Three Choirs Festival

Hereford Cathedral Voluntary Choir has launched a new choral composition in association with the Three Choirs Festival. Composers are invited to submit a short setting of a sacred text, suitable for performance as an introit at a service of Choral Evensong. The choir will perform the winning introit in Hereford Cathedral on Sunday 27 July, during the Three Choirs Festival.

The closing date for submitting entries is Wednesday 19 March 2025, with shortlisted compositions rehearsed and performed by Hereford Cathedral Voluntary Choir at a workshop on Saturday 29 March in College Hall, Hereford Cathedral. Shortlisted composers and their guests will be invited to attend the workshop alongside the competition judges.

The judging panel is made up of Naomi Belshaw (composer manager and Chair of the Three Choirs Festival), Nathan James Dearden (composer), Timothy Rogers (Encore Publications) and Peter Dyke (Assistant Director of Music at Hereford Cathedral and director of the Voluntary Choir).

Composition requirements:

• The piece must be no longer than 4 minutes in length

• Compositions should be for SATB choir, a cappella or with organ accompaniment.

• They should be capable of being rehearsed quickly from scratch by a good amateur choir before a run-through performance. Shortlisted composers’ entries will be rehearsed for 15 minutes each and immediately performed at the workshop rehearsal.

• The chosen texts must be appropriate in nature and in the public domain.

• Solo vocal lines and divisi are permitted, but composers would be wise to bear in mind the limited time to be spent on each piece in the workshop!

Scores should be sent to the Competition Administrator, Elizabeth Allen, by email (PDF ideally) to competition@herefordcathedral.org or by post to Competition Administrator, 5 College Cloisters, Cathedral Close, Hereford HR1 2NG. Scores must be anonymous, but please ensure that you attach details of your full name and an assurance that the work has not been performed before.