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Conditions

Eligibility
The Interpretation Competition is open to organists of all nationalities born after 31 July 1976. The Improvisation Prize is open to organists of all nationalities born after 31 July 1972.

Closing Date
Applications to compete can be made by e-mail or by post and must reach the Competitions Secretary at the address below by 23 March 2007:
The Competitions Secretary,
International Organ Festival at St Albans, c/o 17 Hill Street, St Albans, AL3 4QS, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 7860 362173
e-mail: apply@organfestival.com
If applying by e-mail please note that your registration is not complete until ALL items required have been received.

Details of registration
Each registration consists of

• a completed application form
• a CD or Mini Disc and certificate of recording
• letter of recommendation from a musician of high standing
• two passport-type photographs
• the relevant fee, which is non-refundable

as follows

Interpretation Competition	£40    $70   60 Euros
Improvisation Competition	£40    $70   60 Euros
Both competitions	£70   $125   100 Euros

Payment of Registration Fee
The registration fee must be paid in sterling or euros or US dollar equivalent in the form of a cheque, bank draft or an international money order payable to IOFS, Barclays Bank plc, Sortcode: 20–74–09, A/c no: 90512516.
If applying by e-mail please forward your payment by post and make sure it is CLEARLY identified with your name and address.

Recording
The recording must not be cut, edited or copied from an edited performance, and must be certified by a professional musician at the time of recording. Each piece must be played in a continuous performance, though dividing the recording into tracks separating movements is allowed and helpful. Different instruments may be used for different pieces. We regret that recordings cannot be returned to candidates. Please remember that the judges will decide whether you will be invited to take part in the competition on the strength of your recorded performance alone. It is in your interest to ensure that it is of the highest quality.

Advice on recording

1. The recorded round is anonymous, so it is important that you ensure that no speech is recorded, or anything else that will reveal your identity and that any name or identifying details on the disc or box can be easily removed. Do not use professional labels.
2. Make the recording on a pipe organ.
   Recordings made on any form of instrument where the sound is produced through loudspeakers will not be eligible.
3. Use the best expertise and equipment available to you. The organ demands high standards of recording.
4. The recording may be submitted on CD or Mini Disc. Do not use noise reduction such as Dolby.
5. Do not use automatic level controls. They restrict the dynamic range.
6. Make sure that each component is of compatible quality. For example, it is not sensible to use a cheap microphone with an expensive recorder.
7. Avoid using too many microphones. It should be possible to obtain a good recording with just one stereo microphone.
8. Listen to how the organ sounds in the building.
   Walk around until you find the place where it sounds best, and try placing the microphone(s) there.
9. Make a test recording and check that there is enough reverberation to blend the sounds, but not so much that clarity is lost; also ensure that in the loudest passage in your programme there is no peak level distortion.
10. Take particular care that the different manuals are in a similar aural perspective. A common fault is for a ‘rückpositiv’ manual to sound too close to the microphone in relation to the other manuals.
11. You are advised to keep a copy of your recording.

Notification
Candidates selected to proceed to the Competitions in St Albans will be notified by the end of April 2007. Further information about the competitions and arrangements will be provided at that time.

Registration in St Albans
Competitors must report to St Albans Cathedral on Wednesday 11 July 2007. Competitors will be advised of the registration time and failure to report at this time may result in disqualification from the competitions.

Practice time
Practice times and facilities will be allocated by the Competitions Secretary and cannot be altered unless reasonable notice is given and special arrangements can be made. In the days leading up to Registration and the Competition, 1.5 hours for Interpretation candidates, and 1 hour for Improvisation candidates, is given on each organ. Further warm-up practices of 30 minutes are allocated before the candidate plays on each occasion during the competition. Further practice time of 10 minutes is added to the warm-up time in the Cathedral for Interpretation competitors reaching the Semi-final Round and one hour in addition to the warm up time for Interpretation competitors reaching the Final Round.

Anonymity
Candidates remain anonymous to the jury at every stage of the competitions, though their identities may be revealed to the audience.

Results
The Jury’s decision is final. The Jury reserves the right to withhold the award of any prizes.

Registrants
Competitors are allowed the use of one registrant, and are encouraged to bring their own, though this person must NOT be a past or present teacher of the competitor. Any competitor unable to bring his/her own registrant will be able to request a registrant arranged by the Competitions Secretary. Please indicate this on the application form.

Audience
All Competition rounds in St Albans are played in public.

Travel to St Albans from overseas
The Festival will consider applications for help towards the cost of travel to and from the UK for competitors from overseas who would otherwise be unable to enter the competition. In some cases the Festival may be able to provide a full travel grant. Competitors needing help with the cost of international travel should write a letter to the Competition Secretary explaining their position and forward it with their competition registration form.

Admission to events

Competitors and their partners or registrants are admitted free to all events in the Cathedral, St Saviour’s Church and St Peter's Church, and to any lecture taking place elsewhere as part of the Competition and Festival. For all other events, they must purchase tickets at the advertised rate, as must other supporters.

Accommodation
Accommodation is provided for all competitors, and any registrant, free of charge in private houses on a bed and breakfast basis. All competitors are encouraged to stay for the whole of the Festival. Vouchers towards the cost of meals for competitors and their registrants are also included, to operate from the Registration date.

Prizewinners' Recital
The prizewinners are expected to take part in a public recital during the morning of Saturday 21 July 2007 in St Albans Cathedral which is followed by a lunch with members of the Jury and the Press.

Recording/Broadcast
The Finals of the Competitions and the Prizewinners' public recital, in whole or in part, may be recorded or broadcast on radio or television. In these circumstances, the performers will be unable to claim any fees and will have no further rights.

Income Tax
The International Organ Festival at St Albans is required by law to withhold UK income tax at the basic rate, currently 22%, from any prize or prizes in total in excess of £1,000 awarded to an overseas competitor. A tax deduction certificate will be provided. A repayment of some or all of the tax deducted may be secured by submitting a UK Income Tax Return. Full details are given in Inland Revenue Help Sheet IR303 and assistance is available from:
Foreign Entertainers Tax Unit, Centre for Non-Residents, St John's House, Merton Road, Bootle, Merseyside L69 9BB UK

Telephone 0151-472-6488

Prize recitals
The dates, terms and conditions of the recital engagements offered to prizewinners are negotiated between the prizewinner and the host venue.

The St Albans International Organ Festival Society cannot act as agent, nor assume any responsibility in respect of these engagements. Recital engagements in the USA will be by arrangement between the prizewinner and Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists.

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