qathet Festival of Performing ArtsSpeech Arts

Invitation to Participate in the 83rd qathet Festival of the Performing Arts 2027

Amateur performers in piano, voice, strings, wind and brass instruments, speech arts, amateur choirs, bands, string and jazz ensembles, and dance are invited to perform in the qathet Festival of the Performing Arts.

qathet’s festival is open to all residents of the geographic area of qathet Regional District. We gratefully acknowledge that we live, learn and perform on the traditional territory of the Tla’amin Nation, whose people have cared for these lands since time immemorial.

The festival is based on the fundamental idea of providing all participants with the best possible support for their artistic development. The festival is strongly committed to the philosophy that performance is a vital opportunity to learn and pursue excellence. In keeping with this philosophy participants will receive participation certificates only.

The Rotary Club of Powell River supports the development of our community’s amateur performers. Rotary is the sponsoring body of the festival, using a volunteer festival committee. Many other community volunteers assist Rotary, including discipline heads, adjudicators’ secretaries, stage crews, and theatre assistants, at every performance.

The Syllabus is revised each year, so please read carefully to ensure the accuracy of your entry.

An adjudicator may recommend outstanding participants to compete at the Provincial Festival. To be eligible for provincial competition, participants must enter a minimum of two solo classes in the same discipline. Any person considering candidacy for the BC Provincial Festival is encouraged to consult with the Festival Administrator prior to entering the qathet Festival to ensure selections meet Provincial requirements. Adjudicators are advised upon arrival and prior to competition, that the Festival Committee has no say in the choice of the competitor going forward.

Information and changes regarding the regulations and Official Syllabus of the Provincial Festival is available at: www.bcprovincials.com

ENTRY PROCEDURES

Entry will be done online at: https://www.musicfestivalreg.com/qathet/

Instructions can be found at the top left of the first page, underneath the “Competitor” tab, in blue font. Please complete ALL fields at time of registration, including selection(s) to be performed, composer(s) and length of piece (number of minutes and seconds). Participants will not be scheduled unless all required fields are completed.

Payment is due at time of registration online by PayPal or by credit card. If you are a school or community group that must pay by cheque, please contact the Festival administrator, Theresa Hargrave, at qathetfopa@gmail.com to arrange payment.

Classes will be scheduled in mid-February. All fees must be paid in order to be confirmed in the Festival and included in scheduling. Participants will receive a separate email containing a participant card with a preliminary schedule for each class registered. Please note: schedules are subject to change, so please check the schedule link contained in the emailed participant card for updates.

Accepted ages for classes shall be the participant’s age as of December 31, 2026.

ENTRY FEES

Category	Fee
Solos	$25
Duets	$30
Trios	$40
Quartets	$45
School age Groups	$55
qathet School District groups	$50
Adult Ensembles (5 - 25 people)	$60
Adult Ensembles (26+ people)	$60 + $3 per each additional person over 25 people
Workshop/clinic/masterclass fees	$20/person (minimum 13 people)
Workshop/clinic fee for classes, groups, ensembles	$250

SOLOS - participants are limited to one entry for each eligible class.
DUETS, TRIOS, ENSEMBLES, and GROUPS - Group entries must enter at the age or grade level of the oldest member of the group. Trios, Quartets, Ensembles and Groups must enter by a group name.

Closing Date for entries is 4 pm, Tuesday, January 19, 2027.

In the event of a withdrawal, no refund will be given.

The Festival Committee reserves the right to refuse any entry.

PERFORMANCE TIMES

Performers must wait to receive a signal from the adjudicator before beginning their performance. The maximum time for a performance is the total time on stage, which begins after the first tuning. Introductions, breaks between pieces, additional tuning, applause and any costume additions are included in this time. The clock starts when a performer begins to introduce their first piece and stops when they leave after their final piece. Please time your repertoire appropriately so that you do not go over the TOTAL TIME permitted for each level. If a participant reaches the maximum time allowed, the secretary will ring the bell, at which time the performance must stop.

