Rules: Cambridge Young Composer of the Year Competition 2010

1. Competitors must either live in Cambridgeshire (excluding Peterborough) or study full-time at a school, 6th Form or further education college in the county.

2. Competitors must be 18 years of age or under on 1 January 2010.

3. Compositions must be the competitor’s own work and should not have won a prize in another competition or been performed at a public concert (private school performances not included).

4. Entries will be judged in three age groups:

12 years and under
13 – 15 years
16- 18 years

5. Your composition should be inspired in some way by an animal or animals. It may be an instrumental piece or a song (see Rule 7 below). If a song, competitors may write their own words or set their music to an existing animal-related poem.

6. The maximum performance length for entries in all three age groups must be no more than 5 minutes.

7. Competitors must write for one or more of the following:

A soprano voice
A violin
A viola
A cello
A clarinet

Compositions may be written for any combination of the above instruments, eg:

  • soprano, viola and cello
  • cello and voice
  • solo viola
  • violin and clarinet

8. Entries must be submitted in manuscript form – either written by hand (in which case it must be clear and legible) or printed from composing software.

9. They may be accompanied by a recording of the piece if desired, but this is not a requirement.

10. Competitors must complete an application form and send it to Cambridge Youth Music, 11 Sadlers Close, Coton, Cambridge CB23 7PF, to arrive no later than Satruday 28 November 2009.

10. Applications must be accompanied by the entry fee of £10 (cheques made payable to Cambridge Youth Music) and by two stamped addressed envelopes.

11. Compositions must be sent to arrive at the same address no later than Monday 4 January 2010.

12. The decision of the judge and organisers will be final and no correspondence will be entered into

Download an application form in Word or PDF format.

Further information from:
Email: enquiries@cambridgeyouthmusic.org.uk
Tel: 01954 212298