Please read carefully: 

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1. Professionals (i.e. those who earn more than 50% of their living economic income from musical activities in any discipline) are not permitted to compete. Periodically and on a limited individual case basis the Committee will consider entries from professional musicians who wish to perform; if accepted they will receive an adjudication but no marks will be awarded, as the Festival wishes to remain an amateur competition.

2. Final date for entry is 31 July of the current year or earlier if we reach our capacity before then. Early entry is therefore advised to be sure of gaining a place in your chosen classes.

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3. All entries must be made via the website. 

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4. If some classes attract sufficiently large numbers of entries, we reserve the right to split the classes into two parts on some musical basis. In such cases we will treat the classes as distinct from each other and offer separate trophies for each one.

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5. Players should note that where necessary for scheduling reasons, we reserve the right to allocate a particular entry to a different but appropriate class to the one for which it was originally entered. Competitors will be advised of any such changes in advance but no refunds will be made if players subsequently withdraw.

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6. Entry under an assumed name is not permissible. Provisional entries without the title of the piece and/or the name of the composer are not permissible.

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7. Entries are non-refundable, except in cases of invalid entries (e.g., not meeting class requirements), where a £1 administrative fee will be deducted to cover PayPal transaction costs. Refunds will not be provided for cancellations due to reasons such as conflicting with school events or an inability to prepare for the performance. The same administrative fee applies to approved class change requests.

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8. An entrant should enter the class appropriate to their age as on the day of the Festival. Grade limits refer both to the experience of the performer and the music played. An entrant may not perform in more than one age class, and may not perform in more than one grade class during the Festival. 

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9. An entrant may not perform more than once in any solo class. The same piece cannot be offered in more than one class during the Festival. 

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10. The title, composer and duration of all pieces must be clearly stated on entry. No substitutions, additions or omissions can be accepted after the programme has gone to the printers. It is the responsibility of the entrant to ensure compliance with this rule.

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11. ENTRANTS MUST PROVIDE A COPY OF THEIR MUSIC FOR THE ADJUDICATOR before the class begins, otherwise, at the discretion of the Adjudicator, an adjudication may not be given. 
Music must be marked with name, class and, where appropriate, page reference. If using photocopies, please ensure that they are firmly stapled together. 

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12. UNAUTHORISED COPYING OF MUSIC is an infringement of copyright. If the music is out of print, permission to copy MUST be obtained in writing from the publishers and a copy of the letter forwarded with the music. The Music Publishers’ Association has issued a revised Code of Practice making the concession that an ‘Own Choice’ item taken from a volume of pieces may be copied, but only for the use of the adjudicator. With this exception, no other photocopying of music is permitted. 
If music is required by the performer, we prefer that a printed copy should be used. If a photocopy is used, there MUST be a printed original copy of the music in the room.
Photocopies for the use of the adjudicator must be totally legible and securely fixed in book form. 
USE OF DOWNLOADED MUSIC: Players may use music legitimately downloaded from any website in the public domain, but not from other websites. It is the player’s responsibility, not the Festival’s, to ensure that downloaded music is legitimate.

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