The results of our Composing Competition are now known and the winner is George Parris, from Kinoulton (and at Manchester University) for his piece called ‘A Psalmic Fantasia’ a setting, in Latin, of verses from Psalm 7. It last just over 8 minutes and will open our concert (initially scheduled for April 24th 2021, but we must wait and see when), when we will also sing Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and the Rutter Requiem.

The standard of entries was high, and the judges enjoyed looking at and listening to them.

The identities of the composers were only told to the judges after the winner had been selected.

Judges were the choir’s Musical Director, Guy Turner, Ellie Martin, conductor of Mansfield Choral Society and David Machell, Lowdham based composer and concert promoter.

George’s piece is in a modern, but approachable, idiom, well written for an amateur choir, and although the choir will have to work to bring it off, it is not as hard as some previous pieces which the choir has performer successfully.