Amadeus Choir Christmas Carol and Chanukah Song Writing Competition

"The intention of the competition initially was to inspire young writers to be creative in composing music for choirs. It has grown to be so much more than that. It has certainly been a joy and a privilege for us to present the premiere performances of these works and to share our ability to place these wonderful compositions on the world choral stage for the first time."
- - Lydia Adams (reflecting on the 20th anniversary of the competition)

Established by conductor Lydia Adams in 1987, the annual Seasonal Song-Writing Competition is an opportunity for composers of all ages and levels of experience to hear their compositions come to life. Its principal goals are to provide a forum for new compositions, to motivate composers to develop their craft and to augment the existing choral repertoire for Christmas, Chanukah and the Winter Solstice. Originally intended for only children and youth, the competition's entry rules changed in 2000 - beginning that year, and every second year thereafter, the competition remains open only to children and youth, but for alternate years, beginning in 2001, the competition is open to all composers, regardless of age and experience.

When asked about what inspired her to introduce the competition more than 20 years ago, Lydia Adams credits her experiences with the Bach Choir in London, England under the direction of Sir David Willcocks. At the choir's yearly concert of carols, Sir David would invite school-aged children to write a carol for the Bach Choir and the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. Lydia says, "It was always a singular pleasure and inspiration for me to watch that young person's face as he or she listened to the magic created by Sir David and the combined forces performing the new carol in a format that surely, they could never have dreamed of. I thought that it was a perfect way to capture a young composer's imagination – what an inspiration for a young musician! It must have been a life-changing experience for them. I thought then that if I ever had the chance to provide a similar experience for young writers, I would do it at the earliest opportunity."

The competition now has categories for both amateur and published composers of all ages, who may write for any choral voicing (with or without organ, piano, or brass accompaniment).

Winners of the competition have the opportunity to hear their works performed by the Amadeus Choir at its annual holiday concert in December in Toronto, Canada. Several winning carols from past years are featured on the choir's Ring-a the News! CD, released on the IBS label. Many works have been published by Gordon V. Thompson in the Amadeus Choir Series, Lydia Adams, editor.

Some past winning composers include Kola Owolabi, Scott Tresham, Jeff Ryan, Eleanor Daley, Mark Sirett, Cassandra Luftspring and Laura Silberberg, and there are numerous others. Just imagine - the next one could be you!

For more information and to obtain competition guidelines and an application form, please click here.

For more information on competition guidelines, please contact the choir office.