School of Vocal Studies
Competitions 2015-2016
Autumn Term
Alexander Young Prize
Thursday 29 October
Friday 30 October
1800: Studio Theatre
Bessie Cronshaw/Frost
Monday 16 November
Tuesday 17 November
1800: Studio Theatre
Spring Term
The Frederic Cox Award Prelims
Tuesday 12 January
1400: CNRR
The Gold Medal Prelims
Monday 1 February
1400: CNRR
*The Frederic Cox Award
Tuesday 2 February
1930: Concert Hall
The Elizabeth Harwood
Memorial Prize Prelims
Tuesday 2 February
1000: Lecture Theatre
*The Elizabeth Harwood
Memorial Prize
Wednesday 24 February
1930: Concert Hall
Chris Petty English Song Prize
Monday 14 March
1800: Studio Theatre
Summer Term
Dame Eva Turner Award Auditions
Annie Ridyard Scholarship Auditions
Monday 25 April
1300–1600: RNCM Theatre
The Joyce and Michael
Kennedy Award for the
Singing of Strauss Prelims
Wednesday 27 April
1400: CNRR
James Martin Oncken Song Prize
Monday 9 May
Tuesday 10 May
1800: Studio Theatre
*The Joyce and Michael
Kennedy Award for the
Singing of Strauss
Tuesday 7 June
1930: Concert Hall
Elsie Thurston Prize
Wednesday 29 June
Thursday 30 June
1800: Studio 6
*These competitions are public events
SVS Competitions
To enter a competition please use an RNCM competition entry form
These forms are available for download from Moodle
(see SVS Competitions section)
N.B.
There are specific entry forms for:
Gold Medal
Elizabeth Harwood Prize
Dame Eva Turner Award
Annie Ridyard Scholarship
These forms are available can also be found on Moodle.
Repertoire
Once the preliminary round of a competition has been
held no change to the programme is permitted although the
order of the pieces may be changed.
Alexander Young Prize
Thursday 29 October 2015
Friday 30 October 2015
1800: Studio Theatre
Eligibility
This Annual Award is for singers in the 3rd and 4th year of the BMus Course
and will be for female and male students in alternate years. For this academic
year the award is for male students, who must be accompanied by a student
pianist. There is a prize for both a singer and a pianist. At the discretion of the
panel the prizes can be awarded to a singer and accompanist not in
partnership.
Repertoire
An Aria and/or Scena by Handel or Bach
A Lied by Schubert
An Aria by Mozart
Entries
To enter please use an RNCM competition entry form.
This form can also be downloaded from Moodle (see SVS Competitions
section)
Please e-mail the completed form to James.Kelly@rncm.ac.uk
Closing date for entries – 1600: Friday 16 October 2015
Bessie Cronshaw/Frost Brownson Song Cycle Competition
Monday 16 November 2015
Tuesday 17 November 2015
1800: Studio Theatre
Eligibility
Open to all Year 4 undergraduates and to all postgraduates who
must be partnered by a student pianist. There is a prize for both a singer and
a pianist. At the discretion of the panel the prizes can be awarded to a singer
and accompanist not in partnership.
Repertoire
A complete song cycle of not less than 7 minutes and not more than
25 minutes.
The prizes are awarded for the best all-round performance and interpretation.
Entries
To enter please use an RNCM competition entry form.
This form can also be downloaded from Moodle (see SVS Competitions
section)
Please e-mail the completed form to James.Kelly@rncm.ac.uk
Closing date for entries – 1600: Friday 30 October 2015
Gold Medal Prelims
Monday 1 February 2016
1400: Carole Nash Recital Room
The RNCM Gold Medal Competition consists of a series of solo recitals
promoted by the College to agents, concert promoters, BBC producers and
music critics. Ten outstanding student performers and four composers will be
selected for the event, which is intended to offer the very highest platform in
professional recital performance to the RNCM’s students. The final Gold Medal
event will be on 11 June 2016.
