Rules and Regulations
The Kiwanis Club of St. John’s and the Kiwanis Club of Kelligrews are pleased to sponsor the Kiwanis Music Festival of St. John’s.
The following rules and regulations apply to the Kiwanis Music Festival of St. John’s 2026.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
“At Kiwanis, our mission — to serve the children of the world, one child and one community at a time — is reflected in our continuing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We understand that the children of the world represent a variety of races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, socioeconomic statuses, gender identities and sexual orientations. Our vision is to be a positive influence in societies worldwide, so that one day, regardless of background, all children wake up in communities that believe in them, nurture them and provide the support they need to survive. To ensure our vision comes to life, it is imperative that our Kiwanis family welcomes, includes and serves individuals with diverse backgrounds, talents and perspectives. With Kiwanis’ worldwide presence, it is critical that we work with and engage members and organizations representing diverse communities throughout all levels of our organization.”
Cultural Appropriation, Cultural Appreciation, and the Platinum Rule
Consistent with the Kiwanis mission, our festival concurs with the directive of the FCMF National Music Festival (2024).
“Participants are asked to respectfully consider the issue of cultural appropriation when choosing selections. Cultural appropriation applies when cultural borrowings or adaptations from a minoritized culture reflect, reinforce, or amplify inequalities, stereotypes, and historically exploitative relationships that have direct negative consequences on equity-seeking communities.”
Cultural Appreciation vs. Cultural Appropriation
The Kiwanis Music Festival of St. John’s also encourages participants to explore opportunities for cultural appreciation in consultation with key sources from affected groups. The University of British Columbia provides a helpful definition:
“Cultural Appreciation is appreciating another culture in an effort to broaden their perspective and connect with others cross-culturally, while cultural appropriation is taking one aspect of a culture that is not their own, such as culturally distinct items, aesthetics, or spiritual practices, and mimics it — without consent, permission, or any cultural context or relationship to that item or practice — solely for personal interest, make money, gain popularity, or because they like the way it looks.”
The Platinum Rule
The Platinum Rule asks us to treat others as they want to be treated. It takes the notion of the Golden Rule another step and obliges us to ask permission, seek insight, and show respect before we perform selections that may be insulting and disrespectful of historically marginalized groups in society.
Definitions
The competition shall be under the management of the Kiwanis Music Festival Association of St. John's, which is hereinafter called "the Association".
All matters not dealt with in these rules shall be referred to the Association, whose decision on such matters shall be final and binding on all concerned.
The Association will assume no responsibility for providing facilities for rehearsals.
All competitions shall be open to amateurs/non-professionals only. For the purpose of these competitions, amateur/non-professional shall be defined as: “any person whose principal means of livelihood is not obtained from the professional practice or teaching of music even though he/she may from time to time accept remuneration for musical services rendered”.
For purposes of these competitions, a folk song shall be defined as follows: A folk song, may or may not have a known composer, but it must be a song which is perpetuated by oral tradition, and it may undergo change in the process of oral transmission so that it exists in multiple versions and variants. Where music is out of print, words and melodic line must be submitted to athe djudicator.
For purposes of these competitions, a Primary Choir shall be defined as Kindergarten to Grade Three inclusive. An Elementary Choir shall be defined as Grades Four, Five and Six. A Junior High Choir shall be defined as Grades Seven, Eight and Nine. A Senior High Choir shall be defined as Grades Ten, Eleven and Twelve. Any school music programs that do not conform to the above may overlap with permission granted at the Association's discretion, prior to the closing date for entries.
For the purpose of the festival, "best performance" in any one class shall mean the highest mark awarded in that class, unless otherwise specified.
All competitions, including Choral Societies, Choirs, Orchestras and Bands, unless otherwise stated, shall be open to amateurs/non-professionals only.
All competitions, unless otherwise stated, shall be open to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, students currently attending school or university in Newfoundland and Labrador, or those who have participated in the Kiwanis Music Festival of St. John’s in the preceding five years.
