CHARLES WOOD COMPOSERS’ COMPETITION 2024
1. Entrants must be 18 years old or older at the closing date and not previously had a composition commercially published or made available for sale on a third party website. The competition is not open to employees, or the close relatives of employees of the Charles Wood Festival or anyone else connected with the creation or administration of this competition.
2. Entrants should set the following text for SATB choir either a cappella or with organ accompaniment. The duration of the work should be around 3 minutes:
O for a closer walk with God,
A calm and heavenly frame;
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb!
Return, O holy dove, return,
Sweet messenger of rest;
I hate the sins that made thee mourn,
And drove thee from my breast.
So shall my walk be close with God,
Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
That leads me to the Lamb.
3. Only one entry per entrant will be accepted. If an entrant submits more than one entry, only the first entry registered will be judged and any subsequent entries will be disregarded. Joint entries (entries from two or more entrants) are not eligible and will be disregarded.
4. Entrants must warrant that their entries are original, entirely their own work and do not infringe copyright or other third-party rights. The Charles Wood Festival reserves the right to contact entrants to verify this. Entries must not contain defamatory, obscene, violent or any other material that would deem the entry unsuitable for public performance. The Charles Wood Festival accepts no liability if entrants ignore these rules and entrants agree to fully indemnify the Charles Wood Festival against any claims by any third party arising from any breach of these rules.
5. All entries must be typeset by a standard music notation programme. To enter online, save the score of your piece as an Adobe PDF or a high-resolution image. Then send your score to: charleswoodfestival@gmail.com.
The deadline for receipt of entries is 12 noon on Friday 28th June.
6. Each valid entry will be assessed in relation to the following criteria:
Compositional idea
Originality
Creativity
Suitability for amateur choir
Word setting
Appropriate technical ability
7. Entries will undergo the following judging process:
All entries will be verified to ensure that they are compliant with the terms and conditions of this competition. Any invalid entries will be removed from the judging process at this point. Each valid entry will be assessed on the basis of the criteria outlined above. Three works will be shortlisted for consideration. The Charles Wood Festival’s selection of shortlisted entrants is final. No correspondence will be entered into.
8. The three shortlisted composers will be invited to Armagh on Thursday 15th August 2024 to hear their pieces performed by members of the Charles Wood Singers before the winner is chosen. The jury panel will include Errollyn Wallen, Elaine Agnew and David Hill.
9. Travel expenses up to £150 and 1 night of accommodation will be offered to the shortlisted composers.
10. The winning work will be performed at the Charles Wood Festival Gala Concert on Friday 16th August 2023, and a recording will also be made.
11. The prize is as stated and cannot be deferred or transferred. There will be no cash alternatives.
12. The Charles Wood Festival reserves the right to cancel this competition at any stage.
13. The Charles Wood Festival does not accept responsibility for any technical failure, malfunction or any other problem with any server, internet access system, programme software, the postal service or otherwise which may result in any entry being lost, late or not properly registered or recorded. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt.
14. Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when entering this competition. Entries that deviate from the terms and conditions of this competition will be disqualified.