Eligibility
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Year 2 – 4
PG students (providing they have not already completed the IAD
programme)
Year 2 – 4 students must have achieved 70% or higher in their end-ofyear recital last summer
3Yr BMus students may enter in any year of study
The main criteria for selection will be quality and artistry. However, imagination
and enterprise will be recognised, although students must be aware that set-up
time will be very short. Therefore, students should not propose programmes
with complex set-ups and / or repertoire involving a large number of performers.
Ensemble pieces are allowed, but the repertoire must be of a soloistic nature.
Performance from memory is strongly encouraged.
Pianists may enter EITHER as a soloist or as an accompanist. If a pianist enters
as an accompanist, s/he will take responsibility for the quality of the
performance of their partner(s).
Process
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Entry forms will be available on Moodle
Students will be required to submit:
1)
30’ proposed programme
2)
An explanation of the choice of programme
3)
A biography
4)
Confirmation of availability on 11 June
Competition deadline at 1600 on Friday 8 January
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Applications should be submitted electronically to the relevant School
Administrator, and copied to the student’s Principal Study Tutor
You will be required to perform 15 minutes of music from your proposed
programme, to be selected by the panel, sampled by the V-P
(Performance), with all performances recorded on film to assist the final
selection.
Schools will provide an accompanist and one rehearsal.
Heads / V-P (Performance) will select the 10 best performers, i.e. not a
set number per School
The final list of performers will be confirmed by the end of Spring term.
Performers will meet with Programming team in the first week of Summer
term to finalise arrangements.
NB - Programme changes will NOT be accepted.
Students will be expected to write their own programme notes.
The Gold Medal Day
Timing: 10 am – 9 pm, with exact detail to be confirmed in due course.
Up to three performer medals and up to one composer medal can be awarded.
As part of the award, performers will be offered a highly prestigious future
performance opportunity.
The Gold Medal(s) will be presented at the subsequent Congregation of Awards
ceremony. For further information contact Matt Whitham on 0161 907 5339
matt.whitham@rncm.ac.uk
The Frederic Cox Award
Tuesday 2 February 2016
Concert Hall: 1930
Eligibility
Open to Year 4 undergraduates and all postgraduate students who
intend to undertake a further year of study at the RNCM
N.B. Entry for this competition precludes entry into the Elizabeth
Harwood competition
Repertoire
A programme of 20 minutes duration to include:
 A 19th century operatic aria of the romantic period to be sung in the original
language
 A Lied
 A baroque or classical aria
 A 20th century aria (opera or oratorio, in any language)
 A song by a living British composer sung in English
The ideal programme would include Italian, French and German languages in
addition to the British song requirement.
Candidates may use an SKS staff pianist or SVS repetiteur. To apply for an
SKS pianist please email David.Jones@rncm.ac.uk by Monday 7 December
2015. If you wish to use an SVS repetiteur please contact them direct.
Preliminary Round
Tuesday 12 January 2016, 1400-1800, CNRR
Entries
To enter please use an RNCM competition entry form.
This form can also be downloaded from Moodle (see SVS Competitions
section)
Please e-mail the completed form to James.Kelly@rncm.ac.uk
Closing date for entries – 1600: Friday 11 December 2015
This is a public event
The Elizabeth Harwood Memorial Prize
Wednesday 24 February 2016
Concert Hall: 1930
Eligibility
Open to full-time students at the RNCM who are leaving College at the end of
the current academic year.
Repertoire
A programme of 15-20 minutes to include an aria by Mozart (operatic, oratorio
or concert)
Candidates are also encouraged to include an English song in their programme.
Candidates may use an SKS staff pianist or SVS repetiteur. To apply for an
SKS pianist please email David.Jones@rncm.ac.uk by Wednesday 20 January
2016. If you wish to use an SVS repetiteur please contact them direct.
Preliminary Round
Tuesday 2 February 2016, 1000-1400, Lecture Theatre
Entries
To enter please use an RNCM competition entry form.