In all classes in which an age limit is prescribed, competitors must not be over the prescribed age on December 31st of the year immediately prior to the festival. Exact date and year of birth must be provided at registration, except for group entries, in which case the Association will require the written assurance of the director that at least 90 percent of all members of the group are within the prescribed age limit.
In all classes which are structured according to a progressive series of performance levels, the age of the competitor shall have no bearing upon their eligibility to compete at any level. Each competitor is encouraged to enter at the level which best represents their technical and musical aptitude.
Any solo classes entered by a competitor must fall within the same age group or level in any one discipline. This restriction does not apply to classes for complete Major Solo Works, Concerto and Concert Group classes.
A competitor may compete only once in each class, with the exception of a person who is a bona fide member of more than one choir (or group) entered in the same class, e.g. school choir and church choir, provided they comply with the terms of Rule 16.
No competitor may enter more than 10 classes, of which not more than 8 shall be solos or small groups, (a small group will consist of not more than 9).
It is the responsibility of the entrant to make sure all entry details are properly completed at registration. The registration should include the class number, title, composer and playing time for all Own Choice selections.
Competitors in Choral Societies, Choirs, Orchestras and Bands must be bona fide members of their respective organizations on or before the closing date for entries in the current festival. A list of such members must be provided at registration. In school groups, members must be present pupils. No extra members may be added without permission from the Association.
Conductors may be either professional or amateur. Conductors may conduct any number of organizations in the same class or in any number of classes. Where a conductor is to conduct in time-conflicting classes he/she must elect to withdraw from sufficient classes to resolve the conflict. Conductors must not sing with the Choral group or choir, nor play with their Orchestra or Band. Orchestras, Bands, etc. are expected to provide their own sound equipment. Under no circumstances will the festival office arrange for sound equipment.
In Choral classes the minimum number of voices required to compete is as follows: Vocal Ensembles, 6-12 singers; Choirs and Choral Groups, minimum 13 singers; Show Choirs and Musical Theatre groups, minimum 3 singers, unless otherwise stated.
The Own Choice selection for School Choirs may be either unison or part-singing, unless otherwise indicated.
In Junior Vocal and Choral classes (17 years and under), transpositions are permitted to enable competitors to perform in the most suitable key.
In all Vocal classes 18 years and over, selections are to be sung in the original language and key, except Art Song and Art Song selections, which are to be sung in the original language. This also includes Senior Vocal Concert Group. In all other age groups, language is optional unless otherwise specified.
Repeats shall not be played unless specifically stated in the syllabus. Da Capo repeats shall be observed. This rule applies to all instruments.
Should a competitor perform music that is not in compliance with the syllabus, they will receive an adjudication only, no mark.
For Own Choice selections, entrants must supply a copy of the score and proof of purchase or ownership. Adjudicators will be instructed not to accept photocopies of music without proper copyright compliance.
The manuscript copying (or photocopy) of a copyrighted piece of music is an infringement of the Copyright Act of Canada.
It is the responsibility of the participant/teacher to ensure the music chosen fits the category entered.
No competitor shall perform the same selection in any class or classes in consecutive years. No competitor shall perform the same selection or any part thereof in more than one class in any one festival.
Please note that there will be ONE deadline date for participant registration and the naming of selections for the 2026 Kiwanis Music Festival of St. John’s. That deadline will be November 21st, 2025. Please note that all fees must be paid at the time of registration.
Entries and Entry Fees
The syllabus will be available on our website at www.kiwanismusicfestivalsj.ca.
Entries must be submitted online through the registration portal when registration opens. The entry form must be completed as required by the competitor or a person authorized to sign on the competitor's behalf and accompanied by the entry fee indicated in the syllabus.
Entry fees will not be refunded, except under exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the board of the Kiwanis Music Festival of St. John’s.
The Association shall determine the closing date for receiving entries, and all entries should be received by that date. The Association will accept entries up to five working days following the official closing date, subject to a payment of a penalty as set by the Association. After that date, no entries will be accepted.
Programme Procedure
The Association reserves the right to subdivide any classes into two or more competitions under circumstances where the number or character of the entries would justify such subdivision.
The Association reserves the right to substitute an adjudicator and/or appoint additional adjudicators.
