Deadline for applications: 15 January 2022
Introduction
The International Federation for Choral Music has organized four international choral composition competitions since this project was created in 2010. The aim of these competitions is to promote the creation and distribution of new, innovative, and accessible choral repertoire. Also, to promote and encourage composers to creation and distribution.
IFCM announces its Fifth International Competition for Choral Composition to promote new works in choral music and to encourage innovation in choral writing which fits the needs of a 21st-century choir. We are looking for compositions that combine originality, imagination, and creativity within the context of contemporary global themes.
Participation
The competition is open to all composers of any nationality and any age. The participation fee varies according to the nationality of the composer and a country’s designation in the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI country groups are based on measures of achievement in the basic dimensions of human development across countries. These dimensions include knowledge (education index), long and healthy life (life expectancy index), and a decent standard of living (GNI index). For more information about the index, visit IFCM website, Membership fees.
Fee Payment
Payments by bank card are highly recommended. Please use the online membership renewal form to submit your card details. It’s secure and fast. Possibility to pay via Paypal, Western Union, or with US checks, please contact the office of IFCM BEFORE.
Categories
- Mixed Choir
- Voicing: SATB with minimal divisi or SSA(A) or TTB(B)
- Duration: 4-6 minutes
- Difficulty: The composition should be accessible to an average – good amateur choir and must have a medium level of difficulty.
- Instruments: The composition may feature instruments, with the understanding that the primary focus of the work should be the voices. The total number of the added instruments should be no more than three. The instrumental part should enrich the texture of the music and not merely double the voices.
- Text: The text of the composition can be either original or from sacred or secular sources in any world language. It may also be based on onomatopoeic syllables or on newly-created words and sounds that do not necessarily convey a meaning. If the text is not original or is not in the public domain, written authorization from the author or copyright holder must be sent with the application. The authorization should indicate rights for use and reproduction.
- Movement: The inclusion of optional choreography and eurythmic elements is acceptable.
- A Song for World Choral Day
- World Choral Day (WCD) is an international choral event to celebrate the values of solidarity, peace, and understanding through choral singing! Thousands of choirs have joined in the celebration of World Choral Day on or around the second Sunday in December in the past twenty years. Millions of singers across the globe have been involved in World Choral Day concerts, festivals, sing-alongs, choral seminars, Days of Friendship, and other events.
- The Song for World Choral Day category calls for a composition that will be sung on World Choral Day by choirs around the world. By its nature, this composition should concentrate on values that connect all humans all over our planet.
- Voicing: Two parts with high and low voices.
- Duration: 2-3 minutes
- Difficulty: The composition must be singable by all choirs and should be easy to teach/learn.
- Instruments: An optional piano part is acceptable.
- Text: The text of the piece can be in any world language. The text should carry a message related to the philosophy of World Choral Day. If the text is not original or is not in the public domain, written authorization from the author or copyright holder must be sent with the application. The authorization should indicate rights for use and reproduction.
Submission
Composers may join the competition with one piece per category. Submissions should be sent by email to manager@ifcm.net. Each submission should include:
- Application form (download HERE)
- The composition in PDF format, scored in a professional notation program (Sibelius, Finale, etc.) with numbered pages. Scanned manuscripts will be accepted if they are legible with clear writing and no amendments.
- Midi / Mp3 file of the composition
The file name for the score and accompanying audio file should include: category (Mixed or WCD), the title, pseudonym/motto chosen by the composer, and the estimated duration of the composition (e.g., Mixed_Ilovetosing_LouiseMaeDye_4.70). Compositions not submitted in this format will not be accepted.
Deadline: 15 January 2022. Submission to be sent to manager@ifcm.net.
The compositions submitted must be original and unpublished. They cannot have been awarded prizes nor be waiting for a verdict in any other competition. They should not have been presented to the public. Arrangements or adaptations of existing works will be excluded.
Participants should ensure that their pseudonym/motto is clearly written on the files according to the specified above. Any indication that reveals the composer’s identity in advance will lead to immediate disqualification.
The works presented should not be divided into parts as a song collection or suites; rather, they must be one comprehensive work.
Prizes
- Mixed Voices
- Winner Prize: 1000 USD
- Premiere at one of the IFCM related events
- Feature article about the composer and work in the International Choral Bulletin (ICB)
- Feature posts on the IFCM website and social media
- One year complimentary IFCM individual membership
- World Choral Day Song
- Winner Prize: 500 USD
- The official anthem of World Choral Day project in 2022 and 2023 (possibly performed by more than 200 choirs from all over the world)
- Feature article about the composer and piece in the International Choral Bulletin (ICB)
- Composition printed in ICB
- Feature posts on the IFCM website and social media
- One year complimentary IFCM individual membership
Jury
The jury of the IFCM Choral Composition Competition consists of five composers/conductors of world-class, international reputation from multiple continents. The decision of the jury is final. The jury may, at its discretion, withhold any or all prizes if submitted works fail to meet the set criteria. Jury members can also give special mentions to any submitted piece.
Copyright
Compositions submitted to the competition shall be deemed the Intellectual Property of the submitting composer and any rights relating to this shall remain with the composer. The winner of the competition shall grant IFCM the right to premiere the winning piece within 12 months of the announcement of the winners. No public performance shall be allowed prior to the premiere performance by IFCM without the consent of IFCM. Should IFCM be prevented from giving the premiere within this time frame, the composer shall be free to have the composition premiered elsewhere. IFCM shall not have to pay any additional fee to the composer for any audio and/or audio-visual recordings of the performance. If the winning composer is not subject to a contract binding him/her to a specific publishing house, IFCM may publish parts of the score in the International Choral Bulletin without remuneration to the composer.
Publication of the full score shall only be possible with the explicit consent of the composer. In this case, IFCM shall also support the composer in finding a publishing house for full publication. All winning works should be marked, whenever possible, as “one of the winning entries of the IFCM Fifth International Competition for Choral Composition” on the music score cover or in the concert program.
Participation in the competition implies full knowledge and acceptance of these regulations.