2026 Syllabus - Voice - Popular
All selections in this category must be covers from commercial artists and/or an original composition.
Competitors must perform contrasting selections in any of the following genres: pop, pop/ folk, R&B, soul, rock, alternative, indie, jazz or country.
One of the selections must have been performed at the Local Festival and received a minimum mark of 85 and the recommendation of the local Adjudicator. Further selections are the competitor's choice but must follow the rules of this category.
Selections must be musically contrasting. The Adjudicator will take selection choice into consideration.
Selections should be age appropriate and suitable for audiences of all ages. Offensive language (profanity) found in song selections must be replaced with alternate word(s) to ensure a 'clean' version. OMFA reserves the right to reject any selections that have an inappropriate tone, either in style or content. Please contact OMFA if you have any questions.
Accepted accompaniment may be live or with piano/instrumental backtracks without background vocals.
YouTube links for backtracks are NOT ACCEPTABLE.
Backtracks, formatted as an mp3 only, must be submitted when registering by their local festival's deadline.
Suggested resource - tracks can be purchased from www.karaoke-version.com where customization of tracks is possible (key change, removal of background vocals etc.).
Self-accompaniment is only allowed in Popular Voice Self-Accompanied category.
A sound system will be provided with a microphone at the venue. Competitors have the option to bring their own microphone which should use a standard XLR cable.
NOT Permitted
• Selections from Musical Theatre (both staged and non-staged), cabaret, revues, operetta and stand-alone songs in musical theatre style.
• Rap and Hip Hop
• Songs listed in the RCM or CC classical syllabi (Lists A and B from Levels 1-6; Lists A, B, C from Levels 7-10)
• Animated films and selections that qualify for Songs from the Screen and More (see the SSAM Song List here: omfa.ca/ssam-chart).
• Selections from the Conservatory Canada Contemporary Idioms Voice lists and from RCM List C (Levels 1–6) and List D (Levels 7–10) are eligible, except for musical theatre, operetta, and non-cover contemporary selections.
General Rules
All competitors must be an amateur. Please click here for the full definition of Amateur vs Professional: omfa.ca/amateur-vs-professional
No announcement of name or selection is permitted prior to your performance.
Live Festival - originals must be provided at the time of registration.
Virtual Festival - a pdf of the music must be uploaded at the time of registration.
It is important to note that if the Festival office has to contact you because of incomplete information (i.e. missing movements, pieces at the wrong grade level, etc.) will result in an additional $25 charge. Failure to pay the charge will result in disqualification and refunds will not be given.
All criteria listed in the OMFA General Rules (omfa.ca/festival/rules-and-regulations) must be strictly adhered to.
****All of the requirements for video submissions are detailed in the red Virtual Submission Requirements button.****
Popular Voice - Small Ensembles
| Class | Virtual | |
|---|---|---|
| Class:18501 - Small Ensembles - Ages 10 & Under Small Ensembles are for groups with 4 to 15 members with the majority of members 10 years of age or under. Competitors may only perform one (1) song that was performed at the Local Festival. Memorization is required. The selection may include brief solo or small-ensemble passages; however, these passages must not exceed 20% of the total number of bars in the selection. All selections in this category must be covers from commercial artists and/or an original composition. Memorization is required. Time Limit: Twenty (20) minutes | Virtual:$160.00 | Register |
| Class:18502 - Small Ensembles - Ages 12 & Under Small Ensembles are for groups with 4 to 15 members with the majority of members 12 years of age or under. Competitors may only perform one (1) song that was performed at the Local Festival. The selection may include brief solo or small-ensemble passages; however, these passages must not exceed 20% of the total number of bars in the selection. All selections in this category must be covers from commercial artists and/or an original composition. Memorization is required. Time Limit: Twenty (20) minutes | Virtual:$160.00 | Register |
| Class:18503 - Small Ensembles - Ages 14 & Under | Virtual:$160.00 | Register |
| Class:18504 - Small Ensembles - Ages 16 & Under Small Ensembles are for groups with 4 to 15 members with the majority of members 16 years of age or under. Competitors may only perform one (1) song that was performed at the Local Festival. Memorization is required. The selection may include brief solo or small-ensemble passages; however, these passages must not exceed 20% of the total number of bars in the selection. All selections in this category must be covers from commercial artists and/or an original composition. Memorization is required. Time Limit: Twenty (20) minutes | Virtual:$160.00 | Register |
| Class:18505 - Small Ensembles - Ages 18 & Under Small Ensembles are for groups with 4 to 15 members with the majority of members 18 years of age or under. Competitors may only perform one (1) song that was performed at the Local Festival. Memorization is required. The selection may include brief solo or small-ensemble passages; however, these passages must not exceed 20% of the total number of bars in the selection. All selections in this category must be covers from commercial artists and/or an original composition. Memorization is required. Time Limit: Twenty (20) minutes | Virtual:$160.00 | Register |
| Class:18506 - Small Ensembles - Ages 19 & Over Small Ensembles are for groups with 4 to 15 members with the majority of members 19 years of age and over. Competitors may only perform one (1) song that was performed at the Local Festival. Memorization is required. The selection may include brief solo or small-ensemble passages; however, these passages must not exceed 20% of the total number of bars in the selection. All selections in this category must be covers from commercial artists and/or an original composition. Memorization is required. Time Limit: Twenty (20) minutes | Virtual:$160.00 | Register |