DETAILS & ENTRY FORM

The Inaugural
PAUL STEINITZ BACHFEST PRIZE
Sponsored by Belmont International Limited
Supported by the D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust and Private Donors.

This competition is being launched to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the LONDON BACH SOCIETY on 7 November 1946 and is promoted by the Society.

The Prize will be rotated between Voice, Organ, Instrumental and Keyboard to reflect the musical forces for which Bach composed.

The 2006 inaugural Prize is for SINGERS

The Final will take place on 10th November, the date attributed to the birth of Martin Luther in 1483.

Mozart’s reaction to Bach’s music:

In this Mozart anniversary year, let’s reflect upon Wolfgang Amadeus’ reaction when hearing the motet ‘Singet dem Herrn’ for the first time during a visit to St. Thomas’ Leipzig in 1789…

When the singing was finished he cried out, full of joy, “Now, there is something one can learn from!”

(Quotation from The New Bach Reader, p.488 ed. David & Mendel, revised & expanded Christoph Wolff - Published by W W Norton & Company, 1998.)

BACH PRIZE COMPETITION, 2006

If you wish to enter this competition, please print a copy of this page for your reference and download a copy of the entry form for your submission:

BACHFEST PRIZE COMPETITION 2006: ENTRY FORM

This is a 326Kb PDF file that will open in a new browser window. Alternatively, you can right-click the file and save it to disk. You will require the free Adobe Reader to view this file. If you have any difficulties, please feel free to contact us.

The inaugural competition is open to both UK resident and non-UK resident entrants. All non-UK resident entrants participate at own expense and should acquire the appropriate visa for entry to the UK if necessary – please check this.

Age Limit for Singers
The age limitations are minimum 21 years old to a maximum 30 years old at Friday 10 November 2006.

The Competition Timetable
Saturday 7 October 2006 - Deadline for Entries to be received (see NB below)
From 9-13 October 2006 - Adjudication of CDs/Dat/Mini Disks
Monday 6 November 2006 - First Round, held at Craxtons Studios, London NW3 from 2.30pm
Wednesday 8 November 2006 - Semi-Final, held at St. Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge from 2.30pm
Friday 10 November 2006 - THE FINAL, held at St. John’s Smith Square, London at 7.00pm

All entrants should be available for all three rounds of the competition. Those accepted into the First Round will be notified during the third week of October. The First Round will be open to LBS Members to attend. The Semi-Final and Final will be open to the general public by ticket.

The Jury
Paul Esswood, Peter Harvey, Ian Partridge CBE, Anthony Robson, Margaret Steinitz (Chairman)

The Prize
The Paul Steinitz Bachfest Prize is £2,000

Bach Prize Administration
Entry Forms and enclosures should be sent by post to:
London Bach Society (Prize), 73 High Street, Old Oxted, Surrey RH8 9LN

N.B. Entry forms sent by fax or e-mail will not be accepted in advance or in arrears. All Entries complete with the required enclosures MUST be submitted by post and received by Sat 7 October.

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ENTRY DETAILS

1. Please read through this information carefully, and then complete and return the Entry Form, remembering to enclose the Audition Disk, documents and fee required so that we can process your entry.
2. Entry Forms, complete with enclosures, may be submitted anytime after Tuesday 1 August 2006. No entries will be accepted after the deadline date of Saturday 7 October 2006.
3. At Entry please enclose a CD/Dat/Mini disk (no cassettes) and this should consist of One Recitative and One Aria of your choice by Bach. Please label the disk with your name and a high quality production is required.
4. Please supply a photocopy of your Birth Certificate or any other official document e.g. Passport that confirms the date and place of your birth.
5. Please supply a CurriculumVitae that includes details of your musical and academic education, scholarships, most recent performances and future plans and a concise biography (150 words max).
6. The names of two referees who will support your entry, but who are not members of the Jury, must be submitted whom the London Bach Society reserves the right to consult and request a reference. The referees should be professional musicians of national or international repute.


ENTRY FEE

The Entry fee is £30 (45 Euros), which should accompany the Entry Form. Cheques (payable to London Bach Society) or Credit Cards (Visa/MasterCard/Maestro) are accepted and will be processed for all who are accepted into the First Round. Entry fees become non-refundable on late withdrawals that are not accompanied by a Medical Certificate, or that are made without a minimum of seven days’ notice.


REPERTOIRE

This is to be all-Bach with no repeat repertory at any stage, including the Audition Disk.

Entry:
Please submit a CD/Dat/Mini Disk (no cassettes) of high quality that contains one recitative and one aria of your own choice. On adjudication of these, successful entrants will then proceed to the First Round and be notified during the third week in October.

The First Round – 6 November 2006*:
This will comprise a prescribed recitative and two contrasting Arias of your choice. The prescribed recitative should be prepared from one of the following as appropriate: -

~ Soprano – Cantata BWV 52, No. 2 “Falsche Welt, dir trau’ ich nicht!…”
~ Alto/Counter Tenor – Cantata BWV 35, No 6 “Ach, starker Gott, …”
~ Tenor – Cantata BWV 140, No. 2 “Er kommt, er kommt, der Bräutgam’ kommt!…”
~ Baritone/Bass – Cantata BWV 180, No. 6 “ Herr, laß an mir dein treues Lieben…”

The Semi-Final – 8 November 2006:
A Recitative & Aria from a Bach Passion

The Final – 10 November 2006:
A mixed programme no longer than 20 minutes to include one recitative of substance. (N.B. The orchestral forces for the Final will be drawn from woodwind, strings & basso continuo and small scale, reflecting the fruits of modern Bach scholarship.)

General Note on Repertoire, Language & Editions:
Singers are encouraged to explore Bach’s vocal repertoire in making their choices and credit will be given for imaginative programming. The repertoire should be sung in the original language at every stage i.e. German or Latin, using the most authoritative edition you can find.


ACCOMPANISTS & INSTRUMENTAL ACCOMPANIMENT

Accompanist:
Entrants should provide their own accompanists for the First and Semi-Final Rounds. They should be of a professional standard and conversant with continuo playing technique.

The Entry Disk
Piano or appropriate instrumental accompaniment is acceptable.

First Round (6 Nov* ):
A Harpsichord (A= 415 Hz) will be available.

The Semi-Final (8 Nov):
Semi-finalists will have a Peter Collins Pipe Continuo Organ and a Harpsichord available, pitch A=415Hz. Appropriate instrumental accompaniment in addition to keyboard is welcome at own cost and organisation.

The Final (10 Nov):
The Finalists will be accompanied by Steinitz Bach Players (woodwind, strings & continuo) playing period instruments and directed by Anthony Robson. The pitch will be A=415 Hz. A rehearsal for each Finalist will take place during the afternoon of 10th Nov in St. John’s, Smith Square.

*A substantial entry may also require use of morning on 6th, the 4th and/or 5th Nov (please bear with us).

If you have any queries, please feel free to direct them to us by phone (01883 717372) or email.