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Making Music member group London Oriana Choir has announced details of a competition to find its next female composer-in-residence, as part of its five15 project in support of women composers.
The competition is open to all women aged between 18-25, and the winner will receive three paid commissions: two five-minute pieces for unaccompanied choir and one ten-minute piece with orchestral accompaniment to be delivered over the year and to have those pieces performed in public by the choir during the residency. The pieces will also be published in the choir’s anthology of all 15 pieces to be released at the end of the project.
The London Oriana Choir’s musical director Dominic Ellis-Peckham said:
Three years into our five15 project is perhaps one of the most interesting moments for the choir. Up until this point, we’ve been working with composers whom we know and wanted to work with. But now we are opening up the competition to any young women who would like to work with us and we cannot wait to hear their ideas. It’s the part of the project that we have been most excited about launching.
How to enter
Entrants need to submit a piece of mixed-voice choral music up to five minutes long by the closing date of 8 March 2019. Entries will be judged by a panel which includes composer Cecilia McDowall, conductor and educationalist Suzi Digby, Tim Brooke, head of Repertoire Development at Faber Music Ltd and the choir’s music director, Dominic Ellis-Peckham. Eight semi-finalists will be chosen by the jury, each of whom will have the chance to work with the choir to refine their piece, after which four finalists will have their works performed in public in the choir’s summer concert in July, when the winner will be announced.
Launched in April 2016, five15 has been going from strength to strength in its first three years with commissions from Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Adopt a Composer alumna Rebecca Dale, and the current composer-in-residence and Adopt a Composer alumna, Jessica Curry. In addition, there has been more general programming of works by female composers in the choir’s repertoire, the appointment of Simon Funnell as its first professional project manager and educational outreach to 16-18 year-old budding female composers. Future plans include recordings, a compendium of all the commissioned works and a closing festival.
