THE 2010 COMPETITION

The competition looking for the area’s finest young singers or vocal groups is being held again this year. The ‘Headley Factor’ competition is open to all young people aged between 6 and 16 years. It is based on the format of ITV’s ‘X-Factor’ competition, but without the TV cameras and the over-critical comments from the judges!

Competition heats will be held throughout the early summer, with the winner(s) from each heat competing in the final on Saturday 10th July at Headley Village Hall. Both the heats and the final will be judged by a panel of local music ‘experts’.

So, if you feel that you have the ‘Headley Factor’ and would like to flex your vocal cords in our competition, please read through the rules below. If you are eligible to compete, and feel that you would like to enter, either complete the application form below or, for further information, contact Caroline Hunt on 01428 717067.

1. The Headley Factor competition is open either to solo singers or vocal groups, where groups are limited to a maximum of 6 members (choirs cannot participate).
   
   
2. Participants can sing unaccompanied, with instrumental accompaniment or to pre-recorded backing tracks (CD only). However, the only instrumental accompaniment that can be accepted is acoustic guitar or other portable, acoustic instruments – no piano or electric instruments.
   
   
3. Musical entries can either be of a classical nature, or of a more popular, modern approach. Only one song can be performed per applicant. Should the applicant be selected for the Competition final, the competitor can chose to perform a different song than that performed in the heat, or can perform the same song.
   
   The best advice we can give is to choose a song that both suits your voice and is appropriate for your age. The judges have a wide range of music experience, and do not give preference to any particular song type, but they do prefer to hear younger singers perform songs which suit their age.
   
   
4. Competitors must be between 6 and 16 years of age (inclusive) on the date of their competition heat (see 7 below).
   
   
5. Entry to the competition is by application form (see attached), which can either be submitted in advance to the address provided, submitted via the village website (www.headley-village.com/fete) or completed on the day. However, only applications submitted in advance will be guaranteed a singing slot on the day of the heat – last minute applications will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis to fit within a limited running-time for the heat.
   
   
6. All competitors will compete in one of five preliminary heats. These are as follows:
   
   

   Saturday 12th June, 10.30am	The Phoenix Theatre, Bordon (limited to members of the Phoenix Theatre Youth Theatre, Dramability and Kid's Theatre groups*)
   Saturday 19th June, 10.30 am	Headley Village Hall (open heat)
   Tuesday 22nd June, 3.30pm	Mill Chase School, Bordon (limited to pupils only)
   Wednesday 23rd June, 1.30pm	The Holme Primary School (limited to pupils only)
   Saturday 26th June :	Stagecoach Theatre Arts Schools – Liphook / Petersfield (limited to pupils only)
   * Potential competitors who are unable to attend the Open Heat on 19th June and do not qualify for entry in the other heats can attend the heat at The Phoenix Theatre by prior arrangement (contact Caroline Hunt - see below).

   
   
   
7. Heats will be judged by a panel of at least two independent judges. Composition of the judging panel may differ from heat to heat, but a member of the organising committee will attend every heat as a judge in order to provide an element of consistency. In all cases, the Judges’ decision is final. All heat entrants will receive a certificate containing a short critique from the judges.
   
   
8. The competition judges will use a judging sheet for guidance during the competition heats, and to provide accurate scores for the competition final. The scoring categories to be considered by the judges are as follows
       Pitch Accuracy                   Tonal Quality                 Diction and Vocal Expression
       Timing and Rhythm             Song Choice                  Energy and Projection
       Concentration and Focus   Audience Engagement     Appropriate Posture/Movement
    
   No scores from the competition will be released to either competitors or the audience.
   
   
9. Judging of the competition will be split into two age-groups:
   a) 6 to 11 year olds (inclusive)
   b) 2 to 16 year olds (inclusive)
   For the open heat and the heats at Stagecoach Theatre Arts School, given that there are enough entrants, at least one finalist will be selected from each age group, with flexibility for the Judging Panel to select additional finalist should the standard be sufficiently high.
   For the Holme School and Mill Chase School heats, a maximum of two finalists will be selected for the appropriate age groups.
   
   
10. The Final of The Headley Factor Competition will take place on Saturday 10^th July in Headley Village Hall as part of a special event organised by the Headley Village Fete Committee. The final will be judged by a selection of panel members from the heats.
    
    
11. A competition winner will be selected from each age-group, with the winners receiving a trophy and a prize of recording their winning song in a local recording studio. All finalists will receive a certificate.
    
    
12. At the Final the judges will also announce the winner of ‘The Headley Performance Trophy’. This will be awarded to the competitor who has demonstrated the best overall performance throughout the competition final. The Headley Performance Trophy winner will also be given the opportunity to record their chosen song in a local recording studio.

For clarification of the rules of the competition, or for further information, please contact Caroline Hunt on 01428 717067.