Newmarket Voice Festival

Syllabus 2026

28th Annual Newmarket Voice Festival Syllabus

Lyric Poetry - Solo
Entry Fee $35
A lyric poem is contemplative; an expression of inner thought and feelings of the speaker in the poem. It includes sonnets, odes and elegies. Selections exhibit a graceful rhythm and flow. The content is typically written in the first person, and the story element is of secondary importance to the emotion/feeling. It is not dramatized, therefore costumes and props are not appropriate. No (or limited) movement or gestures. (Examples include select works from Dickinson, Shelley, Keats, Rossetti, Tagore, etc.)
One choice of one published selection. Memorization is required. 5 minute time limit. A text must be provided for the adjudicator.

Class	Description
LP01	Open
LP02	21 and under
LP03	18 and under
LP04	16 and under
LP05	14 and under
LP06	12 and under
LP07	10 and under

Narative Poetry - Solo
Entry Fee $35
A narrative poem tells a story, or recounts an event, through verse. It contains a plot, characters and a setting. It often contains action and dialogue but is told from the narrator’s perspective. Usually written in metered verse, but does not need to rhyme. Gestures are allowed for emphasis, but the poem is not dramatized. (Examples include select works of Poe, Longfellow, Tennyson, St. Vincent Millay, etc.)
One choice of one published selection. Memorization is required. 5 minute time limit. A text must be provided for the adjudicator.

Class	Description
NP01	Open
NP02	21 and under
NP03	18 and under
NP04	16 and under
NP05	14 and under
NP06	12 and under
NP07	10 and under

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