This form can also be downloaded from Moodle (see SVS Competitions
section)
Please e-mail the completed form to James.Kelly@rncm.ac.uk
Closing date for entries – 1600: Wednesday 20 January 2016
This is a public event
Chris Petty English Song Competition
Monday 14 March 2016
1800: Studio Theatre
Eligibility
All Year 4 undergraduates and postgraduates who must be accompanied by a
student pianist.
Repertoire
A free and varied programme of no more than 10 minutes of post-1875 English
Song. It is the competitor’s responsibility to ensure that the programme does not
over-run.
There is a prize for both singer (£350) and pianist (£250) which, at the
discretion of the panel, can be awarded to a singer and pianist not in
partnership. At the discretion of the panel there may also be commendation
prizes (£50).
Entries
To enter please use an RNCM competition entry form.
This form can also be downloaded from Moodle (see SVS Competitions
section)
Please e-mail the completed form to James.Kelly@rncm.ac.uk
Closing date for entries – 1600: Monday 29 February 2016
Dame Eva Turner Fund Award
The Annie Ridyard Scholarship
Monday 25 April 2016
1300: RNCM Theatre
Entries
The Dame Eva Turner Award is open to potential dramatic sopranos of UK
Nationality.
The Annie Ridyard Scholarship is open to mezzo-sopranos of UK nationality.
Both awards are specifically for postgraduate study exclusively tenable at the
Royal Northern College of Music, commencing at the start of the academic year
2016/17.
Application Procedure
The Dame Eva Turner/Annie Ridyard Brochure is available from James Kelly or
can be downloaded from Moodle.
Closing date for entries – 1600: Monday 12 April 2016
James Martin Oncken Song Prize
Monday 9 May 2016
Tuesday 10 May 2016
1800: Studio Theatre
Eligibility
Open to all Year 2 undergraduates who must be accompanied by a student
pianist. There is a prize for both a singer and a pianist. At the discretion
of the panel the prizes can be awarded to a singer and accompanist
not in partnership
Repertoire
Two songs sung in their original language, at least one of which is to
be in English.
Entries
To enter please use an RNCM competition entry form.
This form can also be downloaded from Moodle (see SVS Competitions
section)
Please e-mail the completed form to James.Kelly@rncm.ac.uk
Closing date for entries – 1600: Friday 22 April 2016
The Joyce and Michael Kennedy Award
for the Singing of Strauss
Tuesday 7 June 2016
Concert Hall: 1930
Eligibility
Open to Year 4 undergraduates and all postgraduate students who intend to
undertake a further year of study at the RNCM
N.B. Entry for this competition precludes entry into the Elizabeth
Harwood competition
Repertoire
A 15 minute programme of songs and/or arias by Richard Strauss
Candidates may use an SKS staff pianist or SVS repetiteur. To apply for an
SKS pianist please email David.Jones@rncm.ac.uk by 28 April 2015. If you
wish to use an SVS repetiteur please contact them direct.
Preliminary Round
Wednesday 27 April 2016, 1400-1800, CNRR
Entries
To enter please use an RNCM competition entry form.
This form can also be downloaded from Moodle (see SVS Competitions
section)
Please e-mail the completed form to James.Kelly@rncm.ac.uk
Closing date for entries – 1600: Wednesday 13 April 2016
This is a public event
Elsie Thurston Prize
Wednesday 29 June 2016
Thursday 30 June 2016
1800: Studio 6
Eligibility
Open to all Year 1 undergraduates who must be accompanied by a student
pianist. There is a prize for both a singer and a pianist. At the discretion of the
panel the prizes can be awarded to a singer and accompanist not in partnership
Repertoire
A 10 minute programme of the candidate’s own choice, which may contain
repertory from the end-of-year recital.
Entries
To enter please use an RNCM competition entry form.
This form can also be downloaded from Moodle (see SVS Competitions
section)
Please e-mail the completed form to James.Kelly@rncm.ac.uk
Closing date for entries – 1600: Monday 13 June 2016