1. All competitors (Choirs, Dancers, Groups and Soloists) must apply to compete on the official Eisteddfod Application Forms. Separate forms must be used for each competition. Choirs and Groups must use Form A; Soloists and those entering Competition 19 (Folk Dance Duo/Trio) must use Form B.

2. Application Form A (for Choirs and Groups) must be sent to reach the Office of the International Musical Eisteddfod, Royal International Pavilion, Abbey Road, Llangollen, LL20 8SW, North Wales, UK, by 1 NOVEMBER 2008, or to reach an overseas British Council Representative in any country by 30 SEPTEMBER 2008.

3. Application Form B (for Solo Competitions, and Competition 19 as indicated in Rule 1 above) must be sent to reach the Office of the International Musical Eisteddfod, Royal International Pavilion, Abbey Road, Llangollen, LL20 8SW, North Wales, UK by 28 FEBRUARY 2009, or to reach an overseas British Council Representative in any country by 14 FEBRUARY 2009.

4. All Application Forms should be submitted as soon as possible, but competitors should await notification of acceptance before making final personal and/or travel arrangements. The Eisteddfod Music Office will inform all groups before the end of November 2008 as to whether their application for competition has been successful. Applicants for solo competitions (including Competition 19) will be similarly notified before the end of April 2009.

5. Choirs and Folk Song Groups should: (a) give full provisional details of all ‘own choice’ items on the reverse side of each application form (Music scores should not be sent until requested); and (b) submit with their application form a recent recording. Please refer to competition requirements for full syllabus instructions.

Dance groups should submit a video or DVD recording with their application.

Soloists should submit a recent recording with their application.

6. Competitors can expect to be penalised if stipulated time limits are exceeded in their performance. Selected competitors will receive precise details of these penalties.

7. Choirs and Groups are generally expected to provide their own accompanists, but if an official Eisteddfod accompanist is required, please notify the Music Office as soon as possible. This must be done before 1 June 2009. Solo competitors may bring their own accompanists, though official accompanists are available for solo competitions 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14. Solo competitors who bring their own accompanists must send one copy of each item of ‘own choice’ music to the Music Director by 30 April 2009. If an official accompanist is required, solo competitors must send two copies of each item of ‘own choice’ music by 30 April 2009.

8. Editions of test pieces have been specified where appropriate in the syllabus; should groups or choirs wish to use alternative versions, then they should contact the Music Director at the earliest possible time, and at the latest by 30 APRIL 2009. Competitors having difficulty in securing copies of any necessary Set Pieces should contact the Eisteddfod Office, Royal International Pavilion, Abbey Road, Llangollen, LL20 8SW, North Wales, UK (email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

9. Preliminary Tests or ‘Semi-Final’ competitions will be held in most Solo competitions and in any other competition in which it is considered necessary; details of any group competition Preliminary Tests will be made available immediately after groups are accepted. These generally take place on the morning of the Final of that Competition, or on the previous day. Competitors selected to be staged in the Final of a Competition must perform the same item(s) as in the Preliminary Test or Semi-Final.

10. No competitor is allowed to make two separate entries in one Competition (as an example; soloists may only enter with one instrument in any one instrumental solo competition).

11. All official instruments are tuned Diapason Normal Pitch (A-440 or C-522).

12. The consent required by the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended, is hereby given to the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod Ltd and its assigns to make recordings and/or broadcasts in sound and/or vision of all performances given at any time during the Eisteddfod for any purpose. Additionally, all property rights subsisting in any such performance are, on coming into being, hereby assigned in totality to the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod Ltd. In applying to compete at the Eisteddfod, each competitor certifies that no other assignment or agreement to assign, in respect of these rights, has been or shall be entered into by the competitor or by representatives on his/her behalf.

13. All competitors, except Choir conductors and accompanists, must be of amateur status, i.e. people who do not earn their principal livelihood from music or dance performance as appropriate. No person shall compete as a member of more than one choir or group in the same competition.

14. For the purpose of deciding nationality for residents of the UK, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales are considered as four separate countries.

15. The decision of the Executive Committee of the International Eisteddfod, or the Adjudicators acting on its behalf in any matter concerning the competition, is final and binding upon all parties, and this is an agreed condition of application in all Competitions. Any protest must be made in writing to the Music Director before the end of the Competition to which it applies.

16. All competitors should note the information about Accommodation and Transport, to be found elsewhere in the syllabus. In exceptional geographical / travelling distance circumstances, some UK-based groups and soloists may ask to be considered as ‘Overseas’ for the purpose of accommodation; the Eisteddfod’s decision in each instance is final.