Harmony College 2020 Announcement Expand HARMONY COLLEGE 2020 ANNOUNCEMENT It is with great sadness BABS is cancelling Harmony College 2020. As we have always said the health and well-being of our members is at the forefront of our decision making. We moved the August dates to November however, according to current guidelines, and having studied all the scientific advice, welcoming 300 people to gather in an environment where we cannot 100% guarantee your safety is a risk we are unwilling to take in the face of the current pandemic. We believe that this decision is in the best interests of our attendees and faculty and we are formally cancelling any in-person event in November. We are planning Harmony College Online, for the 27th to 29thNovember and more information will be released soon. For many of us, Harmony College is something we attend year after year. We are in the habit of smiling at people we pass every day on site, singing with new friends at all hours, and enjoying the beer in the bar. We look forward to doing this with you at Harmony College 2021. If you have specific questions, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions or contact [email protected].
Harmony College 2020 FAQ's Expand Why is Harmony College being cancelled now? As we have always said the health and well-being of our members is at the forefront of our decision making. We moved the August dates to November however according to current guidelines, welcoming 300 people to gather in an environment where we cannot 100% guarantee your safety is a risk we are unwilling to take in the face of the current pandemic. We believe that this decision is in the best interests of our attendees and faculty and we are formally cancelling any in-person event in November. Can a virtual version of Harmony College be held in 2020? Now that we have officially cancelled the event in November, our Music and Education team is focusing on Harmony College Online, currently being developed for a live, interactive online experience during the weekend of 27th to 29th November 2020. Once plans are confirmed, we will share more with the BABS community. I had applied for a Scholarship for 2020. Am I able to transfer this to 2021? The 2020 Scholarship Programme has been suspended and will be kept under review. We will update you when we know more.
QuartetCon 2020 Announcment Expand 2020 QUARTETCON ANNOUNCEMENT After careful consideration of the options and ramifications, and having the members well-being and safety at the forefront of our minds, BABS has made the decision to cancel QuartetCon 2020. This cancellation will impact the 2020 International Quartet Qualification Contest, the 2020 Youth Quartet Contest, the 2020 Senior Quartet Contest, the BinH Mixed Quartet Contest and all related events scheduled to be held on-site. It is our intention that these contests will be incorporated into Sing 2021 and will therefore be held in May 2021. The BABS Board has agonised long and hard over this decision and have studied the scientific advice as well as the financial impacts. A virtual contest, postponement, and many other solutions have been considered. In the end, we are unwilling to create any reason for members to gather in groups to prepare for video submissions or events in the near future. We know that this will leave another gap in the lives and hearts of the BABS community who look forward to these annual events with anticipation and excitement. It is a loss to us all and we feel very sad we will not be able to share in person events with you this year.
QuartetCon FAQ's Expand Why is QuartetCon 2020 being cancelled now? After careful consideration of the options and ramifications, and having the members well-being and safety at the forefront of our minds, BABS has made the decision to cancel QuartetCon 2020. The BABS Board has agonised long and hard over this decision and have studied the legal and financial impacts. A virtual contest, postponement, and many other solutions have been considered but ultimately ruled out as unsafe since they could potentially make members feel that they should gather to rehearse in preparation. 2020 Youth Quartet Contest The 2020 Youth Quartet Contest has been cancelled in accordance with BABS's decision regarding QuartetCon 2020. We know how hard singers have worked to prepare for this year's events, and that now many will age out of the contest before Sing 2021. Due to this, we will extend the age limit to 26 and under for the 2020 Youth Quartet Contest only. Subsequent events will revert back to a maximum age of 25 and under. BinH Mixed Quartet Contest The 2020 BinH Mixed Quartet Contest was due to be held at QuartetCon 2020. However, we are now unable to hold it at this time as QuartetCon has been cancelled. We are in discussion with the other societies to find the best way forward and will update you as soon as we know more. How will it work at Sing 2021? We are still working out the full details and timings for Sing 2021 however we envisage the first round of the 2020 International Quartet Qualification Contest, the 2020 Youth Quartet Contest and the 2020 Senior Quartet Contest taking place on the Friday with the BinH Mixed Quartet and the second round of the 2020 International Quartet Qualification Contest taking place on the Sunday. We will update you when we have finalised the arrangements for Sing 2021.