Solo & Duets: 5 minutes maximum
Recital Classes: see individual Discipline for time limits
Ensembles & Groups: 10 minute maximum, if two selections are indicated
Choral performances: 10 minutes maximum, including stage entry & exit
Instrumental groups: 20 minutes maximum, including set up & takedown
Readers’ Theatre: 10 minutes maximum, including stage entry & exit

NOTIFICATION OF PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

The contact person listed on the Entry Form will be able to view the session schedule as soon as the program is finalized. The program will be available for viewing after February 21, 2027. The program will indicate performance location, date, time, and order of participants. A schedule of each session will be placed on an easel outside the performance venues. There will be no printed program.

APPRECIATION OF EACH PERFORMANCE

All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation and a written adjudication.

MUSIC SCORES AND COPYRIGHT REQUIREMENTS

Each participant must submit an original copy/score of the music selections to the adjudicator’s secretary 15 minutes prior to the class in which he/she is to perform. Competitors must number the first bar of each line in their score(s). In order to participate, the competitor must provide the adjudicator, and the accompanist, if required, an original score or authorized copy of the selection. Photocopies are permitted for the purposes of page turns, but an original copy for the accompanist must be present in the performance venue. Participants are encouraged to perform from memory. If a piece is not memorized, an original score must be used. Please note that using a musical score could affect an adjudicator’s recommendation for provincial competition. Photocopies or reproductions will only be accepted if the composition is in the public domain and is accompanied by a letter from the publisher confirming this and giving permission to copy the piece. Printed copies of digital downloads are permitted only if accompanied by a receipt for the number of copies downloaded. Proof of membership is required for any music sourced from a website providing free use of its materials. Music from www.imslp.org is permitted; please write the full URL of the piece on the first page of all copies or parts of copies being used.

PROCEDURE - SPEECH ARTS AND COPYRIGHT

Each participant must bring the book with the original selection to the competition. Attach a Post-it note to the selection with your name, class name and number, title of selection and the selection’s page number.

This must be submitted to the adjudicator’s secretary at least 15 minutes prior to the commencement of the class in which she or he is to perform. In addition to the original (published) copy or the work, each participant must provide a copy of her/his selection as a courtesy to the adjudicator. Please, label these copies with the student’s name, age, and class name. The photocopies will NOT BE RETURNED as they will be shredded following the session.

The Title, Author, and name of the publication from which the selection is taken must be specified on the entry form.

Photocopied material may not be used in lieu of an original copy, unless approved through CanCopy or a publisher’s letter. An electronic version of the published material is acceptable, provided receipts are available as proof of purchase.

ELIGIBILITY and AMATEUR STATUS

All classes, unless otherwise stated, shall be open to amateurs only. The term amateur shall mean one whose principal income is not derived from musical services. This condition does not apply to conductors of choirs or instrumental groups, non-adjudicated accompanists, nor to those bona fide students of music who teach for the purpose of applying money so earned to further their musical education. Any ‘open’ class is not confined to amateurs, unless otherwise specified. The Festival Committee reserves the right to refuse any entry.

SYLLABUS INQUIRIES - ‘Non-syllabus’ selections must meet the accepted standard for suitability of style and level of difficulty at each grade level. Material from method books may only be used in Preparatory classes. Questions regarding a class in the syllabus, or any performer wishing to enter the Festival in an artistic style not listed in this syllabus, should contact Theresa Hargrave at qathetfopa@gmail.com by December 31, 2026 for consideration in this, or future festivals.

PERFORMANCE PROCEDURES

Selections must have language and content that is appropriate/acceptable for all age levels of participants and audiences. Participants must not select and perform the same piece in more than one class, either within a particular section or in any other section of the Festival. Once a vocal, instrumental, choral, dance, or speech selection has been performed, it may not be used again by the same participant or group in succeeding years in the Festival.

Please present to the adjudicator’s secretary one original score/script of the music, or speech arts selection at least 15 minutes prior to the start of your class section. Attach a Post-it note to the selection with your name, class name and number, and the selection’s page number.

