Soprano Rebecca Lea and pianist Caroline Jaya Ratnam are calling for poem submissions for the new album, The New Winter Songbook.
“I bring my past, I bring my future
I bring my rights and I bring my song.”
Belong by Lemn Sissay
The New Winter Songbook will be a song collection for voice and piano to be written, curated and performed by living composers, poets, community participants in Kirklees and Newham, students and professional musicians. The project will oversee the creation of a new classical songbook of repertoire that reflects the diverse ethnicity, cultures, faiths and outlooks of artists and communities living through winter in the UK in the 2020s. The hope of the project is to reinvigorate the genre of seasonal art song through fresh literary and musical perspectives.
When preparing and researching music for concerts and recitals, soprano Rebecca Lea and pianist Caroline Jaya Ratnam were struck by the lack of classical art songs for the winter season voicing diversity. The New Winter Songbook seeks to diverge from the traditional themes of Christmas and snow and create a collection of songs and texts which reflect the cultural experiences of those living in contemporary Britain.
What are we looking for?
Poems (any length) that reflect the contemporary experiences of living through winter in the UK in the 2020s. Winning submissions will have their works set to music by composers involved in the project and will feature as songs on the album. Poems must be the property of the submitting poet and must not have yet been published.
Will there be a prize?
Successful submissions will receive prize money of £250 – £500 for their poem. The New Winter Songbook project will own the rights in connection with the first recording and initial public performances of the winning poems, but thereafter the poet shall have all rights in respect of the poem.
Are there any restrictions?
We are looking for submissions from poets of all nationalities, ages and backgrounds currently residing in the UK.
Poems will be chosen by a Panel consisting of Rebecca Lea and associate composers. We reserve the right to divide fees between several poets, or withhold the fees if there are no entries of sufficient merit to justify an award being made. The decision of the Panel shall be final and binding.
As part of the project, we will be commissioning 8 diverse British composers and poets to create brand new works for recording and performance. This is the biggest commissioning project we have undertaken to date and we are excited to see what it will produce. The new album will be recorded in May 2025 and released in November of that year, with launch concerts in London, Huddersfield, and Manchester.
How do I submit?
Entries should be sent to newwintersongbook@gmail.com and should also contain a short biography of the poet. Further information about the project can be found here: https://www.rebeccalea.co.uk/new-winter-songbook.html
Deadline: Friday 15th November 2024
