Philip Bates Prize for Composers and Songwriters 2020
The 2020 competition was delayed due to Covid and, when it became obvious that a live concert final would be out of the question, we decided to organise an online competition instead. This has proved to be enormously popular and has attracted an unprecedented number of entries, 68 in all.
The extremely high standard of most of the submissions has made it difficult to choose a shortlist, but 12 compositions have now been selected to go through to the final. The two £400 adjudicated prizes will be awarded as usual but not the £200 audience prize. This prize money may be used for another award, at the discretion of the adjudicators.
The Results are In!
Listen to the 2020 competition entries
The Shortlisted entries are available to watch as a YouTube Playlist here.
The Entries are also listed below in alphabetical order including links to their recordings, biographies and programme notes.
Amelia Clarkson
Through His Gaze
Three songs for tenor & harp
1. To a young girl
2. A crazed girl
3. He tells of a valley
Download further information here
The Song of Achilles
Three movement song cycle for baritone and chamber ensemble
I. Burial
II. Our Joy
III. Memories
Download further information here
42 3
I. A Birthday Present
II. chattily. Is that
III. Shortly thereafter, the
IV. manager #8 has
V. sorrowful tone; ‘at
VI. slaughters, their blood
Download further information here
Time
Countertenor and piano
I. Time let me hail and climb
II. Time let me play and be
III. In the first, spinning place (Interlude)
IV. Time held me green and dying
Download further information here
This Morning I Watched from Here
Instrumental ensemble
YouTube image by Mark Asthoff
Download further information here