Competition

Just for a once off try (it could become a habit, I'm not sure)

Having talked with the conductor of the orchestra that I'm in, we have agreed to create a competition for a composer on this forum to write a piece for our orchestra to be premiered in September 2006. The winner will get their piece played at our concert, be sent a recording and if I have a bit more money, I'll chuck in a score or something like that :P To be honest, this isn't a chance to be missed!

Few requirements as always!

1. The piece must be between four and ten minutes long;

2. The piece must only have the following instruments:

flute (4 players), preferably first and second

clarinet in Bb (3 players), preferably first and second

alto saxophone (2 players)

trumpet (2 players)

first and second violins

violas

cellos

double bass

timpani (only two notes please, we haven't adjustable timpani!)

percussion (for one other player)

3. The average standard of the orchestra is Grade 4/5/6 (ABRSM), please no awkward keys! - the stronger sections are the cellos and clarinets (if you are planning on a solo, these are the sections). Violins and violas are weak and few in number as well so please keep this in mind.

4. Please make sure you can get parts and score into pdf format and sent by e-mail.

5. Nominations must have a music notation file (either .mus, .sib or .pdf) and an audio file (either .mp3 or .midi). These should be e-mailed to me at tad1989@gmail.com - links to these files are acceptable as is sending them in the e-mail itself.

6.The piece has to be somewhere related to something film-y in nature (it's a film themed concert)

7. The opening date is today, 2nd June 2006. The closing date for nomations is two weeks from now, 16th June 2006 (just submit your name in this thread). Nominees can drop out if they wish after this period. Pieces will have to be completed and submitted by Friday 14th July. Late submissions will NOT be accepted! I know it's a tight schedule but we have to get the thing rehearsed as well! Compositions can start as soon as you've put forward your name.

8. From the nominees, the best five or so will go before the conductor who will then choose the piece. Please note that this decision is final! I'll be judging the nominees based on the orchestra's ability to play the piece in the short timeframe and a few other things (texture, orchestration, the usual stuff, etc)

If you have any more queries, don't hesitate to contact me at tad1989@gmail.com. Good luck! :P

I agree with Nico for the most part, with the exception being that I don't consider myself "out" quite yet. I'll have to look into my schedule to see if I have the time for a project like this. I'd love to have an orchestral work of mine performed, but with those restrictions, I might not be able to write anything of significance.

Here are some things that might be a problem for most composers here:

"timpani (only two notes please, we haven't adjustable timpani!)"

"please no awkward keys!"

"Violins and violas are weak and few in number as well so please keep this in mind."

We shall see!

Well nothing like five or six flats ... I mean when you get a commission from somebody, in some cases not everything is gonna be hunky dory, full symphonic orchestra - you have to adjust Nico :happy:

P.S. We can beef up the violins - it's just we particularly don't want to see difficult crazy Wagnerian runs up high in the stratosphere, you know?

P.P.S. Just for your information as well, I've had three works premiered by these guys and the last piece premiered in December is being recorded with a choir for release. It's sounds amateurish alright, but hey you have an orchestra at your disposal, not a sound card!

That's your problem, I'm in. In my field of music, the key is adaptability; and so I will most certainly adapt to these guidelines. Thank you kindly for the opportunity! :happy:

P.P.S. Just for your information as well, I've had three works premiered by these guys and the last piece premiered in December is being recorded with a choir for release. It's sounds amateurish alright, but hey you have an orchestra at your disposal, not a sound card!

Good point.

I have a few questions, though. What's the process exactly? Does the winning composer have to meet up with the orchestra? This is quite impractible for many of us. Would we have to reveal personal information about ourselves? I try to keep most of my personal information private, and would be reluctant to reveal anything to somebody, whether I trusted them or not, on the Internet. Finally, how would we receive the recording? I, personally, would prefer to keep it simple and receive it through email.

If you could answer these questions, I'd be very appreciative.

2. The piece must only have the following instruments:

flute (4 players), preferably first and second

clarinet in Bb (3 players), preferably first and second

alto saxophone (2 players)

trumpet (2 players)

first and second violins

violas

cellos

double bass

timpani (only two notes please, we haven't adjustable timpani!)

percussion (for one other player)

Does it have to be scored exact to this? Or can we score it say...

1 Flute

1 Clarinet

1 Alto Saxophone

2 Trumpets

Violin

Violin

Viola

Cello

Double Bass

Would it be Ok scored like that, as long as we don't add any instruments not availible?

And... Does it have to be a newly composed work, Or can it be an older work of ours scored to fit the rules of orchestration?

Count me in. Without Nico participating, I'll win for sure! HAHAHA! (Or at least make it to the best 5; besides, with all these restrictions, only five nominees might participate!)

too many requirements, too restricted and amateur-sounding of an orchestra. I'm out. ;). When you request no awkward keys...I mean that's just a slap in the face of the composer.

I disagree entirely. I think this is a great opportunity that any amateur composer should jump at. In fact, this would probably work well as an official Young Composers competition. The last one (variating competition) never really got off the ground so maybe we can follow it up with this. I'll PM Nickthoven and see what he says. Perhaps the brief could be a theme and variations film music related piece.

Thanks Thomas! :)

It seems like a rather awkward orchestra setting. You have weak no low brass and no percussion except Timpani which leads me to think it is similar to a Classical style orchestration, but then you have this alto sax sticking in, and I could never be able to make that blend in! No trombones? No percussion? No talented violins or viola? Although a competition like this DOES suit my liking, and I think YC should look into having one similar where fewer restrictions are involved, this is not something I think I will be best suited for.

However, as soon as my show is over (tonight) I'll have more free time then I'll know what to do with. So I might be able to write a piece for this competition, even though I'm sure it will be thrown out in the first draft of preliminaries! My involvement is tentative.

No composer will want they're work performed by a small bunch of mediocre players

I take high offence at that Nico. The orchestra did a damn good job on the last piece I composed and I

Yeah, I understand where you're coming from - got a bit hot-headed there meself :angry: Sure, I'll leave it up to you.