SCVA Festival Host Guide (revised January 2012)
The success of a festival depends a great deal on how the host plans and organizes the festival. The following information is a guide to assist the festival host in planning and running a successful festival.

Festival Host Checklist
One Month Before the Festival
 - Receive info of participating directors by email from VP of Festivals
 - Receive Festival Adjudication Forms (in duplicate) in mail from Executive VP
 - Receive names and contact info of the two ADJUDICATORS assigned to your festival from Executive VP Brian Holm mrholmscva@gmail.com
 - Contact your two ADJUDICATORS and confirm date/time, exchange cell phone numbers, etc. Decide which judge will do recorded comments, and which judge will do written comments.
 - Receive paychecks for Adjudicators from Treasurer.
 - Print Festival Adjudicator Payment Voucher from website to have adjudicators sign them when then get their checks.
 - Send an email welcome letter to each participating director with directions and request for rep info for program (see sample below)
 - If you are going to provide digital recordings of the adjudicator's comments, inform your participating directors.
 - If you are not providing digital recordings, inform your participating directors that they need to BRING THEIR OWN RECORDING DEVICE (BYORD) if they want recorded comments from the adjudicators.
 - Please also inform them that they will need to provide a person to assist the judge in operating the device if needed.
 - If no recording device is provided, then two written adjudications will be received.
 - Get program info (titles, composers/arrangers) from each director
 - Receive plaques in the mail from trophy company; check correctness of plaques when they arrive

Few Days Before the Festival
 - Fill out top portion of adjudication forms COMPLETELY for all participating choirs
 - Prepare printed Festival Program, copy and fold
 - Count out programs for each school, have extras for parents/audience
 - Get student/parent helpers to assist each adjudicator, greet each group, usher, emcee, calculate scores, operate recording equipment and/or computers
 - Prepare scripted announcer sheets (especially for student emcees) and have them practice. The announcement for each group should include the information from the top of the adjudication form, but titles of selections do not need to be introduced because they are printed in the program:

EXAMPLE: Now entering the stage is the Ocean View High School Wave Chorale from Los Angeles, CA.  This novice ensemble has 42 singers consisting of 14 freshmen, 12 sophomores, 10 juniors and 6 seniors. Ocean View High School has a population of 2200 students, and has 4 choral ensembles. The Wave Chorale is directed by Ms. Jane Smith who has been in her present position for 6 years; she has 14 years of choral teaching experience. They are accompanied by Mr. John Doe. Let us welcome the Ocean View High School Wave Chorale.

Day of the Festival
 - Have risers, shell, tuned piano, podium, microphone available onstage
 - If you are providing digital recording of adjudicator comments, set up recording equipment and/or computers and helpers to operate equipment
 - Post seat assignments on chairs in auditorium/theater
 - Provide table/desk, chair, light, water, pencils, Festival Adjudicator Payment Voucher and a helper for each adjudicator.
 - Put plaques on a table in order of performance, ready to calculate/attach rating plate
 - Assign a Helper with Calculator to calculate ratings (directions on bottom of adjudication form), then attach rating plate
 - When each director arrives, assign a greeter to take the choir to their seats/bathroom etc.
 - Each choir is allowed a short 3-5 minute onstage warmup.
 - Have two large envelopes for each choir labeled with their school and ensemble name.
 - When the choir arrives, assign a helper to collect the scores for the adjudicators (no illegal photocopies allowed!) and their recording device. One set of scores and the recording device go into one envelope; the other set of scores goes in the other envelope.
 - Directors may choose "comments only" or "comments and grades." Please indicate their preference on each envelope.
 - Put all envelopes at adjudicators' tables.
 - Put your own ensemble's scores and recording device in large envelopes and put them at the adjudicators' tables.
 - Festival host gives a welcome speech that includes introducing and thanking the adjudicators.   Remind students they need to follow the SCVA Festival Code of Conduct
 - Consider starting your festival with all students singing the National Anthem
 - It's nice if an administrator can also be present to give a brief welcome
 - Adjudicators may need extra time to finish adjudication forms, request assistance in operating recording devices, or request pauses between selections.  Please assist them as needed with these requests.

After the Festival
 - Before each director leaves, return the large envelopes with their scores, recording device OR recorded adjudicator comments, and plaque with rating attached.
 - Complete Online Festival Adjudication Evaluation
 - Mail carbon copies of adjudication forms to Executive VP
 - Mail completed adjudicator Festival Adjudicator Payment Voucher to Treasurer

Festival Policies
 - All directors participating in SCVA festivals must be current members of SCVA.
 - Awards ceremonies are NOT allowed at SCVA festivals. Each director will only receive their own scores, no recap sheet or announcement of ratings is provided.
 - A festival host may take their "free" group to an away festival in addition to participation in their own. Separate applications and fees must be submitted for each festival.
 - Festival hosts may NOT charge an admission fee or sell tickets to audience members at SCVA festivals.
 - Pre-recorded accompaniment may NOT be used at SCVA festivals.  If a director requests the use of one, please decline the request.
 - The two adjudicators in consultation with the festival host may decide to withhold adjudication from a group that submits illegally photocopied music, uses pre-recorded accompaniment, or displays obviously disruptive conduct.

Thank you for making the commitment to be a festival host!

If you have any questions, contact the Vice Presidents of Festivals:
Jennifer Stanley, VP-I
jstanley@emuhsd.k12.ca.us
(626) 258-5292

Maria Fritts, VP-II
mfritts@temeculaprep.com 
(951) 926-6776


SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Director,

We look forward to having you join us for the ______(date) SCVA Festival at ______ High School.

The festival will begin promptly at __pm.  The auditorium will be open and the stage available for warmups beginning one hour before.  Warmups will be on a first-come, first-served basis with a five-minute time limit if other groups are waiting.

There will be ___(number) sections of choral risers onstage along with a ____(type) piano.  Please let me know if you have any special needs, such as handicapped accessibility, chairs for instrumentalists or page turners, music stands, solo mics, etc.

There are no changing facilities available, so please have your choirs arrive dressed.  Also, please review the SCVA Festival Code of Conduct with your students beforehand.

I will need your titles and composer/arranger names by _______(one week prior).  Please include accompanist and soloist names as well.

You will need to bring two copies of each selection (no illegal photocopies!) for the adjudicators, and you will need to bring your own recording device (BYORD) for recorded adjudicator comments. Please have a student or parent ready to assist the adjudicator with operating the device if needed.  If no recording device is provided, you will receive two written adjudications.

_______ High School is located at __________. Please let me know if you need more detailed directions.

Please email me with any questions.  Thank you and I look forward to seeing you soon!