No Nonsense Responses
to Judging Questions
By Joni Bescos, Rich-Tone Chorus, Region 25
Q: Last year at Regional
my quartet did not do its best because we were told to hurry up,
and we practically ran to the backstage area as we were being announced.
A: Listen to this answer very carefully. If this
ever happens again (or happens to any reader), simply refuse to
rush! Remind the backstage worker that “the contest is for
the contestant.” Don’t misinterpret this information
— this does not mean you can take more time in the warmup
room than scheduled. You can have all the time on the schedule unless
there is a physical reason you need to leave the room early in order
to get to the stage on time; if this is the case, you need to advise
the competition coordinator at the quartet briefing. You can refuse
to run, or even to walk quickly. Do not ever allow your quartet
to run on stage simply because “the judges are ready.”
Stay calm. Even if they are announcing your quartet as you are being
told to “hurry,” refuse. The emcee can apologize for
getting the wrong signal, and introduce you again! And, to answer
your next question, “no, you will not get a penalty.”
Q: When we got our scoresheets we noticed that
most of them were typed, but the heading on one of them was handwritten.
What does this mean?
A: It could mean a number of things. Maybe that
scoresheet was missing in the judge’s packet. Maybe she (or
someone else) splashed water on it. I remember many years ago the
judge at my left reached for her drink and missed — and it
spilled on my scoresheet. Judges are required to rewrite a scoresheet
if they make an error. I never use a calculator –I consider
myself a “math whiz” (up to but not including algebra)–
so I was really embarrassed when I had to rewrite a scoresheet because
I didn’t add right — the individual song scores and
bonus points I awarded added up to 10 points more than the total
I wrote down!
Q: New quartets that include “queens”
seem to score higher — are judges biased for “their
own?”
A: This question implies that all judges are “queens!”
In a quick review I counted about a dozen, or roughly 20 percent
of the judges who currently serve on official panels who are members
of past champion quartets. But think for a minute of the performance
experience and vocal skill inherent in the title “Queens of
Harmony.” A “queen” brings that experience and
skill to her next quartet. Your question, though, shows me you don’t
know your “queens” (come to the Coronet Club Show next
year!) Of the 188 competing quartet members, 14 were members of
past champion quartets. These 14 “queens” competed in
10 quartets in Detroit. One competed as a wild card; the others
either won their Regional competition or placed in last year’s
top 15. Five sang in four of the quartets in the top 15, meaning
they won’t need to requalify by competing in their regional
competition. The other nine sang in quartets placing from 19 to
41. Your next statement will surely be that a quartet with “two
queens” has an advantage, especially if they sang in the same
champion quartet. There were three competing quartets with two members
of the same past champion quartet and a fourth with two from different
quartets. Only one of these four placed in the top 10, but only
one of the two past champions in that quartet sang the same part
she sang in her former champion quartet(s). In the other quartets,
all “queens” sang the same part they sang in their champion
quartet. Five of the 33 competing choruses were directed by “Queens
of Harmony.” Only one of these choruses placed in the top
10. Maybe you meant to ask if judges are biased toward other judges?
I see three quartets with members who serve on official panels,
but none of them placed in the top 15. Seven choruses were directed
by judges who serve on official panels, but none of these placed
in the top 10. With these statistics I expect the competitors who
are judges and/or “queens” to ask if the judges are
biased against them!
Q: A coach recently told us that taking a pitch
on stage shows the judges that we are a low achieving chorus. Help
me convince my chorus to take a pitch without feeling like we’re
inadequate singers, or was the coach right?
A: This question appears to have come from a chorus
director, and in this case I’m afraid the score is Director
100, Coach 0. The only category that in any way evaluates taking
a pitch is the Showmanship category. The Showmanship judge is only
interested in whether the pitch taking was smooth and did not detract
from the presentation. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking
a pitch on stage, so long as it doesn’t become Act I of a
three-act play. The contestant does not gain or lose points by not
taking a pitch. However, the contestant who does not take a pitch
frequently does lose points in every category because the first
part of the performance is out of tune. And speaking of pitch taking,
whoever is telling quartets to come on stage, turn and face each
other, blow the pitch, take the pitch, then turn to the audience
is way off base. What quartets who do this are really saying to
their audience is “go away for a minute, you don’t matter.”
Some quartets take the pitch offstage, hum it during their entrance,
quickly restate it to be sure, then begin singing. Some choruses
also take the pitch “offstage” — before the curtain
opens or before the lights come up. Be sure there are enough pitch
pipes so that all chorus members can hear the pitch, and be sure
the pitch pipes match. Sometimes choruses forget that the Sweet
Adelines audiences are very generous with applause, and their applause
will drown out one pitch pipe!
Q: Is there a rule about chairs on the risers?
