The DaCapo Chamber Choir announces the third annual NewWorks choral composition competition. The winning entry will receive a $1,500 cash award and a performance by the DaCapo Chamber Choir under director Leonard Enns, in the 2012/2013 season. Entry deadline is February 13th, 2012.

Young composers (25 and under) are also encouraged to submit compositions for consideration in our new Young Composers Reading Sessions.

• About the Competition
• Composition Guidelines
• Deadline
• Prize
• Notification
• Eligibility
• Submission Procedure
• Other important notes
• Young Composers Reading Sessions
• Entry form (pdf file)
  
• Previous winners

About the Competition

The purpose of the NewWorks competition is to foster new and engaging choral works by Canadian composers. The DaCapo Chamber Choir was founded in 1998 and is dedicated to exploring unaccompanied music, primarily of the 20th Century and later. We are continually looking for new pieces to perform which will challenge us and our audiences – both musically and emotionally.

For a list of some of the selections previously performed by the choir, please click on “Previous Seasons”.

For a list of previous winners, click here.

Composition Guidelines

• a cappella SATB (with or without divisi, up to a3 per section)
• 4 to 6 minutes in length
• text - no language restriction; sacred or secular
• submissions must be original compositions; arrangements are not acceptable
• submissions may not have been published or commissioned, or previously performed
• more than one entry may be submitted, but each entry must include a separate entry form and fee ($25 each)
• the composer’s name must not appear anywhere on the score
• the copyright for the composition remains with the composer 

Deadline

• electronic submissions (PDFs) are preferred and must be received by February 13, 2012
• entry forms, fees, and any scores not submitted electronically must be postmarked by February 13, 2012 or earlier

Prize

• $1,500 plus travel expenses to Kitchener, to attend the premiere of his/her composition
• the winning composition will be featured in one of the main series concerts of the 2012/2013 season, at which time an awards ceremony and reception will be held to honour the winning composer
• to accept the award, the winning composer must commit to attend the award ceremony and premiere to be held during the 2012/2013 season 

Notification

• winners will be notified by the end of April 2012, with an official announcement made in early May 2012 

Eligibility

• aged 18 or older
• Canadian citizen or landed immigrant residing in Canada
• current DaCapo choir members or Board members are ineligible

Submission Procedure

• compositions must be scored using music notation software or neatly hand-scored. All scores must be in copy-ready format. Electronic composition submissions are preferred and will be accepted in PDF format ONLY
• all identifying marks (i.e. composer’s name) must be removed
• a piano reduction must be supplied where warranted
• text must appear beneath all staves of choral parts
• written permission from the copyright holder must be included for any texts used that are under copyright
• please also include a copy of the poem or text in its original layout, including the source
• if the text is not in English, a literal English translation must be provided
• a completed, signed entry form and a $25 entrance fee (cheque or money order payable to the DaCapo Chamber Choir) must be postmarked by February 13, 2012 or earlier and mailed to:

DaCapo Chamber Choir
PO Box 40035
Waterloo Square PO
Waterloo, ON N2J 4V1

• electronic scores must be submitted, in PDF format, to info@dacapochamberchoir.ca by February 13, 2012
• if submitting electronically, the entry form and fee must be mailed separately to the address above, and postmarked by February 13th or earlier

Other important notes

• please do NOT staple or bind in any way; use separate, numbered, 8.5x11 sheets of paper
• please do not send recordings
• incomplete applications will be neither considered nor returned
• application materials will not be returned
• the DaCapo Chamber Choir will retain the right to produce the first recording of the winning composition
• the DaCapo Chamber Choir reserves the right not to award a prize

Young Composers Reading Sessions

Composers, aged 25 and younger (as of February 13, 2012) are invited to submit compositions for consideration in our new Young Composers Reading Sessions (YCRS). During the 2012/2013 season, DaCapo will host a public workshop at which compositions will be read by the choir in the presence of the composers. Composers will have opportunity to interact with the conductor and choristers in an effort to continue to refine their compositional craft.  Compositions submitted to YCRS may also be entered into the NewWorks Competition.

Submission guidelines and procedures are the same as for the Competition, but there is no $25 entrance fee.

The DaCapo Chamber Choir gratefully acknowledges the support of:

Wallenstein Feed Charitable Foundation

Community Fund; The Urie A. and Dorothy M. Bender Endowment Fund