StAnza Composition Competition

StAnza: Scotland’s International Poetry Festival, SCO Connect and the University of St Andrews have launched a composition competition celebrating the work of acclaimed Scottish Gaelic poet Sorley MacLean.

The competition is open to all composers under the age of 30 and resident in the UK. Entrants are required to set to music (in English translation) one of three selected poems by Sorley MacLean for the St Andrews Chamber Orchestra, three SCO soloists and the soprano Lesley Jane Rogers. 

Up to three winning pieces will be performed as part of a concert at StAnza 2011 on Sunday 20 March at the Byre Theatre, St Andrews. The competition has been organised in association with the Sorley MacLean Trust and Carcanet Press.

Entry forms, full submission details, poem texts and competition rules can be found here

 StAnza’s Festival Director Eleanor Livingstone said:
‘This collaboration with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra is an exciting development for StAnza, giving us the opportunity to introduce the works of the great Scottish Gaelic poet Sorley MacLean to new readers. The concert will be a real highlight of our celebrations for his 100th anniversary.

 Lucy Lowe of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra said:
‘The SCO is excited to be part of StAnza 2011. New music is an integral part of the SCO’s concert programming and education work, providing a platform for both emerging and established composers. This competition not only gives young composers the opportunity to showcase their skills but also the chance to hear their music performed by professional musicians.’

 The University of St Andrew's Director of Music Dr Michael Downes said:
'We are delighted to be collaborating with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and StAnza on this exciting new project. It builds on the already excellent relationship we have with the SCO as our Orchestra in Residence, and develops a new link with the poetry festival that is such an important part of the town's cultural life. We hope that it will pave the way for more cross-arts projects in St Andrews in the future, as well as showcasing the excellent instrumentalists we have in the St Andrews Chamber Orchestra.'