Photography is permitted during music and speech arts disciplines, but only with prior permission from the performer. Please ensure your camera flash is switched off at all times. Participants should not start until a signal to commence is given by the adjudicator. The adjudicator may, at his or her discretion, stop any performance at any time, or request the omission of repeats, and may signal when “own selection” exceeds the time allowed by the syllabus.

Any participant, teacher, or parent who has a question or concern must speak to the qathet Festival representative. Communication with the adjudicator is absolutely prohibited. Contradiction of this rule will result in disqualification.

Any teacher or participant who refrains from following the rules and procedures, including performing additional pieces in a single class, or going over the time limit specified, will be not recommended/forfeit consideration for recommendation to BC Provincials or selection to perform in the Grand Concert.

Appropriate concert dress and decorum is expected at all sessions, including the Grand Concert. For the enjoyment of all patrons, there is to be absolutely no screaming or shouting from the wings or backstage.

GRAND CONCERT - Saturday March 6, 2027

Performers for the Grand Concert will be selected by the Grand Concert Committee based on recommendations from adjudicators as well as qathet Festival of Performing Arts committee members and festival volunteers.

Participants recommended by an adjudicator and Festival Committee to perform at the Grand Concert will be asked to perform their competition piece.

Participants selected to take part in the Grand Concert will be notified, either by telephone, email or in person, as soon as possible, after the completion of all sessions in that discipline.

The names of participants recommended by the adjudicators to participate at the Provincial Festival will be announced at the Grand Concert.

SPEECH ARTS CLASSES

The Syllabi published by the major examination bodies, including the Royal Conservatory (Toronto), Conservatory Canada, Trinity College, etc., are suggested for Grade/Level guidance in entering local and provincial festivals in Speech Arts.

Age categories for Provincial competition are ages 11-13, 17 years and under, and 22 years and under. Any student considering competing for the Provincial Speech and Dramatic Arts Competition is encouraged to consult with the Festival Committee prior to entering the qathet Festival to ensure selections meet Provincial requirements.

DEFINITIONS

The following definitions have been established as guidelines for competitors at the Provincial level:

