The Longfellow Chorus

Second Annual Longfellow Chorus International Composers Competition, 2008-2009

Entries Accepted for Bass-Baritone Solo Song with piano or sitar/tabla, or for SATB Chorus

The Longfellow Chorus, Charles Kaufmann, Dir., with John D. Adams, bass-baritone, Shirley Curry, pianist and David Pontbriand, sitarist

View the Winners of the first annual Longfellow Chorus International Composers Competition, 2007-2008

The Longfellow Chorus is doing such joyful and important work.

- Diana Korzenik, founder and first president of The Friends of Longfellow House

Charles Kaufmann has single-handedly resurrected an interest in Longfellow and how Longfellow's poetry has been set to music in the past; and, in addition, he has inspired composers world-wide to create new music set to Longfellow's poetry.

- Lily Gordon, trustee, Longfellow's Wayside Inn National Historic Site

COMPETITION RULES Questions? Contact Longfellow Chorus director Charles Kaufmann The Longfellow Chorus, of Portland, Maine, a 60-member non-profit chorus with the mission of inspiring new vocal and choral settings of the poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807-1882, announces its second annual Longfellow Chorus International Composers Competition, 2008-2009. New, original settings of Longfellow poetry, and/or excerpts from the poet's fiction, dramatic work or prose, will be accepted in two categories: choral or solo song bass-baritone. The choral or solo song bass-baritone settings should not exceed 6 minutes in length. Choral settings may be a cappella or accompanied by piano. If a cappella, please provide reduced piano staves for rehearsal. Solo songs for bass-baritone may be accompanied by either piano or sitar/tabla. The 60-member Longfellow Chorus is a community chorus; The SATB chorus may be divided into as many as eight parts, SSAATTBB. Ranges: SI bb - b2; SII a - f#2; AI g - f2; AII f - e2; TI Bb - bb1; TII Bb - f#1; Bar Gb - f1; B Db - e1. Solo bass-baritone songs must be written for a vocal range of low E to high G. Tablist Amos Libby explains how to score for Hindustani tabla. Winning settings will be premiered at the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 202nd Birthday Concert, February 22, 2009, at The First Parish in Portland, UUA, Portland, Maine, Longfellow's boyhood church. The settings must reflect an understanding of the life and work of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and help convey the meaning of the chosen text. Successful entries will show insight and imagination, be accessible to the average listener and geared toward the skill level of a community chorus comprised of amateur singers with excellent singing abilities. Additionally, but not exclusively, classically based works that incorporate culturally and ethnically diverse musical styles and traditions are encouraged. PRINT RESOURCES: Longfellow: A Rediscovered Life, Charles A. Calhoun Beacon Press, 2005, 317pp; ISBN 0-8070-7026-2 The first Longfellow biography in over fifty years. Longfellow, Poems and other Writings, J. D. McClatchy, editor Library of America, 2000 802pp; ISBN 1-883011-85-x The most complete collection of Longfellow writings, biography and time-line available. WEB RESOURCES: hwlongfellow.org of The Maine Historical Society The Longfellow National Historic Site, Cambridge, Mass. "Afternoon in February," the first in our CD series of historic Longfellow music, is now available. This 2 CD set, with an informative 8-page booklet, features The Longfellow Chorus and soloists, and contains songs and choruses never before recorded (anywhere). $18.00 plus shipping.

