Voice Of The Valley, a vocal competition for adults and young people, will begin on Saturday, January 5th at The Barnstormers Theatre in Tamworth, NH. The contest will continue on January 12, 19, and 26. All rounds will begin at 8 PM.

The contest is open to adults age 18 and up, teens age 13 to 17, and juniors age 7 to 12. Cash prizes and a trophy will be awarded in each of the three categories. Singers will perform before a panel of five judges and will be scored on pitch, vocal range, diction, breath control, stage presence, among other criteria. Audience members will also vote, and their votes will be added to the judges' scores.

Voice of the Valley was originated by M&D Productions in 2002. "We're very excited about partnering with The Barnstormers Theatre this year," says event coordinator Mark DeLancey. "This will open the competition up to a whole new group of people in the southern end of the Valley."

Registration fee for the competition is $25 for adults and $15 for teens and juniors, which includes 2 passes to the audition round for use by friends or family. General admission to the audition on Jan 5th is $5. Admission to the follow-up rounds is $15 for adults and $10 for all others, and audience members will be able to vote at each round.

For the audition round, contestants should be prepared to sing a capella for 2 minutes. Those who advance to the follow-up rounds may sing to a karaoke CD, an accompanist, or their own accompaniment. Contestants under age 18 will need a parent's signature to compete. The adult winner will receive $500, the teen winner $250, and the junior winner $100.

More information, complete rules, and registration forms are available by calling M&D Productions at 603-662-7591.