SHOW CHOIR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Show Choir National Championship Series (SCNCS) will feature America's top show choirs this spring in head to head competition culminating in the awarding of the prestigious Show Choir Cup to the 2012 National Champion!

Hollywood, New York City, Branson, Chicago and Orlando will host the Show Choir National Qualifying Competitions.  The top three mixed groups and the top two girl's groups will qualify for the National Show Choir Finals at Chicago's Arie Crown Theater on April 20-21, 2012. Show Choirs participating in more than one event who qualify in their first event, will not receive a second bid, allowing the 4th Runner Up to move into the 3rd qualifying position. They will still receive the placement trophy, but not an additional national finalist medallion.

The National Show Choir Finals will feature all national finalists in a two day format.  Friday will be round one.  This non-competitive round will allow all choirs to become familiar with the stage and sound system along with the judges.  Immediately following each performance, the national finalist will be escorted in front of the proscenium to receive verbal comments from the judges. This will provide each group with an important educational element that will let each performer know exactly what the judges will be looking for in Saturday's final competitive round. All girls finalists will perform in the morning and performance times will be determined by a random draw.   Performance times for the mixed groups will be determined based on your finish in your regional qualifying event.  All 3rd place qualifiers will perform first in Session III following the Girls round.  All 2nd place qualifiers will follow in Session II, and we will conclude with Session I with the 1st place qualifiers.  Within each session, a random draw will determine the performance order. On Friday evening, all competing directors will draw for performance time in the National Finals on Saturday.  In an effort to ensure fairness and all qualifying groups will be mixed together regardless of qualifying placement in regional events for Saturday's National Finals.

Saturday is a single performance opportunity beginning with the girls national finals in the morning and then moving into the mixed finals immediately following the conclusion of the girls finals. Saturday's National Final's Round will feature each group in competition for the title of National Champion!  Judges will score each group on all elements and rank them according to score.  For both mixed and girls show choirs, the following awards will be presented:  National Champion, 1st Runner-Up, & 2nd Runner-Up.  Additionally, Caption Awards are available for all competing groups as the best in the following categories:  Vocals, Choreography, Instrumental Combo, Diction, Male Sound, Female Sound, Show Design, Horn Section, Rhythm Section, Costumes, Male Solo (individual), Female Solo (individual), Male Performer (individual), Female Performer (individual), People's Choice Award, and the FAME Award. The culmination of the event will be the presentation of the Show Choir Cup to the 2012 Show Choir National Champion (mixed).

National finalists will not be charged for the participation in the National Finals.  Cost of the production including the venue for two days, judges, lighting, sound, and labor will be paid for by FAME.  All national finalists will be responsible for their own hotel accommodations and meals as well as other activities not directly associated with the national finals.  We recognize that all groups will have different hotel requirements.  Some will require more than a night or two while other more local groups may elect to drive in each day for the event.  After much consideration and input from many of last year's participants, we have determined that our emphasis and investment should be on the actual festival. 

The national finals weekend will include the 2nd annual Aspire Awards banquet recognizing outstanding achievement in the show choir profession.  Recipients will be nominated by the Academy of Show Choir Professionals (ASCP).  Those Show Choir Professionals who would like to join the ASCP, may do so at www.ShowChoirs.org/aspire. Anyone may vote for our people's choice award, however only registered members of the ASCP may vote for the Aspire Awards.

New this year will be the Show Choir National Clinic.  This intense one day master-class will provide expert instruction to aspiring show choir students and professionals.  Hear you will learn what it takes to develop a show choir in your school or to be a student leader in your group.

(800) 289-6441