CITY bands and a vocal championship will take the Wimmera Music Eisteddfod into its next era this year.
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The event will return to Horsham after a hiatus in 2018.
The eisteddfod normally runs in Hosham's Wesley Performing Arts Centre, but occupational health and safety issues meant organisers had to cancel last year's edition.
This year the event will find a new home in Horsham Town Hall, and will be buoyed by the support of Horsham-born theatre star Alex Rathgeber.
Rathgeber will be the patron for the vocal championship event.
Eisteddfod committee member Letitia Dowling said there had already been a lot of support for the event since its return was announced in October.
"Everyone has been really positive and happy to see it coming back," she said.
"When we were planning for this year, we started off with the previous eisteddfod's format and added things we thought would be good.
Related: Eisteddfod to return in 2019
"The championship event is something the vocal teachers on the committee were talking about.
"One of the examiners had mentioned that Warrnambool does a massive ARIA competition.
"With Alex as a patron, we thought a vocal championship would be perfect.
"Another new thing is that we have invited all the regional city bands to be in an event.
"We've also put in a few beginner things to make it easier for people who are just learning."
Mrs Dowling said the eisteddfod would encompass a range of categories from piano, strings, woodwind and brass, vocal, guitar, ensembles, choirs and bands.
"We have 53 items available, so it would be awesome if we got close to 500 people participating," she said.
"Entries have opened and will all be done online, which is pretty common across eisteddfods in Australia now.
"We encourage anyone from western Victoria to enter."
Mrs Dowling said people could visit stardom.com.au to enter before the end of May.
The eisteddfod will run from July 26 to 28.
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