The Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham awarded the prizes to the competition winners during Evensong at Norwich Cathedral.
During a service of choral evensong on Wednesday 3 October, Bishop Graham awarded the winners of the Bishop’s Prize for Music 2018 with their prize for their winning musical entries.
The Bishop’s Prize for Music was created in 2015 as a companion prize to complement the Bishop’s Prize for Art.
The purpose of the Bishop’s Prize for Music is to help young composers find an engagement with the relationship between the Christian Gospel and music in worship. The competition is open to students under the age of 18, in any school or college in the geographical area covered by the Diocese of Norwich (Norfolk and Waveney).
Competitors were asked to compose a short anthem, not lasting more than 5 minutes, setting a short text from a choice chosen by The Right Reverend Graham James, Bishop of Norwich.
This year the three judges were Sarah MacDonald MA, FRCO – Fellow & Director of Music of Selwyn College, Cambridge, Director of Ely Cathedral Girls’ Choir; Alan Bullard – Composer, whose church music is published by Oxford University Press and sung in cathedrals and churches throughout the UK and USA; Ashley Grote – Master of Music, Norwich Cathedral.
The judging criteria were:
- Response to text
- Melodic shape
- Harmonic control
- Control of ensemble – choir and organ
- Musical detail
- Appropriateness for worship and general practicality
- Clarity of presentation
The winners:
Intermediate:
1st prize of £250: My child, do not forget my teaching – Barnaby Shaw, Norwich School
2nd prize of £100: My child, do not forget my teaching – Evie Hinchliffe, Thorpe St Andrew School
3rd prize of £50: Your eyes shall see your teacher – Angus Murphy-Lennox, Norwich School
Junior:
1st prize of £250: Truly, O people of Zion – Tristan McCardel, Norwich School
2nd prize of £100: Truly, O people of Zion – Caio Boyero, Norwich School
3rd prize of £50: This is the Way – Jonathan Baker, Stoke Holy Cross Primary School
Stephen Miles, the administrator for the competition said:
“Thanks to everyone who entered the competition. The judges were impressed by the compositional skill of the entries and the imagination shown in the setting of the chosen texts which were on the theme of Christ the Teacher. Written feedback from the judges will be sent to the entrants to help them develop their compositional skills for the future.”
The main picture above shows Bishop Graham with (from left to right) Angus Murphy-Lennox, Jonathan Baker, Evie Hinchcliffe and Barnaby Shaw.