Prose: A prose passage is a selection from a story, novel, essay or similar writing that forms a concise unit. Prose is non-metrical writing; thus, stories written in verse are not appropriate. In prose, the speaker is the narrator. The focus should be on the voice. Vocal characterization is encouraged but the quality of prose must be maintained. The selection should include narration, description and dialogue. It should be spoken in the story-telling style, but should not be performed as a dramatic scene, i.e., there is to be no acting, with only very limited movement around the stage. Competitors may stand or be seated.
Drama: In drama the speaker is the character. The selection should be taken from a play written to be presented on the stage by an actor assuming language, movement and dress of the character portrayed. The selection should be the words of one character only with words of other characters omitted. Shakespeare selections must be taken from his plays rather than his non-dramatic poetry. Movement, character development and relationships are important in this section, thus ‘stand-alone monologues’ (not from longer plays) often don’t offer the opportunity to develop these important aspects at the provincial level.
Poetry: In poetry, the language is moulded into some kind of design; in prose it is not. Speakers may choose to perform any type of poetry including but not limited to: lyric, narrative, dramatic, slam or free verse - matching performance choices to author intention and style.
- Lyric: A short unified poem expressing the poet’s own experience and emotion usually presented in a relaxed stance with no movement. The speaker interprets rather than identifies with it. (e.g., Solitude by Bliss Carman; To Autumn by Keats; Sonnets of Shakespeare and Wordsworth).
- Narrative: A poem which tells a story and usually has dialogue; the telling of a story is the primary concern of the speaker (e.g., The King’s Breakfast by A. A. Milne; The Raven by E. A. Poe; The Cattle Thief by Pauline Johnson).
- Dramatic: In a dramatic poem, a character distinct from the performer and poet speaks, revealing personality and attitudes. The primary concern of the poem is to reveal character, rather than tell a story (e.g., My Last Duchess by Robert Browning; Patterns by Amy Lowell).
- Slam Poetry: Idea or thematic connection poems with voice, humour, rhythm, exaggeration, wordplay, written for performance to an audience. Excerpts may be presented as these poems are often very long. Suggested resource books or poems include: “We Are More” (Koyczan), Word Warriors (Olsen), Take the Mic (Smith); Poetry Slam (Glazner).
- Free Verse: Poetry or ‘a poem’ without regular rhythm or rhyme, yet still providing artistic expression (e.g., Poems by Walt Whitman, Carl Sandburg or T.S. Eliot).
- Sonnet: A sonnet is a fixed form lyric poem, traditionally consisting of 14 lines of iambic pentameter with a set rhyme scheme. In Senior Speech, modern sonnets with variations in rhyme scheme and stanzaic structure are permissible, as are caudated, curtal and double sonnets, provided their inclusion fits the overall time allowance. Sources: The Penguin Book of the Sonnet; Making of a Sonnet (Hirsch); The Art of the Sonnet (Burt).
Public Speaking: Is the act or process of making speeches in public. The selection of Public Speaking must be an original extemporaneous speech and not memorized. Notes should be used but not read from. The speech can be persuasive, informational, or entertaining. The topic should be the speaker’s choice. Research, organization, language and all aspects of delivery and audience appeal should be considered in the competitor’s delivery. Presentation aids may be used but must be set up, utilized, and removed within the specified time noted under ‘Competition and Adjudication Process’.
Storytelling: Is the interactive art of using words to reveal the elements and images of a story while encouraging the listener’s imagination. The selection of storytelling can include an original story or the competitor’s adaptation of a folktale, fairy tale, myth, legend or story. Stories must be told and must be in the competitor’s own words without the use of notes. Appropriate sounds, props, or limited movement may be included. Such choices should be utilized without disruption in the delivery of the story.

ALL POEMS AND MONOLOGUES MUST BE MEMORIZED

SCHOOL CLASSES POETRY

One selection.

Class 601 - Grade K-3
Class 602 - Grade 4-7
Class 603 - Grade 8-9
Class 604 - Grade 10-12

CHORAL SPEAKING

Two contrasting poems, own choice.

Class 605 - Intermediate Grade 4-7

INDIVIDUAL SPOKEN POETRY

Poem must be memorized, relaxed stance with limited gestures, no costumes. Participants should choose a poem appropriate for their grade level. It is suggested that students practice reciting their poem in a school gym.

Class 608 - Grade 1
Class 609 - Grade 2
Class 610 - Grade 3
Class 611 - Grade 4
Class 612 - Grade 5
Class 613 - Grade 6
Class 614 - Grade 7 and 8

NARRATIVE POETRY

Poem must be memorized.

Class 618 - 17 years and under
Class 619 - 22 years and under
Class 620 - Adult

LYRIC POETRY

Poem must be memorized.

Class 621 - 17 years and under
Class 622 - 22 years and under
Class 623 - Adult

ORIGINAL POETRY

Student’s own composition, appropriate for his/her grade level. Selection must be presented by the author. Memorization is encouraged. Duets are not accepted. A typed copy of the poem must be given to the adjudicator’s secretary at least 15 minutes prior to the performance.

Class 624 - Grade 1-3
Class 625 - Grade 4-7
Class 626 - Grade 8-9
Class 627 - Grade 10-12
Class 628 - 22 years and under
Class 629 - Adult

DUET SPOKEN POETRY

Not unison, limited gestures permitted.

Class 630 - Grade 1-3
Class 631 - Grade 4-5
Class 632 - Grade 6-7

MONOLOGUE

One person only, costumes must be simple, minimal props, excerpts from a published play, or anthology of monologues.

Class 640 - Grade 4-5
Class 641 - Grade 6-7
Class 642 - Grade 8-12
Class 643 - 22 years and under
Class 644 - Adult

MONOLOGUE - SHAKESPEARE

Speech of one character from a play by William Shakespeare. Costume may be worn if desired but will not affect adjudication.

