Download Yellowknife Choral Society

Yellowknife Choral Society
Northern Choral Music Commission
To be performed by any or all of the
Yellowknife Choral Society’s choirs:
Aurora Chorealis
Fireweed Children’s Chorus
Ursa Miners
For more information about this project, please contact the project coordinator:
Jo Pamplin
Ursa Miners Co-Director
[email protected]
For more information about the Yellowknife Choral Society and its choirs,
please visit www.ykchoralsociety.org
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Yellowknife Choral Society
Northern Choral Music Commission
The Yellowknife Choral Society (YCS) is commissioning up to 3 pieces written by one or
more Northern musicians for performance by the various choirs within the Society.
The YCS choirs are:
 Aurora Chorealis, a non-auditioned choir of 60 - 70 adults. Membership is open
to anyone who would like to sing.
 Fireweed Children’s Chorus, a children’s community choir, open to boys & girls
in grades 4 - 9 who love to sing.
 Ursa Miners, an auditioned adult a capella choir of 16 to 25 members.
Ideally, this commission will result in a composition for each of YCS’s 3 choirs. The
parameters of this request are outlined below.
BACKGROUND
The YCS is beginning to plan for a future concert that will feature music composed
and/or arranged by different musicians from the NWT, possibly in a collaborative
concert with choirs from across the three territories. The new music composed for this
project should reflect the NWT environment, history, and/or culture. These pieces will
be the first of a series of NWT choral music commissions by the YCS.
In addition, the YCS will apply to perform at “Podium” 2016
(http://choralcanada.org/ACCC_en/podium.html), and may include these pieces in the
performance repertoire.
OBJECTIVES
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To increase Northern choral repertoire.
To promote Northern composers, musicians and choirs.
To provide opportunities for the YCS choirs to sing different genres of music.
To celebrate the NWT's unique artistic culture.
SCOPE OF WORK
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The composition can be an original score composed for a YCS choir or an
arrangement for a YCS choir of an existing piece of music written by a Northern
artist.
The composition or arrangement should be scored for a 2- (soprano, alto), 3(soprano, alto, baritone) or 4-part (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) choir, with or without
accompaniment (i.e., piano, guitar, percussion, instrument ensemble, etc.).
The composition should be between 3 and 4 minutes in performance length.
The composition or arrangement can be of any genre, from classical to folk to rock
to world music. The YSC choir directors are interested in exploring different types of
music with the choirs.
YCS Request for Proposals: Northern Choral Music Commission
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BUDGET
The budget identified for this project is $1,500.00 per piece (total $4,500.00)
REQUIREMENTS
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The YCS will retain exclusive performance rights to the pieces commissioned
through this contract until December 31, 2016.
After this date, the Composer or Arranger (“Composer”) may sell these pieces to
other choirs independently.
YCS will maintain a right to perform these pieces at any date in the future subject to
paying SOCAN licensing fees as required.
Each composition chosen under this RFP must be ready for choirs to begin
practicing by September 8, 2015.
The Composer will receive written and verbal acknowledgement at all YCS
performances.
Although the YCS is seeking music by a range of NWT composers, the YCS board
may choose one, two or three commissioned pieces written by one, two or three
individual Composers.
The compositions should be provided to the YCS as a PDF created with a music
notation software program of the Composer’s choice and in mp3 or midi format.
YCS’s RESOURCES
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The Composer can work with the Choral Society musical directors to best fit the
music to the intended choir(s) and appropriate vocal ranges and technical
capabilities.
With advance notice, small choral groups and piano accompanist can be arranged to
workshop the pieces during the final composing and/or arranging period.
The YCS will be responsible for printing copies for its choir members and
conductors.
DELIVERABLES
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The YCS will receive 3 separate NWT compositions in PDF format appropriate for
use by one or more of its choirs, composed or arranged by one or more Composers
and a digital mp3 or midi file of each composition.
The PDF will be formatted for black and white printing on standard letter paper,
portrait orientation.
SCHEDULE
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Proposed composition descriptions must be received by the YCS by 5:00 pm on
May 1, 2015.
Commission(s) proposals will be reviewed and selected by a YCS project committee
made up of a board member and the 4 choral directors by May 22, 2015. The
YCS Request for Proposals: Northern Choral Music Commission
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chosen Composer(s) will be notified by 11:59 pm, May 25, 2015.
Contract will be confirmed and signed by the YCS board and the selected
Composer(s) by June 1, 2015.
First draft must be ready for review and/or work shopping no later than August 3,
2015.
The finished composition will be provided to the YCS choral directors by September
1, 2015, with the goal of the pieces being performed by one or more choirs during
the 2015/16 season.
SUBMISSION PROCESS:
Please forward the following to the Project Coordinator:
 A short bio (1/2 page), including contact information (email & preferred phone
number).
 An overview of the proposed piece(s), including intended text or a description of the
theme to be explored, the voicing (2, 3 or 4 part), whether it will be accompanied or
a capella. State if this is your own composition or an arrangement of an existing
piece of music.
 If you intend to arrange a piece, please send a recording or the score of the piece
you would like to arrange, along with permission of the original composer.
 A summary of work, including previous compositions/arrangements.
 2 samples of your work, such as a PDF score, a midi file or a live recording of your
work.
A member of the selection committee may contact you to further discuss your proposal
before making the final selections.
YCS Request for Proposals: Northern Choral Music Commission
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