Why do scores vary between prelims and finals at WGI events?
The judges treat every show as a new contest. We stress with the judges that a finals contest is not for justifying their prelims scores. This forces the judge to look at the groups with fresh ears and eyes. The performers can have varying levels of performance quality during the course of a day. It is not uncommon to see an ensemble perform differently between prelims and finals at a WGI event. This change in performance achievement changes the entire ranking and rating process of the event. Events that have the same judges for both prelims and finals also need to consider depth of programming. Groups with depth of orchestration tend to offer more to the judge viewing the ensemble for the second time. This can also affect the read from the judge.