Class 645 - 11-13 years. Time limit four minutes.
Class 646 - 17 years and under. Time limit five minutes.
Class 647 - 22 years and under. Time limit five minutes.
Class 648 - Adult. Time limit five minutes.

DUO - SHAKESPEARE

Selections to be taken from the works of William Shakespeare, performed by two people. Performers may be different ages as long as both are within the ages specified in the Speech Arts Syllabus.

Class 649 - 11-22 years. Time Limit: 10 minutes.

PROSE

One selection only. Participants may stand or sit.

Class 651 - Grade 4 & 5
Class 652 - Grade 6 & 7
Class 653 - Grade 8-12
Class 654 - 22 years and under
Class 655 - Adult

READERS’ THEATRE

One selection only. Maximum time 10 minutes. No microphones.

Class 660 - Grade 1-3
Class 661 - Grade 4 & 5
Class 662 - Grade 6 & 7
Class 663 - Grade 8 & 9
Class 664 - Grade 10-12
Class 665 - 22 years and under
Class 666 - Adult

PUBLIC SPEAKING

PREPARED TALK

Scripts are not required by the adjudicator. Examples of possible topics: computers, what is special about where I live, hobbies, games, sports, skating, etc.

Class 667 - 11-13 years of age. Maximum time 6 minutes.
Class 668 - 17 years and under. Maximum time 7 minutes.
Class 669 - 22 years and under. Maximum time 8 minutes.
Class 670 - Adult. Maximum time 8 minutes.

ORATORY

Participants in these classes must have prepared the speeches themselves. Speeches need not be memorized; participants are encouraged to use notes. Participants will, however, be penalized for excessive reading.

Class 671 - 11-13 years of age. Maximum time 6 minutes.
Speeches are to be persuasive. The student must endeavor to persuade the audience to do (or not to do) a particular action or to support a particular idea or group. Topics could be of social or political interest - local, provincial, national or international.
Class 672 - 17 years and under. Maximum time 7 minutes.
Speeches are to be persuasive. Students may wish to support a particular political cause or may identify themselves as candidates for a particular office. The objective is to persuade the audience of your point of view.
Class 673 - 22 years and under. Maximum time 8 minutes.
Speeches are to be your own choice in style and topic.
Class 674 - Adult. Maximum time 8 minutes.
Speeches are to be your own choice in style and topic.

IMPROMPTU TALK

A topic chosen by the adjudicator will be made available to each entrant approximately 10 minutes prior to the class. Each entrant will then be required to speak on the given topic for about 3 minutes.

Class 675 - Grade 4-7
Class 676 - Grade 8-9
Class 677 - Grade 10-12
Class 678 - 22 years and under
Class 679 - Adult

BIBLE READING

In these classes, participants read a selection from the Bible (either Old or New Testament). Entrants may use any authorized version. It is suggested that entrants choose selections that have particular beauty of language (e.g. Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Corinthians) or which complete an idea or story. It is not necessary to choose familiar passages. Participants may read from a hand held, typed copy. A bible with identical wording to the selection being read must be given to the adjudicator’s secretary.

Class 680 - Primary. Maximum time 3 min.
Class 681 - Grade 4-7. Maximum time 3 min.
Class 682 - Grade 8-9. Maximum time 3 min.
Class 683 - Grade 10-12. Maximum time 4 min.
Class 684 - 22 years and under. Maximum time 4 min.
Class 685 - Adult. Maximum time 4 min.

SACRED READING (using texts other than the Bible)

Class 686 - Primary. Maximum time 3 min.
Class 687 - Grade 4-7. Maximum time 3 min.
Class 688 - Grade 8-9. Maximum time 3 min.
Class 689 - Grade 10-12. Maximum time 4 min.
Class 690 - 22 years and under. Maximum time 4 min.
Class 691 - Adult. Maximum time 4 min.

WORKSHOP/MASTERCLASS

Content to be specified by the Adjudicator.

Class 695 - ages 14 and older