The annual Competition aims to encourage all young people from the Competition area and beyond to take part in this prestigious event. It is now in its ninth year and has grown steadily in the number of entrants and in the standing in which it is held within the North Wales Community. It gives an opportunity for young people to develop their singing talents, together with their presentation skills, to an ever higher standard and to receive positive feedback from the team of professional adjudicators.

The Competition covers the six Counties of North Wales and Powys and is open to Entrants from the rest of Wales and the adjoining Counties of England. The Competition is open to young people between the ages of 11 and 19 who either live in or attend school or colleges in these areas.

It is planned to hold the preliminary heats at Howell's School Denbigh over two days on Saturday 31st January and Sunday 1st February 2009, where each entrant will sing their chosen pieces in front of the professional adjudicators. Details of when each entrant will be called for their heat will be sent early in January 2009

The Finals Concert, consisting of the first three in each category, will be held at the Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl, on Saturday 7th March 2009.The winner of each Category will be awarded a trophy and a Certificate of Congratulation and a chance to record their winning piece.

We have a Website which outlines the history of the Competition, the conditions of entry and includes an application form. I hope you find this interesting and any feedback about the website would be very welcome.

It would be appreciated, to assist with administration, if you could send in the entry form as soon as possible to facilitate the allocation of heat times. I look forward to receiving a completed Entry Form from you and hope that this year's Competition will be as enjoyable as in past years and that the standard will continue to rise to even higher levels.

CRITERIA:

Basic singing skills i.e. in tune, musically accurate, phrased, melodic, correct breathing technique, right choice of song for voice
Basic performance skills i.e. interpretation of song, sincerity, in keeping with character, hold attention, show stage presence
Basic movement skills i.e. must be relevant, meaningful, gracefully executed