Award Criteria

	PLATINUM	GOLD	SILVER	BRONZE
Tone	Excellent tone quality Sound always focussed Wide range of tone colours	Good tone quality Sound generally focussed Good range of tone colours	Competent tone quality Sound not always focussed Reasonable range of tone colours	Tone quality is limited Sound occassionally focussed Tone colours need further exploration
Tuning	A well tuned performance Intonation is generally excellent	Majority of instrument are well tuned Intonation is generally good	Some lack of control with tuning is evident Intonation is generally competent	Tuning is good in parts Intonation is generally variable
Balance & Blend	An excellent sense of balance is demonstrated Soloists are accompanied sympathetically Sections blend well together	An good sense of balance is achieved Soloists are accompanied well Sections blend well together for the majority of the performance	An competent sense of balance is achieved Soloists are generally well Sections blend well for a good portion of the performance	Balance is adequate some of the time Accompaniment requires a greater degree of sensitivity Sections and individual tend to dominate
Dynamics	A wide range of dynamic variation is evident Dynamic contrast handled effectively	A good range of dynamic variation is evident Good control of dynamic contrast	A competent range of dynamic variation is evident Competent control of dynamic contrast	Dynamic range tends to be limited Some control of dynamic contrast is evident
Rhythmic Accuracy & Ensemble	Rhythmic accuracy is excellent Pulse and tempo changes very well managed Performance shows a high degree of cohesion	Rhythmic accuracy is generally very good Most pulse and tempo changes are managed effectively Band and sections mostly well co-ordinated	Rhythmic accuracy is generally good Some pulse and tempo changes are managed effectively Band shows reasonable coordination	Rhythmic accuracy is inconsistent Tempo and pulse changes disturb the musical flow Co-ordination is shown only in the more straightforward passages.
Articulation & Phrasing	Articulation is excellent throughout Excellent attention to detail Phrasing shows a high degree of understanding and presentation	Articulation is good generally A wide range of detail is portrayed Phrasing is good and generally precise	Articulation is competent A reasonable range of detail is portrayed Phrasing is competent	A reasonable level of articulation is shown Some detail is portrayed Phrasing is in need of development
Style & Interpretation	The Band responds vigilantly to the conductor's directions A mastery of style is evident throughout Interpretation produces a highly musical performance.	The Band responds well to the conductor's directions A good range of style is displayed A musical interpretation enhanced a good performance	The Band responds well to the conductor's directions most of the time Some awareness of the style of the music is shown The musicality displayed some of the time lifts the performance.	The Band only responds to the conductor's directions some of the time The style of the music is not always well characterised A basic understanding of musical interpretation is shown
Improvisation	Excellent skills shown by the soloists	Soloists display a good range of skills	Soloists mainly use printed solos, but there is some attempt to free themselves from the copy; or display a basic range of skills	Soloists only use printed copies; or no soloists used