Announcements

News items submitted from outside Choral Arts New England.

Premiere of Inaugural Hoose Grant winner

The premiere performance of the inaugural David Hoose Commissioning Grant winner, Strange Land, will be on September 23, 2026 at 7 pm at the Charles Hayden Planetarium IMAX Theater at the Boston Museum of Science.

Strange Land, composed by Gregory W. Brown setting texts by the poet Todd Hearon is a multi-media work inspired by Revelations chapters eight and nine, which will include etchings by Brian D. Cohen. The performance will be presented by Nightingale Vocal Ensemble, directed by Benjamin Perry, with players from Juventas New Music Ensemble.

Ensemble Altera Second Annual Composition Competition

Composers are invited to submit a new work for Ensemble Altera’s second annual Composition Competition. The winning work(s) will be premiered and recorded by the ensemble as part of its summer project, The Lamb’s Journey. A prize fund of $500 is available.

Composers are invited to set William Blake’s poem, "The Lamb" as an a cappella composition lasting between three and five minutes, scored for any combination of mixed voices up to eight parts. The competition is open to all composers, regardless of age or experience. The deadline for submissions is Friday July 15, 2022.

Altera's Composition Competition Showcases Young Composers

The Providence-based chamber choir Ensemble Altera is sponsoring a composition competition to showcase the work of up-and-coming choral composers. The winning work will be recorded and, if possible, performed for a live audience as part of Altera’s COVID memorial project, “We Remember,” taking place in mid-July. The winnder will also receive a cash prize of $500.

Financial assistance to individual singers affected by COVID-19

One of the major consequences of the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak has been the cancellation of many performances, costing many singers an important part of their livelihood. The Boston Singers' Relief Fund (BSRF) was founded 10 years ago to help singers in time of need. As an immediate response to the current situation, BSRF is offering one-time grants to compensate New England-based classical singers for some or all of the income they lost due to COVID-19 related cancellations.

The application and full information are on the BSRF website. Available funds are limited (and donations are being accepted).

Somerville Community Chorus 2020 Choral Composition Competition

The Somerville Community Chorus in Somerville, Massachusetts, announces a special choral composition contest in honor of the 35th anniversary of its founding. The winner of the composition contest will receive a $1000 prize. The selected composition will be premiered by the Somerville Community Chorus on May 31, 2020 in Somerville in our Spring Concert, entitled "The Sung and the Spoken Word," which will be conducted by music director David Giessow. Travel expenses to the premiere are the responsibility of the prize recipient.

Eric Whitacre Leads Connecticut's "Voce"

The Hartford, Connecticut professional choral ensemble Voce welcomes Eric Whitacre as Conductor and Composer-in-Residence for their 2019-2020 season with a "Prelude" concert on October 22, 2019, where Whitacre and Voce perform some of Whitacre's best-known works, including Lux Nova, Cloudburst and Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine, as well as five movements of Sacred Veil, which was premiered earlier this year. The event partially benefits Choral Arts New England's grants program.

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