Calton Consort is delighted to announce an open call for early-career composers.
Who we are
Calton Consort is an amateur chamber choir based in Edinburgh, Scotland with around 30 mixed-voice members. Established in 2001, the choir has a reputation for performing challenging contemporary repertoire and supporting emerging composers. Amongst our recent performances have been new works by Ian Sutherland, Eleanor Haward, Chris Hutchings and Stuart Murray Mitchell.
What we’re looking for
We are looking to commission a composer to write a short choral work, of around 4 minutes, for adult SATB choir. The piece should be unaccompanied, and can employ divisi within vocal parts.
We will perform the piece at our Winter 2025 concert.
The text of the piece will be:
Casa de Luz
Architecture is the masterly, correct and magnificent play of masses brought together in light.
A house: a shelter against heat, cold, rain, thieves and the inquisitive. A receptacle for light and sun.
Teach your children that a house is only habitable when it is full of light and air.
About the text
The text is a selection of quotations from Le Corbusier's Towards a New Architecture, which concern the reflection of good architecture as a model for a good life.
The title is taken from Eduardo Chillida's sculpture series Casa de Luz III (House of Light III). The sculptures allow light to penetrate the stone, reflecting and creating illusory spaces.
"Sculpture is a function of space... which lives within it and which is more effective the more unnoticeably it acts."
Who can apply
Anyone can apply, whatever your personal or musical background.
What’s the process?
To be considered we would like you to write a response to the brief of no more than 500 words. You can also include any musical fragments you think might be useful to illustrate your vision.
PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT COMPLETED SCORES AT THIS TIME.
In addition, we would also like your current musical CV, and 1 or 2 examples of previously composed works.
Deadline for submission of application is 25th April 2025. There will then be a shortlisting process which may involve remote interview.
If you are successful and commissioned, the deadline for completion of the final work is 1st October 2025. You will also be invited to a choral workshop session with the choir before this time.
The successful applicant will receive £1000 upon receipt of the final score.
Email caltonconsort@gmail.com to apply.
The small print
Calton Consort will receive a license for 40 copies of the work for performance, and perform the premiere.
The composer retains all other rights to the work and is then free to publish, re-sell and distribute the work after December 2025.