Produced by Waltons New School of Music and generously supported by RTÉ lyric fm, the Waltons Music for Schools Competition is a non-profit national event celebrating and supporting music in Irish schools.
The Competition’s objective is to promote the enormous benefits of creative music making for young people. Its open nature offers schools the opportunity to think and work creatively in any genre (or genres) of music and with any combination of students, developing an original musical project that has learning potential at every stage of the process.
The Music for Schools Competition is open to all genres of music, and performing groups have included choirs, instrumental groups, mixed instrumental and vocal ensembles, traditional groups and rock bands.
Eligibility
All primary and post-primary schools in the Republic of Ireland are eligible to enter this annual competition, and since it began in 2012 schools from all 26 counties have participated.
Finalists Concert
Each year’s Competition culminates in a gala Finalists Concert at 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.
Previous adjudicators include • David Brophy • Carl Corcoran • Ellen Cranitch • Julie Feeney • Evelyn Grant • Deborah Kelleher • Dónal Lunny • Gwen Moore • Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin • and Bill Whelan.
Prizes
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 Process
School music groups 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. The 2020 Competition theme comes from Hans Christian Andersen, ‘Where words fail, music speaks’.
Schools submit an online entry form, a video of the group’s performance and a jpeg photograph of the group.
The initial entries are judged by a team of first-round adjudicators, and twelve Finalist groups (six primary and six post-primary) are selected.
The Finalists are announced by Liz Nolan on RTÉ lyric fm.
The twelve school groups perform in the Finalists Concert at the National Concert Hall, and the six winning schools are announced at the end of the concert.
2020 Competition Calendar
Friday, 24 January, 5 pm • Entry Deadline
Friday, 7 February, 1 – 4 pm • Announcement of Finalists
Monday, 23 March, 1 pm • Finalists Concert, National Concert Hall
More Information
