2020 Waltons Music for Schools Competition

Waltons New School of Music

We recently announced the launch of the eighth annual Waltons Music for Schools Competition, a non-profit national event celebrating and supporting music in Irish schools.

The Music for Schools Competition is produced by Waltons New School of Music and generously supported by RTÉ lyric fm.

All primary and post-primary schools in the Republic of Ireland are eligible to enter the Competition, and schools from all 26 counties have participated.

Each year’s Competition culminates in a gala Finalists Concert in the National Concert Hall, in which twelve Finalist school music groups (six primary and six post-primary) perform before their peers and two distinguished adjudicators.

At the end of the Finalists Concert, the adjudicators announce six winning primary and post-primary schools, which receive awards totalling €7,000 worth of vouchers for musical instruments and equipment from Waltons Music Ireland, including two First Prizes of €2,000 vouchers.

The Music for Schools Competition offers schools the opportunity to think and work creatively with any combination of students, developing a creative and original musical project that has learning potential at every stage of the process.

The Process

1. Schools create an ensemble piece or song, based on the year’s Competition theme, and performed by an instrumental, vocal or mixed group from the school (maximum 40 performers). The piece or song can be performed by any combination of singers or instrumentalists you choose. This year’s theme comes from Hans Christian Andersen, ‘Where words fail, music speaks’.
2. Schools submit an online entry form and send a video of the group’s performance as well as a jpeg photograph of the group.
3. The initial entries are judged by a team of first-round adjudicators, and twelve Finalist groups (six primary and six post-primary) are selected.
4. The Finalists are announced by Liz Nolan on RTÉ lyric fm.
5. Groups not selected as Finalists but displaying real merit are designated as either Commended or Highly Commended, and certificates are produced for the schools and all student performers.
6. The twelve Finalist groups perform in a gala Finalists Concert at the National Concert Hall, at the end of which the six winning schools are announced.

2020 Competition Calendar

Friday, 24 January, 5 pm • Entry Deadline
Deadline for schools to submit their entries.

Friday, 7 February, 1 – 4 pm • Announcement of Finalists
The twelve Finalist schools are announced on RTÉ lyric fm.
Finalist videos are then added to the Waltons Music for Schools Competition YouTube channel.

Monday, 23 March • Finalists Concert, National Concert Hall
The twelve Finalist groups perform in the Finalists Concert.
Finalists Concert videos are then added to the Competition YouTube channel.

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