THE PHOENIX SINGERS of SHREWSBURY

 

are pleased to announce

 

 

The Phoenix Choral Composition Competition 2010/11.

 

The competition is open to composers of any nationality and any age. The choir is offering three prizes:

 

First prize -  £300, Second Prize - £200 and Third Prize - £100

 

The Phoenix Singers will give the first performance of the winning entries in Shrewsbury in April 2011.

The Phoenix Singers will give the first performance of the winning entries in Shrewsbury in April 2011.

 

 

 

Entrants are invited to submit a setting of a text with a Shropshire connection for a capella SATB choir.

 

Suggested poets/poems are;

 

A E Housman  -    “How clear, how lovely “

 

Mary Webb  -  “ Presences (Lyth Hill)”  “The Little Hill ( Pontesford)” “Viroconium”

 

Gladys Mary Coles  -   “Bomere Pool “ (to Mary Webb)

 

V Carlin  -  “The Dreaming Hills”

 

Allister Fraser  -  “On The Stiperstones”

 

Margery Lea  -  “In the Stretton Hills”

 

or other work from “Poet’s England -14  Shropshire” General editor Margaret Tims, published by Brentham Press ISBN 0905772393. ( electronic copies of text of chosen poems by request from Averil Newell  email nwl25bvg@talktalk.net)

or texts of entrants’ own choice.

 

The work should last no more than 5 minutes and must not have been performed previously.

 

Scores must be typeset to a professional standard on A4-size pages.

The Phoenix Singers are a choir of approximately 45 members.   They have performed a wide range of choral music from the classical repertoire, including most recently, J S Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion”.  They have also enjoyed performing challenging twentieth century and contemporary works, including Poulenc motets, pieces by Hindemith, Messiaen, Paul Patterson, Richard Lloyd and Sally Beamish. The choir would welcome a contemporary composition that is accessible to both choir and audience.  Entrants are invited to have informal discussions with the conductor John Naylor about the skills and expertise of the choir (Tel: 01630 661633; e-mail: j.t.naylor@btinternet.com).

 

 

Applications should be submitted to

Tony & Averil Newell (Joint Chairmen)

The Phoenix Singers of Shrewsbury

25 Belle Vue Gardens

Shrewsbury

Shropshire

SY3 7JG

 

Six copies of the score should be sent with a covering letter giving the composer’s name, address, telephone number and e-mail address and including any observations which the composer may wish to make. One copy of the score should have the composer’s contact details written on the back of each page; the remaining five copies which will be submitted to the jury should have no identification markings on them.

 

Entries must be received by October 31st, 2010.

 

The competition will be judged by a jury of members of the choir and an external musician and the results will be announced by November 30th, 2010. The Phoenix Singers retain the right to withhold all or any of the prizes on the advice of the jury.

 

All entrants will retain the copyright of the work but will be required to grant to The Phoenix Singers the right to produce and retain sufficient copies for performance.

 

The choir reserves the premiere performing rights until April 2011.

 

Scores are sent at entrants’ own risk.  We cannot acknowledge receipt of scores, nor return any material submitted.

 

In all matters relating to the competition, the decision of the jury is final and correspondence will not be entered into.  Submitting an entry for the competition indicated the entrant’s unqualified acceptance of these terms.