The arranged orchestra class of the folklore split, where an instrumental ensemble builds on folk repertoire through arrangement and is scored out of 10 across seven age divisions.
Orchestras – Processed is the middle ensemble instrumental class of the folklore split. The material still comes from folk tradition, but it reaches the stage through arrangement: tunes may be harmonised, parts divided among instruments, introductions and endings added, or the order of sections reshaped so that the piece works as a composed whole for a group.
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 across all ages. It is open to both genders, Polish is the language setting, and each orchestra receives a single score out of 10 as Marks, ranked within its division. The template prints no time limit, no player count and no sub-criteria, so the organiser’s notice has to supply them.
A round is a short ensemble performance. Because the arrangement is the distinguishing feature, the panel hears two things at once: how well the players execute, and whether the arrangement is a sensible, musical treatment of the source rather than a pile of added parts. A simple arrangement played together and in tune generally beats an ambitious one that the group cannot hold.
Organisers offer a processed class so that groups who work from tradition creatively have a place that is neither the strict authentic class nor the open styled class. Where the boundary sits is for the event notice to state, so a coordinator should describe how much arrangement is expected and how far the folk source must still be recognisable.
Where Orchestras – Processed 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. Arranged folk music for ensembles is common at regional and school music festivals in many countries, but class names and rules differ by event, so each notice has the final say.
- Poland (the festival the template is built from)
Key facts
- Team item on the template: each orchestra receives one ensemble score
- 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 or player count is printed, so the organiser’s notice sets both
- Second of three orchestra classes: authentic, then processed, then styled
On eTalenter, Orchestras – Processed 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, Orchestras – Processed 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 Orchestras – Processed
What a Orchestras – Processed panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Ensemble timing: entries, tempo changes and endings that the whole group lands together
- Quality of the arrangement: parts that serve the tune rather than crowd it
- Recognisable folk source: the original melody still comes through the treatment
- Tuning and tone, particularly where arranged parts sit close together
- Balance between melody, harmony parts and rhythm, so added lines do not bury the tune
- Overall impression: with one score out of 10 and no printed sub-criteria, the total effect decides the result
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Orchestras – Processed under Scoring Setup, or start from our judging and score tabulation guide.
How to prepare for Orchestras – Processed
How entrants and their teachers usually get Orchestras – Processed right on the day:
- Read the notice for time limit, player numbers, amplification and how much arrangement is allowed
- Arrange to the group you have: write each part so the weakest player can play it securely
- Keep the arrangement small in ambition, such as one harmony line or one change of texture, and rehearse it until it is clean
- Mark every entry, tempo change and ending in the parts, and rehearse those moments separately
- Record a run-through from the back of the room to check the folk melody is still audible
- Agree who cues the ending and how the group recovers after a slip
- Check each player’s age against the division before registering, as divisions are ranked separately
- After a loss, listen for where parts clashed or the source tune was lost, and simplify before adding anything new
- Ideas, not rules: a dance tune with a drone and countermelody added, a slow air whose melody passes between instruments, or a medley of two related tunes joined by a short bridge
Events that run this (1)
Ready-made templates that already include this competition. Installing one sets it up for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Orchestras – Processed 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 Orchestras – Processed and Orchestras – Authentic?
Authentic keeps to traditional repertoire and manner, while processed works from tradition through arrangement. The template does not print the exact boundary, so check the event notice.
What is the difference between Orchestras – Processed and Orchestras – Styled?
Styled is the open class where folk material is a starting point for freer interpretation. Processed stays closer to the folk source and shows its tradition through the arrangement.
Is Orchestras – Processed judged individually or as a team?
On the template it is a team item, so the whole orchestra receives one score out of 10 as Marks.
Can we write our own arrangement?
The template does not restrict this, so it is a matter for the event notice. An arrangement made for the group’s actual players usually suits the class best.
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.
Try Orchestras – Processed in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Orchestras – Processed, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
