Previous to our current system of scoring-based plateaus, the Illinois District and the BHS were all using a membership based plateau system.  That system placed chapters into one of three plateaus based on their chapter membership as of December 31 of the current year.  Plateau 3-A included chapters with memberships from 75 and above.  Plateau 2-A included memberships of 41 to 74, and Plateau 1-A were those chapters with 40 members and below.

In the early 2000’s chapter membership throughout the Society was dropping at a drastic rate and the membership plateau system did not provide chapter incentive to those chapters with decreasing membership.

In March of 2002, the Illinois District board approved a proposal for a plateau system similar to one used in the Sunshine district.  That system used an average of past raw contest scores as the basis for placing chapters in one of five different plateaus, 5-A through 1-A.  That proposal allowed any chorus, regardless of membership size, to compete against choruses of the same scoring ability.  The emphasis was placed on musical ability rather than membership.

This system was first put into effect for our Fall 2002 chorus contest.

In 2025, a new plateau system was introduced, with four plateaus that align better with our chapter and chorus scores of late.

Understanding the Chorus Plateau Award

The chorus plateau system creates a “competition within the competition” by grouping choruses with similar skill levels. This way, every group—no matter its size or experience—has a fair shot at bragging rights against peers of similar ability.

To better reflect our current membership, we’ve updated the plateau divisions as follows:

• Plateau 4A – Average score of 74 or higher over the last two contests in the past five years.

• Plateau 3A – Average score of 65–73 over the last two contests in the past five years.

• Plateau 2A – Average score of 55–64 over the last two contests in the past five years.

• Plateau 1A – Average score under 55, or has competed only once in the last five years, or has not competed in the last five years.

Each plateau winner will also be invited to perform on the Saturday evening show—right before the quartet results are announced.

These plateaus ensure that all choruses can enjoy friendly competition, celebrate their progress, and aim for the next level.