Start herePillar guide
Choir competition judging criteria: the four we use
The four criteria FSN Voices uses to judge choirs — 25 marks each — what the judges listen for in each, and how the marking should work on the day.
Topic · Choirs
Choir guides: competitions, judging and carols
What we’ve learned producing FSN Voices, a choir championship in Ipaja, Lagos: how choir competitions are judged, how to prepare your choir, how to start one, and what to sing at Christmas.
All choir guides
Every choir guide, newest first.
Three guides so far, with more before FSN Voices on 5 December 2026.
29 Sep 2026
Choir competition judging criteria: the four we use
The four criteria FSN Voices uses to judge choirs — 25 marks each — what the judges listen for in each, and how the marking should work on the day.
3 min
29 Sep 2026
Christmas carol songs for choir ministration
Christmas carols for choir ministration in a Nigerian church, grouped by how much choir they need, with advice on planning a set and preparing it in time.
4 min
29 Sep 2026
How to prepare your choir for a competition
A week-by-week plan for choirmasters: reading the rules, choosing two songs, rehearsing to the marks, and running the last week before a choir competition.
5 min
Common questions
Choir competitions, answered.
The three things choirmasters ask us most. Each links to the guide with the full answer.
How do I find choir competitions in Nigeria?
We keep a checked list of singing and choir competitions in Nigeria, with dates, entry fees and a link to each organiser. See Singing competitions in Nigeria 2026.
What do judges look for in a choir competition?
At FSN Voices: intonation and blend, musicality, diction and language, and presentation — twenty-five marks each. The full breakdown and our score sheet are in Choir competition judging criteria.
When is FSN Voices?
Saturday 5 December 2026 in Ipaja, Lagos. Doors open at 2:30pm, and every judge’s mark is published the same evening.
On now — Chapter One
FSN Voices.Ipaja, 5 December 2026.
A choir championship in Lagos. Doors open at 2:30pm. Four criteria, twenty-five marks each, and every judge’s mark published the same evening.