifying round on the basis of audio recordings. An unedited mp3 format audio recording made after 15 May 2024 must be delivered in conjunction with the entry to the competition no later than 1 November 2024. The qualifying audio recordings will be assessed and the selections to the competition will be made anonymously.
The recipient of the competitors’ entries will number the audio recordings in the order of arrival and forward them to the jury with numerical identifiers. Details of the recording creators will be revealed only after selections have been completed. All choirs will be informed which eight choirs have been selected to the competition final by 15 December 2024.
2) The actual competition will be held on 15 March 2025. The venue is the concert hall of the Central Ostrobothnia Conservatory (address: Pitkänsillankatu 16, 67100, Kokkola, Finland).
The final concert / award ceremony will be held on 16 March 2025. The venue is the Snellman Hall of the Music Center Snellman (address: Vingenkatu 18, 67100, Kokkola, Finland). The jury will nominate the choirs that will perform in the closing concert and the works that will be performed there. The selections will be notified to the contact persons of the choirs on the competition day by 7 pm.
V Jury
A jury of four members will select the competitors to the final on the basis of the audio recordings and assess the actual competition. The jury comprises of the following people: chairman Heikki Liimola, Kari Pappinen (Kokkola, Finland), Carsten Seyer-Hansen (Denmark) and Ida Cecilie Holm (Norway). The secretary of the jury is Susanna Mäkelä.
VI Entry to the competition
The competition must be entered using the electronic entry form (the sheet music of the audio recording in PDF format must be attached to the form). In addition to the form, an email must be sent to kuorokokkola@gmail.com. The email must include the following attachments: an audio recording (mp3) with content information for the qualifying round, a presentation text of the choir and choirmaster, a photograph of the choir, and receipt of the paid entry fee. The entry must be made with the attachments delivered no later than 1 November 2024.
The choirs selected to the final must send the original sheet music (5 pieces/song) of their competition repertoire to KuoroKokkola ry (Pitkänsillankatu 1–3 A, 67100, Kokkola, Finland) no later than 1 February 2025. The songs must be attached with translations in Finnish and Swedish. The sheet music must be delivered by ordinary mail. The sheet music will be returned to the choirs after the competition.
VII Expenses
The competing choirs are responsible for their own expenses (for example travel, accommodation and food).
The entry fee is €100 per choir. The fee must be paid as a bank transfer between 1 October and 1 November 2024 with the following information:
Account number: FI25 5162 0020 3149 88
Beneficiary: KuoroKokkola ry
Message: Fordell competition and name of the choir
The entry is valid only if the fee has been paid no later than 1 November 2024. In case of cancellation, the fee is not returned.
VIII Competition repertoire
All works, both in the audio recording for the qualifying round and in the final, must be performed without accompaniment. The repertoire for the final must not include the same works as the audio recording for the qualifying round, excluding the work by Erik Fordell. The audio recording for the qualifying round must be delivered no later than 1 November 2024 and it must be recorded after 15 May 2024. The duration must be 15–20 minutes.
1. A choral work composed by Erik Fordell
2. One Finnish choral work from the national romantic era
3. One choral work composed by a Finnish composer or a composer who worked in Finland in the 20th century
4. A choral work that can be selected freely
Final (15 March 2025) – the maximum duration for the repertoire is 20 minutes, including entering and exiting the stage.
1. One Finnish choral work from the national romantic era
2. One of the following choral works (sheet music at www.sulasol.fi):
Erik Fordell:
Modellen – Malli (TTBB) Edition Fazer
Romans – Romanssi (TTBB) Edition Fazer
Fjäriln och rosen – Ruusu ja perhonen (SSAA) Westerlund
Mörkret – Pimeys (SSAA) Westerlund
Du sommarvind – Sinä kesätuuli (SATB) Edition Fazer
Om hösten (SATB) Edition Fazer
3. One choral work by a living Finnish composer or a composer living in Finland
4. One choral work by a Finnish composer who worked in the 20th century
5. 1–3 choral work(s) that can be selected freely
IX Awards
The award of the competition is the Grand Prix of 8,000 euros. At its discretion, the jury can also award the first prize in another manner and, if it so pleases, also award other prizes, for example for the best performance of a work by Erik Fordell.
X Recording rights
The competition and the closing concert are public events, which the choirs must commit to participate in. In regard to all performances, the organiser of the competition has the right to broadcast them on radio and television, make audio and video recordings of them and photograph them as well as publish photos, pictures, recordings and real-time video of them on the Internet and social media as well as in the marketing materials of the event without compensation.
XI Changes
The organisers reserve the right to make any necessary changes.