Call for submissions: Choral Composition Competition in the UK

The competition will be funded by a legacy from Robin Johnson, a long-standing member of the choir.

“Throughout his life, Johnson had connections with the sea, sailing and the river Thames, so we have chosen the theme On the Water,” Chiswick Choir said.

Brief

The composition should be a choral piece for mixed choir accompanied by piano or organ, lasting between four and five minutes. Composers may choose their own text, which may be sacred or secular in content. A shortlist of the competition pieces will be performed by Chiswick Choir at St Nicholas Church in Chiswick on 3 July 2021. The performance will be conducted by music director Hilary Campbell and Ben Lewis-Smith.

Submissions

Compositions must be submitted anonymously, under a pseudonym. The composer’s real name must not appear anywhere on the score. An electronic copy (in PDF format) of the score and a midi file or MP3 must be emailed to compose@chiswickchoir.org.uk. The composer’s real name must not appear on the files, but should be labelled with the same pseudonym as on the hard copies.

On receipt of the electronic copy, Chiswick Choir will inform candidates of the postal address to send the hard copies. Candidates should submit two bound, double sided hard copies of the score, computer typeset (handwritten copies are not acceptable). The entry must be accompanied by a separate, sealed envelope containing the following information: the name of the work, the composer’s name, address, telephone number, email address, nationality and a signature indicating that he/she agrees to abide by the competition rules. The envelope should also contain a CV or biography of the composer.

The deadline for submissions is 22 March 2021.

Selection process

A shortlist of up to six entrants will be chosen and notified no later than 12 April 2021. The judges will select and announce the winners at the end of the concert and will award prizes as follows:

• First prize – £1 000 ($1 300)
• Second prize – £500

All shortlisted composers will receive a complimentary pair of tickets to the concert. The judges’ selection of the winners is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

General competition rules

• Any competitor under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
• The adjudicators’ decision is final.
• Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and agree to be bound by them by entering the competition.
• Any queries about the competition should be sent to compose@chiswickchoir.org.uk.

• By submitting the composition, composers grant to Chiswick Choir, free of charge, permission to use the material in any way they wish. In order for Chiswick Choir to use a composition, a candidate must confirm that:

1. It is their own original work
2. It has not previously been performed or published
3. It does not infringe any UK laws
4. He/she has the right to give Chiswick Choir permission to use it for the purposes specified above.

Read more about the general rules here.

Text copyright and permissions

Candidates should ensure that the text they have set is in the public domain and is not subject to any copyright conditions. Failure to do so will disqualify the entry concerned. All entries, including composers’ details, may be used in publicity campaigns post competition. Photographs of winning entries may also be used in publicity campaigns.

View the original call here.