A confirmation of the competitor’s registration will be emailed to the contact person provided in the registration form, assuming all appropriate fees have been submitted.
In the event of illness, accident, or other emergency, a substitute may be made in all group classes, provided the substitute is eligible under the Rules and Regulations governing such class.
The provision of an accompanist is the sole responsibility of the competitor.
The marks awarded by the adjudicator are final.
The Association reserves the right to adjust delivery of the festival under circumstances where in-person gathering is prohibited or restricted.
Awards
In those classes for which Trophies, Cash Awards, or Plaques have been provided, a minimum mark of 85% is necessary to obtain such Trophy, Cash Award or Plaque. The rule does not apply to Scholarships for which special rules are provided.
Trophies, Cash Awards, Plaques, Scholarships and Certificates will be presented at a time decided upon by the Association.
Final Concerts
All competitors are eligible to be called upon to perform at a Final concert and should be prepared to appear if requested by the Association. This shall be without remuneration or payment for incidental expenses.
Complaints and Protests
The Association will consider complaints and appeals from registered participants or their appointed designate only. Anonymous complaints will not be accepted.
There shall be a rules committee composed of three directors of the Association appointed by the Association to receive complaints from registered participants or their appointed designee. Any complaint or protest must be submitted to the Rules Committee IN WRITING, and the Rules Committee will, in its discretion, take such action as it deems necessary to resolve the complaint.
Any appeal of the rules and regulations decision must be made directly to the Association by submitting the same in writing to the Board of Directors of the Kiwanis Music Festival of St. John’s. Complaints and protests must be made in accordance with rules 43 and 44 only.
Complaints shall not be made to an adjudicator.
Scholarships and Cash Awards
Competitors who require information regarding the scholarships tenable at Memorial University School of Music should contact the Festival Office at kiwanismusicfestivalsj@gmail.com. More information will be provided in January 2026.
Scholarships and cash awards are awarded at the absolute discretion of the adjudicators.
A list of scholarships and cash awards will appear in the official program. Scholarships and cash awards will be announced at the conclusion of the festival.
Senior Vocal Rose Bowl Competition
This competition draws its competitors from Class 10000 Senior Vocal Concert Group.
To qualify for the Senior Vocal Rose Bowl Competition, a competitor must have reached their 18th birthday on or before December 31st in the year immediately preceding the festival. The only exception will be former Junior Vocal Rose Bowl winners who must be 16 years of age on or before December 31st in the year immediately preceding the festival, who shall be eligible to enter the Senior Vocal Rose Bowl Competition. If a former Junior Vocal Rose Bowl winner elects to enter a Senior Vocal Concert Group Class, then they will not be eligible to enter the Junior Vocal Concert Group Class.
If Class 10000 Senior Vocal Concert Group Class is not subdivided, the selection of candidates for advancement to the Senior Vocal Rose Bowl will be based on the recommendation of the adjudicator, provided the competitors achieve a minimum mark of 85.
Competitors selected for the Senior Vocal Rose Bowl Competition may be required to perform the three selections performed in the Senior Vocal Concert Group Class
A jury of adjudicators will decide the winner and the first runner-up.
Concert Group Regulations regarding time limits also apply to the Rose Bowl competition.
All Vocal Concert Groups must be performed from memory. No competitor will be recommended to proceed to the Rose Bowl Competition(s) unless they have performed their concert group from memory.
The Association reserves the right not to award a Rose Bowl if there are insufficient numbers to hold a Rose Bowl Competition.
Please read carefully the instructions given for the Senior Vocal Concert group class.
Junior Vocal Rose Bowl Competition
This competition draws its competitors from Class 10100 Junior Vocal Concert Group.
Candidates for advancement to the Junior Vocal Rose Bowl will be based on the recommendation of the adjudicator, provided they achieve a minimum mark of 85.
Competitors selected for the Junior Vocal Rose Bowl Competition may be required to perform the three selections performed in the Junior Vocal Concert Group Class.
A jury of adjudicators will decide the winner and the first runner-up.
Concert Group Regulations regarding time limits also apply to the Rose Bowl competition.
