Empowered by PeaceWorksNewWorks
The DaCapo Chamber Choir announces the fourth 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 2013/2014 season. Entry deadline is February 18th, 2013.
Click here for information about last year's winners!
Young composers (25 and under) are also encouraged to submit compositions for consideration in our new Young Composers Reading Sessions.
PLEASE NOTE: There was a typo on the printed brochure. The entry deadline for ALL entries is
postmarked/submitted by Monday February 18th (if the post office is
closed due to provincial holidays, we will accept fees posted on Tuesday
the 19th but PDFs should be emailed by the 18th).
- Prize
- Notification
- Eligibility
- Submission procedure
- Other important notes
- Young Composers Reading Sessions
- Entry form
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 works which will challenge us and our audiences – both musically and emotionally.
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, commissioned, or previously performed
- entries from previous years are not eligible for resubmission
- 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 18, 2013
- entry forms, fees, and any scores not submitted electronically must be postmarked by February 18, 2013 or earlier
Prize
- $1,500 plus travel expenses to Kitchener for the winning composer to attend the premiere
- the winning composition will be featured in one of the main series concerts of the 2013/2014 season, at which time an awards ceremony and reception will be held to honour the winning composer
- to receive the award, the winning composer must commit to attend the award ceremony and premiere to be held during the 2013/2014 season
Notification
- winners will be notified in early May 2013, with an official announcement made by the end of that month
Eligibility
- Canadian citizen or landed immigrant residing in Canada
- current DaCapo choir members or Board members are ineligible
- the winner of NewWorks must wait two years before again submitting a work to the competition
Submission Procedure
- scores must be created with 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 should be supplied, only 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
- 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 18, 2013 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 18, 2013
- 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
- do NOT staple or bind in any way; use separate, numbered, 8.5x11 sheets of paper
- do not send recordings
- incomplete applications will neither be 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 for three years after the competition deadline
- DaCapo retains the right of first performance for one year (from the date of prize announcement) of any works that are NewWorks winners, honorable mentions, or YCRS selections
- the DaCapo Chamber Choir reserves the right not to award a prize
Young Composers Reading Sessions
Composers, aged 25 and younger (as of February 18, 2013) are invited to submit compositions for consideration in our new Young Composers Reading Sessions (YCRS). During the 2013/2014 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 order 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
