How to enter
Our Judges
Competion Rules
Paul Cairns loved singing with Halifax Choral Society until he was no longer able to because of his illness. During his time with Halifax Choral Society he seldom missed a rehearsal and attended all concerts as well as being very involved on the board He completed several Leeds half marathons, bare footed, proudly wearing his HCS T shirt, to raise money for the choir.Paul was very passionate about listening to and performing both choral and classical music. He encouraged his children from a very early age to sing with school choirs, the Halifax Young Singers and the Yorkshire Youth Choir.
Paul sadly died in 2024. We are so proud that the bequest Paul left to HCS will be used towards the prize money for a choral composition competition that will be named in his honour.
howtoenter
HOW TO ENTER
Entrants should submit a piece for SATB Choir (no divisi) and piano. Pieces should be 3-5 minutes in length.The text should be a Christmas text of any sort. Original texts are welcomed, as are other pre-existing texts, though these must be public domain or used with the author’s express permission.
Entries should be submitted to competition@halifaxchoral.org as PDF, typeset scores, no later than Monday 1st September. The winner will be notified by Monday 15th September. Feedback will be available for all entrants, on request.
ourjudges
OUR JUDGES
Anthony Gray - Conductor and Artistic Director of Halifax Choral Society
"This is a wonderful opportunity for composers of all ages and levels of experience to write for probably the world’s best brass band, and to have your work showcased to two big audiences. I’m really looking forward to seeing what composers have to offer!”
Darius Battiwalla, Artistic Director of Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus
Niki Zodhi, Composer and Tenor
“This is a great opportunity to work with two wonderful choral societies as well as the Black Dyke Band – one of the best brass bands in the world!”
Matthew Coleridge, Composer
“There’s something very special about hearing a choir at Christmas, and although there are so many timeless carols, there’s always room for fresh ideas from composers. My own first composition, aged eight, was a Christmas carol, but I’m sure our entrants will come up with something infinitely better!"
rules
RULES
- Entrants should submit a piece for SATB Choir (no divisi) and piano. Pieces should be 3-5 minutes in length.
- The text should be a Christmas text of any sort. Original texts are welcomed, as are other pre-existing texts, though these must be public domain or used with the author’s express permission.
- Entries should be submitted to competition@halifaxchoral.org as PDF, typeset scores, no later than Monday 1st September. The winner will be notified by Monday 15th September. Feedback will be available for all entrants, on request.
- The winning entry will receive a prize of £500, plus sessions with Darius Battiwalla to arrange the piece for performance with the Black Dyke Band.
- Performances will be given at both Halifax Choral Society’s ‘Carols and Brass’ concert (30th November 2025) and Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus’ Christmas Concert (13th December 2025), both with the Black Dyke Band. Two free tickets will be provided for each concert.
- The judges may award a 2nd and/or 3rd prize depending on the quality of submissions. This would include performance of the piece at these concerts in the original version for choir and piano.
- Entrants can be of any age and level of experience.
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our judges