All Vocal Concert Groups must be performed from memory. No competitor will be recommended to proceed to the Rose Bowl Competition(s) unless they have performed their concert group from memory.
The Association reserves the right not to award a Rose Bowl if there are insufficient numbers to hold a Rose Bowl Competition.
Please read carefully the instructions for the Junior Vocal Concert group class.
Senior Instrumental Rose Bowl Competition
To qualify for the Senior Instrumental Rose Bowl Competition, a competitor MUST enter one of the following Senior Concert Groups:
PIANO CONCERT GROUP - SENIOR - Class 30000
HARP CONCERT GROUP - SENIOR - Class 46000
STRING CONCERT GROUP - SENIOR - Class 50000
GUITAR CONCERT GROUP - SENIOR - Class 58000
ORGAN CONCERT GROUP - SENIOR - Class 60000
BRASS CONCERT GROUP - SENIOR - Class 70000
WOODWIND CONCERT GROUP - SENIOR - Class 80000
PERCUSSION CONCERT GROUP - SENIOR - Class 90000
A mark of 85 or higher must be obtained in the competitive session to be considered for the Senior Instrumental Rose Bowl Competition.
To qualify for the Senior Instrumental Rose Bowl competition, a competitor must have reached his or her 18th birthday on or before December 31st in the year immediately preceding the festival. The only exception will be former Junior Instrumental Rose Bowl winners who must be 16 years of age on or before December 31st in the year immediately preceding the festival, who shall be eligible to enter the Senior Instrumental Rose Bowl Competition in the section in which they won the Junior Instrumental Rose Bowl. If a former Junior Instrumental Rose Bowl winner elects to enter a Senior Concert Group Class, then they will not be eligible to enter the Junior Concert Group section in which the Junior Instrumental Rose Bowl was won.
Competitors selected for the Senior Instrumental Rose Bowl Competition will perform any two of the same Concert Group selections as performed in the competitive session.
A jury of adjudicators will decide the winner and the first runner up.
Concert Group Regulations regarding time limits also apply to the Rose Bowl competition. Total performance time not to exceed 30 minutes.
For Piano, Strings, Guitar and Harp, no competitor will be recommended to proceed to the Rose Bowl Competition unless they have performed their concert group from memory. For Woodwinds, Brass and Percussion, memorization is encouraged but not required to proceed to the Rose Bowl Competition.
The Association reserves the right not to award a Rose Bowl if there are insufficient numbers to hold a Rose Bowl Competition. It also reserves the right to include performers from the same instrumental category if there is no participation of other instrumental classes.
Please read carefully the instructions for each Concert Group class.
Junior Instrumental Rose Bowl Competition
In order to qualify for the Junior Instrumental Rose Bowl Competition, a competitor MUST enter one of the following JUNIOR concert groups:
PIANO CONCERT GROUP - JUNIOR - Class 30100
HARP CONCERT GROUP - JUNIOR - Class 46100
STRING CONCERT GROUP - JUNIOR - Class 50100
GUITAR CONCERT GROUP - JUNIOR - Class 58100
ORGAN CONCERT GROUP - JUNIOR - Class 60100
BRASS CONCERT GROUP - JUNIOR - Class 70100
WOODWIND CONCERT GROUP - JUNIOR - Class 80100
PERCUSSION CONCERT GROUP - JUNIOR - Class 90100
A mark of 85 or higher must be obtained in the competitive session to be considered for the Junior Instrumental Rose Bowl Competition.
Competitors selected for the Junior Instrumental Rose Bowl Competition will perform any two of the same Concert Group selections as performed in the competitive session.
A jury of adjudicators will decide the winner and the first runner up.
Concert Group Regulations regarding time limits also apply to the Rose Bowl competition.
For Piano, Strings, Guitar and Harp, no competitor will be recommended to proceed to the Rose Bowl Competition unless they have performed their Concert Group from memory. For Woodwinds, Brass and Percussion, memorization is encouraged but not required to proceed to the Rose Bowl Competition.
The Association reserves the right not to award a Rose Bowl if there are insufficient numbers to hold a Rose Bowl Competition.
