Deadline: August 5 for Carol Contest Submissions

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (July 11, 2011) — Every year since 1998, VocalEssence and the American Composers Forum have challenged composers to write brand new Christmas carols. And each year the challenge has varied – composers have written carols for chorus with a variety of instruments, including cello, French horn, harp, guitar and handbells. This year’s challenge is to write a new carol for men’s voices (TTBB) accompanied by English horn.

One or two carols will be selected as winners of the competition. Each winning composer will receive a prize of $1,000, and the winning carols will be premiered at the December 3, 4, 9, 10 & 11, 2011 Welcome Christmas concerts. The winners are invited to attend the rehearsals and performances at their own expense, and will have the opportunity for radio interviews as well as other media coverage and promotion.

The contest is open to composers of all ages whose permanent residence is North America; experience writing for voice and/or choirs is beneficial. Proof of public domain or author’s written permission for use of text is required. Submissions must be postmarked by August 5, 2011; visit www.vocalessence.org for complete guidelines and requirements.

This year marks the 14th anniversary of the Welcome Christmas Carol Contest as VocalEssence and the American Composers Forum provide composers of all ages with the opportunity to compose a modern-day carol. Each year, the contest has produced wonderful new settings of familiar texts and carols based on existing poems and original texts with different instrumentation. A number of past carols are featured on the VocalEssence Christmas CD, Behold This Heavenly Night. The 2011 Welcome Christmas performances will be recorded for national broadcast in 2012 via American Public Media.

Welcome Christmas Carol Contest winners to date

2010: Carols with handbells: J. David Moore, Mark Shepperd

2009: Carols with viola: Michael J. Glasgow, Robert Sieving

2008: Carols with French horn: Scott Ethier, Peter Hilliard

2007: Carols with celesta: Matthew Brown, Stephen Main

2006: Carols with guitar: Diego Luzuriaga, John Rommereim

2005: Carols with solo cello: Jocelyn Hagen, Paul Gibson

2004: Carols with solo recorder: Keith Bradshaw, James Sclater

2003: Carols with a solo instrument: Alan Higbee (oboe), Thomas Fielding (harp)

2002: Carols with percussion: Mary Lynn Place Badarak, Paul Lohman

2001: Carols with string orchestra: Clive Muncaster, Sergey Khvoshchinsky

2000: Carols with harp: Brian Holmes, Emily Maxson Porter