Large Group Contemporary Christian Performance Competition: What It Is, Where It’s Run and How It’s Judged

A team performance by a large group presenting a contemporary Christian piece, such as a worship-style song, a staged sung-and-spoken item or a movement-and-music presentation, judged as one team entry.

A large group contemporary Christian performance is the bigger-ensemble counterpart of the small group item: a sizeable team presents one prepared piece in a modern style with a Christian message. Typical entries are a worship-style song led by a few voices with a full group behind them, a staged sung-and-spoken presentation, or a piece that combines music with simple movement. As in the small group item, “contemporary” points to current worship and popular styles rather than a traditional hymn or formal choral setting.

Size changes what the panel looks for. With many performers the hardest job is control: everyone must start, breathe and stop together, parts must stay balanced across a wide stage, and the words must still carry when twenty or thirty voices are singing. A round is one prepared performance, so the walk-on, set-up of microphones and instruments, and the exit all happen inside the group’s slot and are part of what the panel sees.

On eTalenter the item appears in one template, a teen talent template, where it is a team entry for ages 13 to 19, in English, open to both genders, scored as a rating out of 10 with a maximum of 5 printed against the entry. The template prints no time limit and no group-size figure, and it lists the item immediately after Small Group Contemporary Christian Performance so the two sizes are entered and marked separately.

Because the boundary between small and large is not printed, an organiser should publish it before registration, together with the time limit and the rules on backing tracks, live instruments and amplification. A group that is told clearly which side of the line it falls on can plan its arrangement, staging and rehearsal time with confidence.

Where Large Group Contemporary Christian Performance is run

On eTalenter this item sits in a single teen talent template, built for events where young people perform music, art, writing and speaking items with a faith theme. No wider reach is claimed: the page records only that template, and organisers elsewhere set their own size, time and equipment rules.

• Worldwide

Key facts

• Team item: one rating for the whole group, never one per member
• Teen talent template: ages 13 to 19, English, both genders
• Scored as a rating out of 10 in the template; the entry prints a maximum score of 5
• No time limit and no group-size figure printed; organisers should publish both
• Entered separately from Small Group Contemporary Christian Performance
• Sits in the Music category of the template

On eTalenter, Large Group Contemporary Christian Performance is filed under Music and typically scored with Rating out of 10. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.

Across the templates that use it, Large Group Contemporary Christian Performance is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 5.

What judges look at in Large Group Contemporary Christian Performance

What a Large Group Contemporary Christian Performance panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:

• Control of a large ensemble: entries, cut-offs and changes of speed land together across the whole group, with no stragglers at the back
• Balance across the stage: lead voices are heard over the group, and no section dominates or disappears
• Words and message reaching the audience: diction stays clear at volume, and delivery suits the meaning of the text
• Musical quality: tuning, rhythm and sensible handling of any band or backing track, especially in louder passages
• Staging and presentation: orderly entrance and exit, tidy positions and movement that supports the piece rather than distracting; the template prints one rating, so a panel wanting separate headings should agree them beforehand

Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Large Group Contemporary Christian Performance under Scoring Setup, or start from the judge scoring and tabulation guide.

How to prepare for Large Group Contemporary Christian Performance

How entrants and their teachers usually get Large Group Contemporary Christian Performance right on the day:

• Choose an arrangement that suits the whole group, with a few strong lead lines and simple, secure parts for everyone else
• Rehearse in the largest room you can get, because spacing and sound change a great deal once the group is spread out
• Assign a clear leader or conductor for entries and endings, and make sure every member can see that person
• Mark positions on the floor for the walk-on, the performance and the walk-off, and drill all three until they are quiet and quick
• Test every microphone, instrument and backing track together at full group size before the day
• Time the piece and agree in advance where it can be shortened if the organiser sets a limit
• Record a rehearsal from the back of the room and check that the words, not just the tune, can be heard

Frequently asked questions

Is Large Group Contemporary Christian Performance judged individually or as a team?

Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.

Is a large group contemporary Christian performance judged as a team?

Yes. The template sets it as a team entry, so the whole group receives a single rating.

How many people make a large group?

The template does not say. Organisers should state where small ends and large begins in the notice so teams enter the correct item.

What is the time limit?

No time limit is printed in the template. The organiser should publish one so groups can fit their piece to it.

Can a group enter both the small and large item?

The template lists them as separate items. Whether one group may enter both, or members may appear in more than one team, is for the organiser to decide and announce.

Want the full judging picture? Read the judge scoring and tabulation guide, or browse every music competition item.