Strings

Blackheath Music Festival will be held in 2021 as an online festival

The link to online entries will be posted on this site by Monday 18 January. You can start to plan and make your choices now from the existing syllabus. All the classes currently listed will be available for online entry.

Performances will be accepted either accompanied or unaccompanied

As a guide, all performances will be heard and adjudicated via the Play and Perform platform on
Saturday 27 March and Sunday 28 March 2021

Performances will need to be submitted on or before Friday 19 March 2021

Date:	Saturday 27 March and Sunday 28 March 2021.
Closing date for entry:	Friday 19 March 2021
Age qualification:	Age as at 1 March 2021
Venue:	Online, using the Play and Perform Platform
Adjudicator:	Fiona McLean-Buechal
The String Secretary is: Graeme Humphrey:	4 Lowther Hill, London SE23 1PY Tel: 020 8690 6264 Email: strings@blackheathmusicfestival.co.uk
Official Accompanist:	There will be no official accompanist for the 2021 online festival. Performers should be aware that they can play either accompanied (using an accompanist who is Covid-compliant) or unaccompanied (ie. the performance is given without accompaniment).

Classes 300 - 320 are open to violin, viola, 'cello, double bass and harp only.

Performances in all string classes will be accepted either accompanied or unaccompanied

SOLO STRING CLASSES

Class 300: Preliminary – any age.
Entry £7.50   Time limit 3 mins.
Tuition not to have commenced before September 2019. Performers must not have taken Grade 1 exam or above. Graded examination music cannot be played in this class. Own choice of one or two pieces. The title(s) of the piece(s) need not be given on the entry form. The instrument to be played must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

Class 301: Grade 1.
Entry £8.00   Time limit 3 mins.
Own choice of one or two Grade 1 standard pieces. No exam higher than Grade 1 should have been passed. Title(s) of the piece(s) to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

Class 302: Grades 2 & 3.
Entry £8.00   Time limit 3 mins.
Own choice of one or two Grade 2 or 3 standard pieces. No exam higher than Grade 3 should have been passed. The title(s) of the piece(s) to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

Class 303: Grades 4 & 5.
Entry £8.50   Time limit 5 mins.
Own choice of one or two Grade 4 or 5 standard pieces. No exam higher than Grade 5 should have been passed. The title(s) of the piece(s) to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

Class 304: Grades 6 & 7.
Entry £8.50   Time limit 5 mins.
Own choice of one Grade 6 or 7 standard pieces. No exam higher than Grade 7 should have been passed. The title(s) of the piece(s) to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

Class 305: Grade 8.
Entry £9.00   Time limit 6 mins.
Own choice of one Grade 8 standard piece. No exam higher than Grade 8 should have been passed. The title(s) of the piece(s) to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

NON-COMPETITIVE CLASSES

Performers in the following three classes will all receive written and verbal adjudications. The performance will also be placed in a category of achievement. No places will be awarded.  The piece(s) is to be declared at the time of entry.

Class 306:  Grades 1 & 2 level. 11 years & under. Non Competitive.
Entry £8.00. Time limit 3 mins.
Performers can play one or two pieces at this level of difficulty.  The piece(s) can be from either current or old examination lists, free repertoire, or a combination of both. The piece(s) is to be declared at the time of entry.

Class 307:  Grades 3 & 4 level. 12 years & under. Non Competitive
Entry £8.50. Limit 4 mins.
Performers can play one or two pieces at this level of difficulty.  The piece(s) can be from either current or old examination lists, free repertoire, or a combination of both. The piece(s) is to be declared at the time of entry.

Class 308:  Grades 5 & 6 level. 13 years & under.  Non Competitive
Entry £8.50. Limit 4 mins.
Performers can play one or two pieces at this level of difficulty.  The piece can be from either current or old examination lists or free repertoire. The piece(s) is to be declared at the time of entry.

RECITAL CLASSES

Class 309: Recital – 12 years & under.
Entry £9.00. Time limit 10 mins
Own choice of two contrasting pieces. Concerto movements must be entered in Class 312. The title(s) of the piece(s) to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

Class 310: Recital – 16 years & under.
Entry £9.50. Time limit 12 mins
Own choice of two contrasting pieces. Concerto movements must be entered in Class 312. The title(s) of the piece(s) to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

Class 311: Recital – Open.
Entry £9.50. Time limit 15 mins
Own choice of two contrasting pieces. Concerto movements must be entered in Class 312. The title(s) of the piece(s) to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

Class 312: Concerto – Any age.
Entry £10.00
Own choice of one movement. The title of the piece to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

NEW for 2021
Please note the following class will be held within the piano section and will be heard by the piano adjudicator. All entries for this class should be made online by going to the Piano Syllabus section of the online entry form in order to find the correct class number. The below is for information only. Entries for this class cannot be made by selecting the Strings Syllabus section of the online entry form.

