OurSong: The Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chorus invites composers of all backgrounds to participate in our 25th-anniversary Choral Commission Competition. We seek submissions for “ALCHEMY: FROM ORDINARY TO EXTRAORDINARY,” a seven-movement song cycle celebrating, through music, the rich stories of the LGBTQIA+ community through history to our modern day. Participants are encouraged to create narratives that reflect this theme with flexibility in storytelling and musical composition. The winning composer will receive $2500 per movement, two complimentary tickets to the premiere in Atlanta in Spring 2027.
This song cycle expresses the magic of the ordinary in our LGBTQIA+ lives, transforming into the extraordinary. The opening and closing movements will serve as a frame for the middle five movements. Each of these five movements will center on one of these themes: Love, Truth, Resilience, Unity, and Legacy. These movements form the core of the competition. Detailed narratives (PDF) are included along with other source material for the composers to create the compositions. These are meant to act as a catalyst for creation, not as a requirement for inclusion.
Eligibility
The competition is open to all composers regardless of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin/ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status. LGBTQ+ and emerging composers are especially encouraged to participate.
Submission Requirements
Voicing is SATB (with optional divisi). a caperlla or with piano accompaniment. Optional violin and/or cello or a combination of those instruments. 3-6 minutes in length.
Recording Rights
If a composition is selected for an award and determined as performance qualified, OurSong Atlanta will have the exclusive right to the premiere performance of the winning composition(s) within the first year, as well as the right to the first recording if recorded within one year of the premiere. No public performance shall be allowed prior to the premiere performance by OurSong Atlanta without its express consent.
The participants retain the copyright of their compositions. OurSong Atlanta reserves the right to have the winning works performed, recorded, and disseminated. OurSong Atlanta reserves the right to choose the performers who will give the first performance and the venue of the performance. Once the exclusivity period ends, the composer retains the right to submit the piece to any publisher of their choice.