Established in 2000 by Barbara Lepke-Sims and Michael Sims, this Award was created to honor Barbara’s family members who have loved and encouraged her musical pursuits and in memory of her grandmother, Mabel Fulton Weiger, her father, Ralph J. Weiger, and mother, Eleanor Marshall-White. Barbara’s grandmother, Mabel Fulton Weiger was an organist at Moody Bible Institute in the 1940’s.

Purpose

To expand harp repertoire (pedal or lever) in a traditional church or synagogue setting

Prize

$600 Award

Limited financial assistance, by approval of the award committee, for a performance and recording of the work. (Performances typically take place at one of AHS’s national conferences or summer institutes.)

Promotion of the work through The American Harp Society website and communications

Objective and Application Criteria

Emphasis on a beautiful melody and tonal harmonic structure must be key elements in the final composition.

The composition should be between three and thirty minutes in length. Multiple movements are acceptable.

The winning work will be technically and musically accessible to a wide variety of sacred performers and performance settings. For examples of past winning compositions visit the American Harp Society website at www.harpsociety.org

Composers must be a minimum of 18 years old as of December 31, 2024. Winner will be asked to provide proof of age with entry information. Composers may be of any nationality.

The 2025 award is for pedal or lever (non-pedal) harp and either vocalists or instrumentalists or both. The harp must be an essential part of a winning composition. No solo harp compositions will be considered.

New or previously composed works are encouraged.

Previous monetary award winners are not eligible to submit new compositions for a period of one year.

Submission Requirements

  1. A score and mp3 recording of the work. Any identification of the composer must be removed from every page of the composition and from all parts of the mp3 file. (The entry format requires composer’s name be on the mp3 recording as the file name. That will be removed. No other part of the recording may include composer’s name.)  If we are not able to access a score in a format the judges can read the composition will be disqualified. BOTH score and recording must be submitted for consideration.
  2. Source of the text of the work (if there is text)
  3. A brief resume showing the composer’s background and important works. Those works that have been premiered should be noted including information about the performance (time, place, ensemble, etc.).
  4. Contact information for the composer including e-mail, telephone and postal address.
  5. Proof of composer’s age (scan of a driver’s license, birth certificate, passport or other document)
  6. A brief biography paragraph suitable for publication in a program or online. This should be no more than 175 words.

Complete the entry form and submit entries here:

http://bit.ly/WLSMusic

Deadline for submission of all materials is January 31, 2025.

Award Procedure

  • All entrants will be notified of the results no later than April 30, 2025. The decision of the judges is final.
  • Announcement of the award will be made on the AHS website (www.harpsociety.org) and will include the composer’s name, a brief biography, and information about the winning composition. With the composer’s permission a link to their website and a recording or mp3 may also be posted on the AHS website.
  • Copyright for this work remains with the composer.
  • Published winning composition will state:
    Recipient of the Weiger Lepke-Sims Family Sacred Music Award, dedicated to the memory of Mabel Fulton Weiger, Ralph J. Weiger, and Eleanor Marshall-White, through the support of The American Harp Society Foundation.