Contest and Judging

BHNZ has a judging community. Alongside Barbershop Harmony Australia, the two organisations have trained members that belong to the Australiasian Judging Guild.

Listed below are the BHNZ Members who are judges.

Member Category Location
David Brooks Music Judge Lower Hutt
Henare Mihaere Music Judge Wellington
Charlotte Murray Performance Judge Wellington
Michael Markham Performance Judge Lower Hutt
Henrietta Hunkin Singing Judge  
Eddie Kim Singing Judge Lower Hutt
Kevin Day Contest Administrator Lower Hutt
Angie Schonegger Contest Administrator Wellington

Identified members of the Barbershop Harmony New Zealand are also members of the Australasian Guild of Barbershop Judges. This covers the 3 judging categories in men's barbershop:

• Singing
• Music
• Performance

Scores are given for each song for each category of up to 100 points. For most competitions, competitors can receive feedback from the judges following the contest.

Singing

Judges in this category evaluate the degree to which the performer achieves good singing in the barbershop style.
This involves the production of a consistent resonant sound created by good individual vocal techniques free from apparent effort, and by the quartet or chorus singing as a unit.

Singing judges listen for

  • precise tuning – melodic line (lead part) and harmonically
  • a feeling of fullness or expansion of sound
  • a high degree of vocal skill
  • a high level of vocal unity and consistency throughout the performance
  • a freedom from apparent effort that allows the full communication of the lyric and song.

Music

Judges in this category assess the extent to which the musical performance displays the hallmarks of the barbershop style, and the degree to which the musical performance demonstrates an artistic sensitivity to the music's primary theme. Judges in this category assess the musical elements in the performance:

  • melody,
  • harmony,
  • range and tessitura,
  • tempo
  • rhythm and meter,
  • construction and form
  • embellishments.

Performance

These judges evaluate how effectively a performer brings the song to life. They respond to both the visual and vocal aspects of the peformance, to evaluate the interaction of these aspects in creating the image of the song, as well as everything about the performance that contributes to emotional impact upon the audience.

A performance judge will be asking if the musical and visual delivery of the song is from the heart, believable, and sensitive to the song and its arrangement throughout.

To contact the above people, either click on their name, or use the Contact Us page.

Contest Rules

Contest rules can be found here.

Contest and Judging Team

 

Michael Markham

Contest & Judging Team (Chair)

Responsibilities:

Strategic & Implementation Planning,
Stakeholder Relationships & International Liaison,
BHS Judge Appointments,
AGBJ Assignments (w/ BHA)
  • AGBJ Certified Contest Administrator
  • Vice President Harbour Capital Chorus

Henri Hunkin

Contest & Judging Team

Responsibilities:

Judge pathway to certification,
Judge monitoring and evaluation,
Training Resources for judges,
Judge networking

  • AGBJ Certified Singing Judge
  • Sweet Adelines Int'l Sound Judge Candidate
  • Young Women in Harmony National Coordinator
  • Musical Co-Director Wellington City Chorus
  • Bass of EvenTime quartet (SAI International competitor).
Gary Bolles

Contest & Judging Team