Class 113:  11 years & under - Own composition.
Entry £9.00. Time limit 3 mins

The composition can be for any group from 1 - 4 players, singers or a mixture of both and can be a free or fixed-form composition. The composer must be one of the performers
The composition must be written down and a copy provided for the adjudicator.
A paper copy of the composition must be submitted to the Piano Secretary by Monday 27 April so that it can be sent to the adjudicator for pre-festival assessment
All performers must perform ‘live’ on the day - no pre-recorded parts
Only the composition (not the performance) will be adjudicated

NEW for 2021
Please note the following class will be held within the piano section and will be heard by the piano adjudicator. All entries for this class should be made online by going to the Piano Syllabus section of the online entry form in order to find the correct class number. The below is for information only. Entries for this class cannot be made by selecting the Strings Syllabus section of the online entry form.

Class 114: 12 years & over - Own composition.
Entry £9.00. Time limit 3 mins

The composition can be for any group from 1 - 4 players, singers or a mixture of both and can be a free or fixed-form composition. The composer must be one of the performers
The composition must be written down and a copy provided for the adjudicator.
A paper copy of the composition must be submitted to the Piano Secretary by Monday 27 April so that it can be sent to the adjudicator for pre-festival assessment
All performers must perform ‘live’ on the day - no pre-recorded parts
Only the composition (not the performance) will be adjudicated

GROUP CLASSES

Class 313: String Duet – 12 years & under.
Entry £8.00. Time limit 5 mins
Own choice of one piece for any two stringed instruments. Can be accompanied or unaccompanied. The title of the piece to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

Class 314: String Duet – Any age.
Entry £8.00. Time limit 7 mins
Own choice of one piece for any two stringed instruments. Can be accompanied or unaccompanied. The title of the piece to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

Class 315: Chamber music – 12 years & under.
Entry £9.00. Time limit 10 mins
Own choice of music using three or more players, one player per part. Any combination of instruments; strings, piano, wind or brass. The title of the piece to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

Class 316: Chamber music – open.
Entry £9.50. Time limit 12 mins
Own choice of music using three or more players, one player per part. Any combination of instruments; strings, piano, wind or brass. The title of the piece to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

Class 317: Unison string class – 12 years & under.
Entry £9.50. Time limit 8 mins
Own choice of music using three or more players. Any combination of instruments.
The title(s) of the piece(s) to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

Class 318: Unison string class – 16 years & under.
Entry £9.50. Time limit 8 mins
Own choice of music using three or more players. Any combination of instruments. Title(s) of the piece(s) to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

Class 319:  String ensemble, any number of players per part – 12 years & under (ALL players are to be 12 years or under on 1 May 2020).
Entry £11.00. Time limit 10 mins
Any combination of string instruments which may include piano accompaniment. Title(s) of the piece(s) to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

Class 320: String ensemble, any number of players per part – Open (players can be any age)
Entry £11.00. Time limit 12 mins
Any combination of string instruments which may include piano accompaniment. Title(s) of the piece(s) to be performed must be shown on the entry form at the time of entry.

OTHER CLASSES FOR STRINGS

Please note the following class will be held within the piano section and will be heard by the piano adjudicator. All entries for this class should be made online by going to the Piano Syllabus section of the online entry form in order to find the correct class number. The below is for information only. Entries for this class cannot be made by selecting the String Syllabus section of the online entry form.

Class 139: Family ensemble – any age.
Entry £8.50. Time limit 6 mins
Two, three or four players from the same family, including adults. Any combination of instruments or voices.  Own choice of one or two pieces.
This class will be heard by the piano adjudicator

TWO INSTRUMENT/VOICE CLASSES

Performers should present one instrument from any two of the following categories – piano, strings (including guitar), brass, wind or singing – i.e. combinations such as singing & recorder, piano & trumpet, flute & trombone – but not two instruments within a category. Performers need to provide their own accompanist (if being used). Instruments/voices and pieces are to be declared at the time of entry. These classes will be heard by the piano adjudicator.

Class 140:  12 years & under, two instruments
Entry £9.00. Time limit 6 mins
This class will be heard by the piano adjudicator.

Class 141:  13 years & over, two instruments
Entry £9.50. Time limit 8 mins
This class will be heard by the piano adjudicator.