Calling Young Composers!
NLCC launches a composition competition for schools!
The New London Children’s Choir will celebrate its 25th birthday in
2016-2017. As part of the celebrations, and in keeping with its tradition
of commissioning new work for children’s voices, the choir is launching
a composition competition for schools.
The winning entry will be performed by the choir at the 25th anniversary
concert, to be held at Milton Court on 19th March 2017. The winning
composer will also win £500 for their school music department.
Who is eligible?
All school pupils who will be in school year 11, 12 or 13 in the academic
year 2015-2016, and who are resident in the UK.
Text and Duration
Composers should choose from one of the four texts provided. As a
guide, the duration of the piece should be between one and half and four
minutes.
Forces
The piece is to be written for the Senior Choir of NLCC, which is an
upper voice choir (soprano and alto). Members of the choir range from
age 10-18. As a guide, the choir regularly sings in 2 or 3 parts. The work
should have piano accompaniment.
Submission
The composer should submit two unnamed and unbound copies of their
entry in hard copy by 5pm on the closing date of 10 September 2016.
Entries received after this date will not be considered.
Scores should ideally be electronically produced, but legible hand written
scores will be accepted. Pages must be numbered.
Scores must be accompanied by a completed application form and also by
a sealed envelope containing a named copy of page 1 of their entry.
Entrants should make sure they have read the terms and conditions of the
competition.
Entries should be posted to:
NLCC Competition
C/O Help Musicians
7-11 Britannia Street
London
WC1X 9JS
Prizes
The first prize piece will be performed at the NLCC 25th birthday concert
in March 2017, and the winning composer will win £500 for their school
music department.
Up to 5 runners up will be invited to a workshop event in the summer
term of 2017, where NLCC will work with them on their piece.
Judges
The judges will be Ronald Corp, Founder and Musical Director of NLCC,
John Rutter, composer and conductor and the composer Cheryl FrancesHoad. In the event of a dispute, the final decision will rest with Ronald
Corp. Judging will take place in September 2016, and prize winners
(composers and schools) will be informed by email by September 30
2016.
Texts
Composers are requested to set one of the following four poems:
The Little Boy Lost
By William Blake
Father, father, where are you going
O do not walk so fast.
Speak father, speak to your little boy
Or else I shall be lost,
The night was dark, no father was there
The child was wet with dew.
The mire was deep, and the child did weep
And away the vapour flew.
*********
The Little Boy Found
By William Blake
The little boy lost in the lonely fen,
Led by the wandering light,
Began to cry, but God, ever nigh,
Appeared like his father, in white.
He kissed the child, and by the hand led,
And to his mother brought,
Who in sorrow pale, through the lonely dale,
The little boy weeping sought.
*********
The Eagle
By Alfred, Lord Tennyson
He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ring'd with the azure world, he stands.
The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.
*********
On my First Son
By Ben Johnson
Farewell, thou child of my right hand, and joy;
My sin was too much hope of thee, lov'd boy.
Seven years tho' wert lent to me, and I thee pay,
Exacted by thy fate, on the just day.
O, could I lose all father now! For why
Will man lament the state he should envy?
To have so soon 'scap'd world's and flesh's rage,
And if no other misery, yet age?
Rest in soft peace, and, ask'd, say, "Here doth lie
Ben Jonson his best piece of poetry."
For whose sake henceforth all his vows be such,
As what he loves may never like too much.
*********
NLCC Composition Competition for schools: Terms and Conditions
• The competition is open to school children resident in the UK only
• Children must be in school years 11,12 or 13 in the academic year
2015-2016.
• All entries submitted must be new and original compositions and
be the composer’s own work. Assistance from teachers is not
permitted
• Entries must not have received any previous public performance,
including broadcast via social media or on SoundCloud etc
• Entries must be suitable for performance by the forces outlined in
the information document
• The judging panel will be Ronald Corp, John Rutter and Cheryl
Frances-Hoad. However, the organisers reserve the right to
substitute if any judge is unable to participate
• The panel reserves the right to withhold the prize
• The decision of the panel is final and no correspondence will be
entered into other than with prize winners
• Prize winners will be notified by email by 30 September 2015
• It will not be possible to return scores after the competition, so
composers are advised to make appropriate copies before
submission
• Compositions remain the property of the composer, and NLCC will
make no claim. However by entering the competition, composers
are giving consent for their work to be performed or workshopped
by NLCC
• For entries to be valid, two unnamed copies of the score should be
submitted in hard copy, unbound, together with the application
form, and must be received by the organisers on or before 5pm on
10 September 2016
• Entries should be accompanied by a sealed envelope containing a
named copy of the first page of the score
• Any composer under the age of 18, attending either the birthday
concert or workshop, must be accompanied by a parent or guardian
• The organisers will cover reasonable travel expenses to prize
winners to enable their attendance at either the birthday concert or
the workshop
Application form
Name of composer
Date of birth
School year, (in
2015-2016)
Address
Email address
School Name and Address
Name of Head of Music
Email of Head of Music
I…………………………………………….(name), Head of music at
…………………………….School, confirm that my pupil…………………..fulfills the
terms and conditions of the competition and that to the best of my knowledge the work
submitted is all their own work.
Signature…………………………………Date…………
I……………………………….(name) confirm that I have read the terms and conditions of
entry for the NLCC Composition Competition for schools and confirm that my entry is all
my own work.
Signature………………………………….Date………..
Parental Consent (if composer is under 18 yrs on September 10 2016)
Name of parent/guardian
I am happy for my child………………………………….……….(name) to enter the NLCC
Composition Competition for schools.
Signature of parent/guardian
Parent/guardian email