The traditional-repertoire choir class of the folklore split, where a team sings songs kept true to their source and is scored out of 10 across seven age divisions.
Choirs – Authentic is the group-singing class for teams that keep to traditional repertoire. In the folklore split of this template, authentic is the strictest of the three forms: the songs, the way they are sung and the dress or manner of the singers are expected to stay close to the tradition they come from, rather than being rearranged or reimagined. A village song learned from older singers and sung in its own dialect is the model entry.
On the template it is a team item in seven divisions: Mini Kids (4 to 6), Kids (7 to 9), Children (10 to 13), Junior (14 to 17), Adults (18 and over), Senior (50 and over) and a Mixed Age division that sits across all ages. It is open to both genders, Polish is the language setting, each choir receives one score out of 10 as Marks, and results are ranked inside each division. No time limit and no sub-criteria are printed on the template, so running time, the number of songs and any rule on accompaniment belong in the organiser’s notice.
A round usually runs as a short programme: the choir files on, takes its places, sings its piece or pieces, and leaves so the next choir can set up. Because the class is a choir rather than a soloist, the panel listens to the ensemble as one voice. Entry details such as the list of songs, the size of the choir and the name of the conductor are normally sent in at registration, which is where an organiser records them.
Organisers offer an authentic choirs class to protect and showcase traditional singing, and to give community, school and family choirs a place to compete on equal terms. Where authentic ends and processed begins is decided by the event notice, not by the template, so a coordinator should state it plainly.
Where Choirs – Authentic is run
On eTalenter this item is used in one template, an international folklore dance and music festival template based in Krakow, Poland, which offers every discipline in authentic, processed and styled forms. Traditional choral classes also appear at folk and heritage festivals across Europe and beyond, though the exact meaning of authentic differs from event to event, so the notice for each event has the final say.
- Poland (the festival the template is built from)
Key facts
- Team item on the template: each choir is scored as one ensemble
- Seven divisions from Mini Kids (4-6) to Senior (50+), plus a Mixed Age division
- Open to both genders, scored out of 10 as Marks
- Language setting on the template is Polish
- No time limit is printed on the template, so the organiser’s notice sets the programme length
- First of three choir classes: authentic, then processed, then styled
On eTalenter, Choirs – Authentic is filed under On Stage and typically scored with Marks. 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, Choirs – Authentic is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 10.
The scoring method the templates attach to this item, and what that scale means. The category this competition is filed under when a template is installed. Others in this category: Dance, Music, Drama, Mimicry, Debate, Elocution, Story Telling, Group Song, Action Song eTalenter matches an item to its criteria on the words in its name, and creates exactly these when the template is installed. No criteria match this name, so none are created automatically — judges score it on the event’s own criteria instead.How it is scored
Where it sits
Judging criteria installed for it
What judges look at in Choirs – Authentic
What a Choirs – Authentic panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Faithfulness to tradition: songs and singing style that stay close to their source rather than a modern rearrangement
- Intonation and blend: voices that stay in tune together and sound like one choir
- Rhythm and unity: entries and endings together, with steady tempo through the piece
- Diction and language: clear, correct words in the song’s own language or dialect
- Expression: a performance that carries the feeling and character of the song
- Overall impression: with one score out of 10 and no printed sub-criteria, the panel’s total reaction decides the result
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Choirs – Authentic under Scoring Setup, or start from our judging and score tabulation guide.
How to prepare for Choirs – Authentic
How entrants and their teachers usually get Choirs – Authentic right on the day:
- Read the organiser’s notice first for the time limit, number of songs, and any rule on accompaniment or costume
- Choose songs the choir can trace to a real source, and be ready to say where each one comes from
- Rehearse in sections: pitch first, then rhythm, then words, then expression
- Practise the entrance, positions and exit so no time is lost on the day
- Place stronger or more confident singers evenly through the choir so the blend stays balanced
- Warm up together before the round and check the room’s sound with a short test if allowed
- Enter the right age division, since each is ranked separately
- After a loss, record a rehearsal and listen for tuning and unity before adding anything new
- Ideas, not rules: a work song from the choir’s own region, a seasonal or harvest song, a lullaby sung in unison, or a call-and-response piece with two halves of the choir
Events that run this (1)
Ready-made templates that already include this competition. Installing one sets it up for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Choirs – Authentic 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.
What is the difference between Choirs – Authentic and Choirs – Processed?
Authentic keeps to traditional repertoire and manner. Processed adapts tradition with arrangement or new elements. The template does not print the boundary, so check the event notice.
Is Choirs – Authentic judged individually or as a team?
On the template it is a team item, so the whole choir receives one score out of 10 as Marks.
Can a choir sing with an instrument or backing track?
The template does not say. Whether accompaniment is allowed is for the organiser’s notice to state.
How long can a choir perform in Choirs – Authentic?
No time limit is printed on the template. The organiser’s notice sets the running time.
Similar competitions
Items whose names share a word with this one — usually the same discipline in another form.
Want the full judging picture? Read our judging and score tabulation guide, or browse every on stage competition item.
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