Convention/Contest Cycle

Does your quartet or chorus enjoy performing for a large audience?
Would you like expert feedback from knowledgeable coaches across the Society?
Or do you simply enjoy gathering with barbershoppers throughout the Mid-Atlantic states?

Then read on to learn about how to participate in this year's conventions.

Benefits

We sing to share our music with others. Performing onstage gets you:

The opportunity to show others what you’ve been working on
A score, feedback, or both to help assess your music at its current milestone
High-quality video and group-specific sessions from certified judges

The Mid-Atlantic District remains one of the largest audiences that truly appreciate our style of music.

Eligibility

Any registered MAD quartet or chorus (9+ members) can enter at either spring convention to sing for fun. No matter your competitive edge, in the spring, we welcome all groups that would like to perform a set onstage. This includes:

Quartets with the basic package
Newer quartets that are just getting started
Community choruses that don't compete
Choruses that have already qualified for International
Groups that have already won

The music you sing doesn't even need to be "contestable" (it just needs to be in your repertory). However, scores and feedback will be framed in terms of BHS contest rules, so keep that in mind when you interpret scores.

Tracks

Conventions have a quartet session and a chorus session. Each one of these sessions include tracks for different contests (and a non-contest "score/feedback" option).

Depending on your goals and qualifications, a given performance may count toward one or more contests, which have their own awards. Some smaller contests have one round; larger ones have multiple rounds at one convention; and even larger ones have preliminary qualifiers ("prelims") that feed into a future contest.

When using Contest Entry (the system for signing up to formally perform), be aware of your track:

Score/feedback only (after one round) offers an unpublished score and feedback with judges
Division (and District Seniors) starts and ends in the spring (single round)
District prelims in the spring (one round) feeds into the fall (up to two rounds)
International spring prelims (up to two rounds) feeds into the summer (up to three rounds).
International Seniors spring prelims (one round) progresses to the winter (one round).

The spring conventions offer new and returning groups an opportunity to sing onstage for the District audience. For logistical reasons, to sing onstage you enter the "contest", even if you aren't necessarily competing for a particular score.

Singing for fun

Forget contest--the spring is a great time to put your music in front of barbershoppers! Even if you have no intent or desire to compete later in the year, we encourage you to join us.

Performing a set for a captive audience and receiving quality feedback (even without a published score) is one of the best ways to measure progress and continue growing as a group. Read more about the philosophy behind contest and judging.

If you're singing for fun but don't know what to sign up for:

Are you a chorus? Sign up for two songs (one round).
Does your quartet only have two songs? That's okay! Just sign up for Division (one round).
Does your quarte have more than two songs? Sign up for both rounds! You might sing twice.

Remember that you are singing for the audience, not for the judges or their approval. The panel is always intended to reflect the audience, with consistent category language to help elevate your performance. After all, judges rotate between contests; the Mid-Atlantic audience keeps coming back.

Singing for score

Qualifying for International (summer)

Quartets may qualify for the current year's BHS International convention at any spring preliminary contest:

This consists of two rounds, four songs total.
You may sign up for the chance to perform twice, even if you do not intend to compete at District or International.
If a quartet plans to compete out of district in the spring but wants to compete at District in the fall, first reach out to your VP of C&J.

Choruses may qualify for the next year's BHS International convention at our fall chorus contest.

International has a higher qualifying chorus score than the district, so we use the spring contests to feed into the fall chorus preliminary.
Choruses already attending this year's International are still encouraged to come sing in spring, share their music, and support the district.

Minimum qualifying scores for International contests are set by BHS and are subject to change.

Qualifying for District (fall)

MAD quartets and choruses can qualify in the spring for the invitation-only District contest in the fall.

Automatic quartet qualifiers for the district contest include the:

Division champion from the current year
International qualifiers for the current year (determined this spring)

Automatic chorus qualifiers for the district contest include the:

Division champion from the current year
International qualifiers for the current year (determined last fall)

Additional groups (wildcards) will be invited to compete in the fall based on their division scores and the capacity for the fall judging panel.

Typically, at most the top scoring 25 groups are invited to District.

Qualifying for International Seniors (next winter)

Seniors quartets and seniors choruses may qualify for the following year's BHS Midwinter convention at any spring contest:

This consists of one round, two songs total.
Each seniors quartet member must be age 55+ and the combined ages of the quartet must 240+ years (average of 60).
Each competing seniors chorus member must be age 55+ and a member of the chapter the chorus represents. If under the age of 55, the director is not permitted to sing.

For any groups that attempt to qualify in two different contests, only the second contest results will count.

Competing for District Seniors (this spring)

The District Seniors Quartet champion will be determined at only one spring convention. This is a separate from the International Seniors Quartet track. Check the individual convention pages for the associated contests.

Additionally, eligible seniors quartets can qualify at any spring prelims convention for:

BHS International contest (this summer)
MAD District contest (this fall)
BHS International seniors contest (next winter)

Seniors quartets can compete at any of the spring conventions to qualify for the following winter's BHS International Seniors Quartet contest.

Contest entry process

Each convention page has detailed guides on how to enter. Here are some important things to know about performing at a District convention:

Entry opens two months before and closes one month before its start date.
Both scores and feedback sessions are optional (but encouraged).
Groups typically enter the contest for their affiliated division (decided when they form). If you intend to compete out of division or out of district, reach out to the MAD VP of C&J.

To enter your registered group at a MAD convention, use the BHS Member Center. Before you submit, you'll want to have:

Members (for quartets, their names; for choruses the estimated number of singers)
Repertory up to date
Contests/awards already picked

You can pick your preferred judges after entry closes. Just contact your VP of Contests.

Reminders

Besides the joy of sharing your music, there are perks to crossing the stage:

All performers can receive a high-quality video from our District production team.
Feedback/coaching is available as a session per category or an extended general session.
Entrants can request coaching with their top three picks of judges. Most groups get at least one of their picks.

Remember that "contest" is ultimately a performance opportunity. Sure, there is some friendly competition, but you are ultimately competing against yourself. Judges are there to offer insight, not approval, and the performance is for the audience, not the judges.

Scores are just a number to help you track your progress. We do sort them to decide a "winner" (who doesn't like a winner?), but the real winner is the audience and those who bring them the joy of barbershop.

See you at contest!

For questions and information about these programs contact:
Rafi Hasib
MAD District VP for Contest & Judging