Please read carefully the instructions for each Concert Group class. The Association reserves the right not to award a Rose Bowl if there are insufficient numbers to hold a Rose Bowl Competition. It also reserves the right to include performers from the same instrumental category if there is no participation from other instrumental classes.
Group Choral Rose Bowl Competition
For purposes of this award, a choral group shall consist of 12 or more singers.
Competitors for this award will be selected and recommended by the adjudicators.
A mark of 85 or higher, and a first-place finish must be obtained in the competitive session from which the recommendation comes, in order to be considered for this award.
A jury of adjudicators will decide the winner and the first runner up.
Competitors recommended to compete for this award will be notified by the Music Festival Office at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled time of the special group competition.
Competitors selected will perform the same selections as performed in the competitive session from which they were recommended, including the set piece, if applicable.
The decision of the adjudicators regarding the selection of competitors and the declaration of the winner will be final.
Each group recommended by the adjudicators will be permitted to perform only once in this group competition.
The winner of this special competition will receive the award for Best Performance by a Group.
For the Choral Competition, adjudication will be based on vocal performance only.
The Association reserves the right not to award a Rose Bowl if there are insufficient numbers to hold a Rose Bowl Competition.
Group Instrumental Rose Bowl Competition
For purposes of this award, a group shall consist of 12 or more members.
Competitors for this award will be selected and recommended by the adjudicators.
A mark of 85 or higher, and a first-place finish must be obtained in the competitive session from which the recommendation comes, in order to be considered for this award.
A jury of adjudicators will decide the winner and the first runner-up.
Competitors recommended to compete for this award will be notified by the Music Festival Office at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled time of the special group competition.
Competitors selected will perform the same selections as performed in the competitive session from which they were recommended, including the set piece, if applicable.
The decision of the adjudicators regarding the selection of competitors and the declaration of the winner will be final.
Each group recommended by the adjudicators will be permitted to perform only once in this group competition.
The winner of this special competition will receive the award for Best Performance by a Group.
The Association reserves the right not to award a Rose Bowl if there are insufficient numbers to hold a Rose Bowl Competition.
Provincial/National Qualification
There is no special qualifying class for individual entrants, except in musical theatre (see pg. 16).
For the following six categories, participants can qualify for provincial competition through the recommendation of the adjudicator on the basis of two selections that meet provincial-level criteria. These selections may come from a concert group program or from another suitable class, provided participants achieved a mark of 85 or greater.
Eligible local festival participants will be considered for participation in the Developing Artist Stream and the Emerging Artist Stream of the FCMF National Music Festival. For up-to-date information on the 2026 syllabus, please visit www.fcmf.org.
Instrumental and vocal criteria for provincial competitions:
PIANO: At least two advanced selections, including those recommended by the adjudicator in local competition. Memorization is required.
STRINGS: At least two advanced selections, including those recommended by the adjudicator in local competition. Memorization is required except for sonatas.
CLASSICAL GUITAR: At least two advanced selections, including those recommended by the adjudicator in local competition. Memorization is required.
BRASS: At least two advanced selections, including those recommended by the adjudicator in local competition. Memorization is encouraged but not required.
WOODWIND: At least two advanced selections, including those recommended by the adjudicator in local competition. Memorization is encouraged but not required.
PERCUSSION: At least two advanced selections, including those recommended by the adjudicator in local competition. Memorization is encouraged but not required.
For the above-named classes, a selection is defined as “a single movement composition, or one or more movements of a multi-movement composition.” In addition to Sonatas, Concertos, Suites, etc., a group of pieces by the same composer or from an existing Collection by a composer is acceptable as a multi-movement work. The inclusion of Canadian and Indigenous compositions is encouraged.
VOCAL: At least two advanced selections, including those recommended by the adjudicator in local competition. Selections must include two or more languages. Memorization is required.
A selection is defined as “a single movement composition, or one or more movements of a multi-movement composition”. A group of songs by the same composer or from an existing song cycle by a composer is acceptable as a multi-movement work. The inclusion of Canadian and Indigenous compositions is encouraged.