Composition Competition May 2021
Winning entrant to receive £500 prize
Kendal Concert Band is based in the picturesque South Lake District and would like to commission a piece of music to celebrate the life of their founder and life president Mr Edward Lawton (1931 – 2021).
Following a successful career as an Army musician and Drum Major serving with the King’s Own Royal Border Regiment, Edward and his family settled in Kendal in 1957. A proficient oboist he soon became an established and respected musician and teacher across the Lakes as well as a keen fundraiser for the The Leprosy Mission. In 1964 his love of military music, music teaching and playing inspired him to form the Kendal Concert Band and the rest they say is history.
The title, genre, theme and stylistic content of the piece is at the composer’s discretion but as a guide the piece should be written as a stand-alone concert performance item for a 42-piece military concert band, windband grade 3/4 in standard and between 4-7 minutes in duration. The copyright and royalties will remain with the composer.
Should entrants require further information regarding the band itself and/or the life and achievements of Edward, please do visit the band’s website and/or contact the band secretary Jane at kendalconcertband@gmail.com.
To submit an entry for the competition please send an anonymised PDF of the full score, MP3 recording (computer generated accepted) and covering letter with contact details to kendalconcertband@gmail.com by 12 noon on Friday 23rd July 2021. The committee will announce the winning entry by the end of September 2021.
The judging panel will be formed from the band itself, the band committee and members of Edward’s family. As well as discussing the future publication of the piece of music, the winning composer will be invited to conduct the premier of the piece at a future public concert and receive the winning monies of £500.
KENDAL CONCERT BAND, KENDAL BIG BAND AND CLARINET GROUP
MUSICIANS FROM AROUND SOUTH LAKELAND
MUSIC TO