If so, what is the rule? My chorus has informed one of our members
that she can no longer be an active member because she has to sit
on a chair.
A: There is no International “rule”
regarding riser chairs. Many choruses use them for members who cannot
safely stand for the duration of a performance. Two of the choruses
I coach use chairs on the risers at rehearsal to help the members
who stand near the chairs get accustomed to working around them.
Frankly, I see a greater problem with members who, for reasons of
bad knees, overweight, or illness, rarely stand on the risers at
rehearsal but expect to be on the risers for competition. It’s
extremely frustrating for a chorus director or coach to attempt
to work on unit sound when there are voices missing. Another chorus
I coach made the decision that members who expect to compete are
expected to be on the risers for rehearsal. They are allowed to
bring bar stools or camp stools to use on the risers during rehearsal,
if they wish, but they have to be on the risers. Each chorus has
to make its own decision regarding chairs; hopefully that decision
will not exclude a member who is otherwise visually and vocally
qualified for performance.
Q: Why does one of the judges always walk around
the auditorium during the microphone tester’s performance?
What is she looking/listening for?
A: The judge who “walks around,” usually
the Music or Expression judge, is attempting to make sure that the
sound level is adequate for the audience members but that there
is a minimum of amplification in the judging pit. If she has to
make a choice, she decides in favor of the audience. The Sound judge
remains at the table to make sure the sound there is satisfactory,
and the Showmanship judge remains there to check lighting at the
table. Once the panel chair has approved the lighting and sound
levels, they cannot be changed during the competition.
Q: How do we find out how songs generally score
in the Music Category?
A: Marti Lovejoy, the “SING” network*
guru, performs a wonderful service each year by putting all the
Regional scores online in more detail than shown on the Sweet Adelines
Web site. When she has the song titles, she lists them. From that
you can do your own survey. In a class at IES several years ago
I used Nancy Bergman’s arrangement of If You Love Me, Really
Love Me. I had found about 15 instances where it was sung in that
year’s Regional competition. Scores ranged from a low of about
290 (D+) to a high of 650 (A-), and hit all levels between those
extremes. The only accurate way to find out how a specific arrangement
will score is for your chorus or quartet to sing it in competition.
It doesn’t matter how it scored when another groups sang it.
A chapter quartet used to call me regularly, name three or four
familiar arrangements, then ask “which is the strongest?”
All arrangements they asked about were good contest arrangements.
My response was always “whichever you sing the best.”
The judges judge the notes and chords you sing, not those the arranger
wrote.
Q: How important is preparation in the Showmanship
Category? It seems, more and more, people are wearing less stage
makeup and casual hairstyles. Is that really okay with ALL the Showmanship
judges?
A: Potentially, it’s worth 30 points per
song. Are 30 points important — 60 for two songs. For an answer
to this question, I went straight to the Showmanship Category Specialist,
Ruth Ann Parker. She said that “while preparation is only
30 percent of the category, the lack of preparation can carry over
into the effectiveness of the performance. Why wouldn’t a
contestant come to the stage as prepared as possible? Why not take
advantage of the opportunity to earn those points? In the Detroit
quartet competition, I wrote many comments on makeup; some performers
needed more, some needed less, and some needed more blending. Many
times I commented on faded foundation and the need for more theatrical
makeup. While hairstyles have become more relaxed than they were
20-30 years ago, they still need to be appropriate to the costume.
Teenagers in the Rising Star Contest can get away with long, straight
hair that hangs in front of the shoulders, but that look is rarely
appropriate for our adult competitors or the costumes they wear.
Times and fashions have changed, and we do want our performers to
look savvy and up-to-date, but some of the hairstyles we see in
competition have gotten a bit too relaxed for the presentation.
For example, evening gowns look best when framed by a more extravagant
hairdo that is up or at least off the shoulders. Long hair hanging
down in front of the shoulders is often more distracting than really
short hair. Unity is important, but not to the point that the group
appears to be clones because the personality of the performers can
be lost. Contestants who are uncertain what to wear, how to wear
their hair, or how to apply makeup should get help. Any of our Showmanship
judges would be more than happy to offer suggestions. (See Renee
Porzel’s article on Page 8.)
Q: What’s the “in color” for
eye shadow this year?
A: There are no “in colors” for eye
shadows. There are techniques, however, for application of eye shadow,
rouge, etc., that enhance the eyes of our singers. Bottom line:
whatever makeup amenities are used, they must point up the features
of a sincerely animated face. Makeup, alone, does not score points.
Singers do.
To submit a question to “No Nonsense Reponses to Judging Questions,”
e-mail music@sweetadelineintl.org.
* The SING network is a Yahoo discussion group for Sweet Adelines
members and fans. You can join by visiting http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/SweetAdelinesInt/
