How to prepare your choir for a competition
A week-by-week plan for choirmasters: reading the rules, choosing two songs, rehearsing to the marks, and running the last week before a choir competition.
On this page
In short
- Write the rules and the marking sheet down, and give them to every choir before the day.
- Use at least two judges, and have each mark alone, without conferring.
- A judge never marks a choir they train, belong to or are related to.
- Read marks out on the day and publish every judge’s mark, not just the winner.
Write everything down first
Choirs should know how they will be marked before they choose a song. Put these in writing and send them to every choir:
- the time limit and the number of songs;
- what the judges will mark, and how marks are shared out;
- what counts against a choir, such as running over time;
- how ties are broken;
- when and where results will be published.
If a rule isn’t written down before the day, don’t apply it on the day.
Choose the right judges
Look for judges with real choral experience who have nothing to gain from any result. Ask each one to declare any link to a competing choir — as trainer, member, pastor or relative — before you confirm them. Name your judges publicly before the competition, so choirs can raise a concern early rather than after the result.
Mark independently
Each judge marks every choir alone, on paper, without conferring. Collect the sheets after each choir, or at fixed points, so no judge changes earlier marks after hearing later choirs. Add the sheets up only once every judge has finished.
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Mark alone, on paper | Discuss marks between choirs |
| Hand sheets in at fixed points | Revise earlier marks at the end |
| Write a short comment for each choir | Leave a mark unexplained |
| Step aside from any choir you’re linked to | Mark a choir you train or sing in |
Handle ties and disagreements
Two judges will sometimes disagree by a lot. That is a reason to publish both marks, not to average them away quietly. Decide your tie-break in advance — for example, the choir with the higher total from one named section of the sheet — and write it into the rules.
Publish the results
Read each choir’s marks out after it sings, or all together at the end. Then publish the full sheet: every judge, every choir, every mark. A published sheet lets choirs see exactly where they lost marks, and it protects the judges from rumours.
How we do it at FSN Voices
At FSN Voices, two judges mark every choir, and both are named by 14 November 2026. Each choir’s marks are read out after it sings, and the full sheet — every judge’s mark — goes up the same evening of 5 December 2026. See how it’s judged. If you’re preparing a choir, our week-by-week plan is the place to start.
Questions organisers ask
How many judges does a choir competition need?
At least two, marking independently, so no single opinion decides the result. An odd number such as three makes ties less likely.
Should judges know the choirs they are marking?
They can know of them, but a judge should never mark a choir they train, sing in or have a family link to. Ask every judge to declare links before the day.
What happens if two choirs tie?
Decide the tie-break before the competition and write it into the rules, so nobody can say it was chosen to suit a result.
Should choir competition marks be published?
Yes. Choirs trust a result they can check. Publishing every judge’s mark also protects the judges.
Last checked 8 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Email info@futurestarnetwork.com.