OCC 2025 Choral Composition Contest

Now accepting submission for “Light in the Darkness” (Winter 2025)

 
 
 

The Occidental Community Choir (OCC) is pleased to announce a composition contest for local composers to create an original choral piece for our upcoming Winter 2025 concert season. This contest aims to inspire composers to create meaningful and evocative choral works that align with the choir’s mission and artistic direction.

The winning composition will be performed by the choir and featured in our program exploring themes of illumination, hope, and resilience in times of darkness.  Performances will be held in Occidental, Tomales, and Santa Rosa, CA.

Eligibility:

  • Adult composers are invited to submit a single, original composition, not part of a larger work or set.

  • Composers must reside within a 100 mile radius of Sonoma County to be considered “local.”

  • Compositions must be unpublished and not previously performed in a public setting.

  • Arrangements of existing works will not be considered.

  • Previous winners of OCC composition contests are not eligible.

Composition Requirements:

  • The piece should be 3-5 minutes in length.

  • Submissions may be a cappella or include piano accompaniment (no obbligato instruments).

  • Any voicing is acceptable, but SATB, SSAA, or TTBB is preferred.

  • The text should be appropriate for a community choir and align with the theme "Light in the Darkness."

  • Composers must provide proof of permission for any non-public domain text used.

  • The composer will retain all rights to their composition. However, by submitting, they grant the Occidental Community Choir a non-exclusive license to perform the piece, record it, and distribute or sell recordings as part of the choir’s activities.

YouTube Channel:

You are encouraged to view our YouTube channel to view songs from recent concerts to familiarize yourself with our past programs and musical selections.

youtube.com/@occidentalcommunitychoir/videos

Submission Guidelines:

Submissions must follow these guidelines or they will not be considered.

  • Scores must be submitted in PDF format.

  • A recording (MP3 format) is required; MIDI is acceptable, but human voices are preferred.

  • The piece should have an easy to moderate level of difficulty to perform live.

  • The composer’s name must not appear on the score, recording, or file metadata.

  • Submit your materials via email to occprogramcomm@gmail.com 

Submission Timeline:

  • Submissions open: April 1, 2025

  • Final deadline: May 30, 2025, 11:59 PM PST

Judging Criteria:

Entries will be evaluated based on the following:

  • Overall Musical Effect

  • Harmonic and Rhythmic Interest

  • Effective Use of Text

  • Originality

  • Score Presentation and Readability

  • Suitability for the Occidental Community Choir

The judging panel will consist of OCC artistic leadership. The OCC reserves the right to declare no winner if no submissions meet the artistic and practical needs of the choir.

Winner Announcement & Prize:

  • The winner will be announced on the OCC website and notified via email by July 31, 2025.

  • The winning composer will receive $300, six complimentary concert tickets, and their work will be performed during the OCC Winter 2025 concert season.

We look forward to hearing your creative and inspiring works!

For questions or further information, please contact: occprogramcomm@gmail.com