Advent Carol Competition 2026

Calling all composers!
Submissions invited for a new Advent choral work.
£1,500 prize plus a world premiere performance by Wells Cathedral Choir.

Timothy Parsons, Director of Music at Wells Cathedral

About the Competition

Wells Cathedral Commissions is inviting composers to submit a new, original choral work for the Advent season.

This exciting new competition is free to enter and open to all ages.

We are seeking unaccompanied SATB (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) choral work of up to five minutes’ duration, written specifically for liturgical use in the context of an Advent service at Wells Cathedral.

Composers may choose to write or compile their own text, provided it meets the liturgical and contextual requirements of the Advent season and is appropriate for use within a cathedral procession.

For those who prefer to work with an established text, the competition offers the following traditional options:

Adam lay ybounden
There is No Rose
A Tender Shoot

View the established text options here >

The winning composition will receive its world premiere performance by Wells Cathedral Choir during the Cathedral’s Advent Procession on Sunday 29 November 2026. The winning composer will be awarded a £1,500 cash prize and will be invited to attend the performance, with UK travel and one night’s accommodation provided.

Our expert panel of judges will be composers Joanna Marsh and Owain Park, together with Wells Cathedral’s Director of Music, Timothy Parsons, and Assistant Director of Music, Carolyn Craig.

The Advent Carol Competition 2026 is part of Wells Cathedral’s ongoing commitment to commissioning and supporting new music for liturgical and wider performance. Cathedral Commissions exists to nurture creative partnerships between composers and the Cathedral, enriching worship and extending the choral tradition through high‑quality new work.

Learn more about Wells Cathedral Commissions >