Wells Cathedral is to launch a competition to create a new Advent carol musical composition.
Organisers at the Cathedral will invite composers of all ages to submit a new choral composition for an unaccompanied SATB (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) choir, setting a text appropriate for an Advent Sunday service.
The winning composer will receive a prize of £1,500, and the premiere performance of the music will be given by the world-class Wells Cathedral Choir, as part of the cathedral’s traditional Advent Procession in November.
The competition, which will be free to enter, has been funded by Cathedral Commissions – a unique scheme operated on behalf of Wells Cathedral, designed to secure the innovative tradition of Cathedral Music by financing new compositions. The scheme has enabled the composition of dozens of new choral works by composers including Jonathan Dove, Gabriel Jackson, Kerensa Briggs, Sir James MacMillan, Cheryl Frances-Hoad and Cecilia McDowall.
Entries for the Advent Carol competition will be assessed by composers Joanna March and Owain Park, together with Wells Cathedral’s Timothy Parsons, Director of Music, and Carolyn Craig, Assistant Director of Music.
Full details will be available on the Wells Cathedral website from Sunday 10 May.