The Longfellow Chamber Chorus, Aug. 3, 2008 at Longfellow National Historic Site COMPETITION AUDIO RESOURCES: LISTEN to winning songs and choral compositions from last year's, 2007-2008, Longfellow Chorus International Composers Competition, as sung by Heidi Kim, soprano, and The Longfellow Chorus, Charles Kaufmann, dir.: Autumn Within, for soprano and piano, by Melissa Tosh, Redlands, California (Autumn Within, copyright 2007, Melissa Tosh) Sung by Heidi Kim, soprano Twilight, for soprano and piano, by William Pardus, Keene, New Hampshire (Twilight, copyright 2007, William Pardus) Sung by Sarah Johnson, soprano The Old Bridge at Florence, for soprano and piano, by Emanuela Ballio, Milan, Italy (The Old Bridge at Florence, copyright 2007, Emanuela Ballio) Sung by Heidi Kim, soprano The Singers, by Bob Moore, Jacksonville, Florida (The Singers, copyright 2007, Bob Moore) Sung by The Longfellow Chorus The Singers, by David Hamilton, Auckland, New Zealand. (The Singers, copyright 2007, David Hamilton) Sung by The Longfellow Chorus, Stuart Bailey, tenor solo Daybreak, by Christopher Wicks, Silverton, Oregon. (Daybreak, copyright 2007, Christopher Wicks) Sung by The Longfellow Chamber Chorus The Slave Singing at Midnight, by Peter J. Durow, Clearwater, Florida (The Slave Singing at Midnight, copyright 2007, Peter J. Durow) Sung by The Longfellow Chorus, Bill Wieting, baritone solo Finale from Tales of a Wayside Inn, Pt. I, by Micky Landau, Valparaiso, Chile (Finale, copyright 2007, Micky Landau) Sung by The Longfellow Chamber Chorus A Psalm of Life, by Jason Heald, Roseburg, Oregon (A Psalm of Life, copyright 2007, Jason Heald) Sung by The Longfellow Chorus Jugurtha by Daniel Morel, Denver, Colorado (Jugurtha, copyright 2007, by Daniel Morel) Sung by the Longfellow Chamber Chorus Christmas Bells, by Lauren Bernofsky, Bloomington, Indiana (Christmas Bells, copyright 2007, Lauren Bernofsky) Sung by The Longfellow Chorus Another version of Bernofsky's Christmas Bells -- The Longfellow Chamber Chorus sings at Longfellow's Wayside Inn (Director Charles Kaufmann reads the poem) Snow-Flakes, (Second Prize, Ithaca Competition 2007), by Charles Kaufmann, Director, The Longfellow Chorus Sung by The Longfellow Chorus View a partial score pdf of Snow-Flakes Purchase the sheet music for Snow-Flakes from The Lygonia Press LISTEN to historical settings of Longfellow poems. All audio selections copyright, 2007-2008, The Longfellow Chorus. Not including Nocte Surgentes and Ships that Pass in the Night, these tracks have been released in February, 2008, in the double CD set, "Afternoon in February." THE SLAVE'S DREAM, Johan Gustav Emil Sjoegren, 1853-1918 John D. Adams, bass-baritone; Shirley Curry, piano MY ARM CHAIR, T. L. Jephson, 1808-1897 John D. Adams, bass-baritone; Joyce Moulton, pianist A PSALM OF LIFE , Sourindro Mohun Tagore, 1840-1914 John D. Adams, bass-baritone; David Pontbriand, sitar; Amos Libby, tabla EXCELSIOR!, Sourindro Mohun Tagore, 1840-1914 Timothy Neill Johnson, tenor; David Pontbriand, sitar NOCTE SURGENTES from The Golden Legend, Arthur Sullivan, 1842-1900 The Longfellow Chorus, Charles Kaufmann, dir.; Albert Melton plays the 1997 Austin organ; Mo Blanchard, sexton, the 1862 Tower Bell of First Parish, Portland SHIPS THAT PASS IN THE NIGHT, 1914, Thomas Wilkinson Stephenson, 1855- ? (arr. Kaufmann) The Longellow Chorus, Charles Kaufmann, dir.; Shirley Curry, piano (Can Clara Butt do it better?) AFTERNOON IN FEBRUARY, Emanuel Abraham Aguilar, 1824-1904 Heidi Kim, soprano; Shirley Curry, pianist. SUNDOWN, Frederic H. Cowen, 1852-1935 Heidi Kim, soprano; Shirly Curry, pianist BEWARE, Benjamin Britten (first composition, age 11) Maggie Vishneau, soprano; The Longfellow Chorus; Joyce Molton, pianist THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH, John L. Hatton, 1808-1886 The Longfellow Chorus, Charles Kaufmann, director FOOTSTEPS OF ANGELS, Clara Angela Macirone, 1821-1895 The Longfellow Chorus FOOTSTEPS OF ANGELS, "Miss Davis," ca. 1865 Sarah Johnson, soprano; Shirley Curry, pianist An excerpt from HIAWATHA'S WEDDING FEAST, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, 1875-1912. The Longfellow Chorus; Shirley Curry, pianist SING TO US, O CHIBIABOS! Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, 1875-1895 The Longfellow Chorus; Shirley Curry, pianist ONAWAY, AWAKE, BELOVED, 1898, Samuel Coleridge-Tayolr, 1875-1912 Timothy Neill Johnson, tenor; Shirley Cury, pinaist An excerpt from HIAWATHA'S DEPARTURE, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, 1875-1912 The Longfellow Chous; Shirley Curry, pianist; Albert Melton, organist HO! WATCHMAN, HO!, John Liptrot Hatton, 1809-1886 The Women of the Longfellow Chorus; Shirley Curry, pianist THE RAINY DAY, John Liptrot Hatton Maggie Vishneau, soprano; Charles Kaufmann, pianist THE DREARY DAY, 1860, Faustina Hodges Maggie Vishneau, soprano; Joyce Moulton, pianist THE RAINY DAY, 1867, Arthur Sullivan, 1842-1900 The Longfellow Chorus; Shirley Curry, piano Could a unison choral work win the 2008 Longfellow Competion? Had there been one in 1850, Faustina Hodges might have won with this unison entry: A PSALM OF LIFE, 1850, Faustina Hasse Hodges, 1823-1895. The Longfellow Chorus; John Boden, ca. 1820 cor piston horn after Halary; Shirley Curry, piano; Albert Melton, organ. STARS OF A SUMMER NIGHT, Benjamin Franklin Baker, 1811-1889. The Longfellow Chorus Quartet—Timothy Neill Johnson, Stuart Bailey, Jim Bishop and John D. Adams—sings this mid-1840's setting of one of Longfellow's most frequently sung poems. (This is the original manuscript version; in the published version, Baker changed the harmonies). GOOD_NIGHT, BELOVED, 1895, W. G. Sired The Men of the Longfellow Chorus

SUBMISSION FORMAT INFORMATION Questions? Contact Longfellow Chorus director Charles Kaufmann The Longfellow Chorus International Composers' Competition is patterned after the Ithaca Choral Music Composition Contest, in which Longfellow Chorus director Charles Kaufmann has twice been a finalist (2003 and 2007). His Longfellow setting, Snow-Flakes, won the second prize of the 2007 Ithaca Competition. PRIZES: Choral Setting First Prize: $300, plus premiere performance, February 22, 2009, and archival audio recording. Choral Setting Second Prize: $50, or amount determined by the number of submissions, plus premiere performance, February 22, 2009, and archival audio recording. Solo Song Bass-Baritone First Prize: $300, plus premiere performance, February 22, 2009, and archival audio recording. Solo Song Bass-Baritone Second Prize: $50, or amount determined by the number of submissions, plus premiere performance, February 22, 2009, and archival audio recording. Additionally, a number of selections by finalists will be premiered and recorded on February 22, 2009. (The 2007-2008 finalists displayed an exceptional level of compositional ability). Winning composers may be featured in a preconcert lecture at the Longfellow 202nd Birthday Choral Concert. Compensation for travel to Portland, Maine, not provided. DEADLINES: Choral Setting -- December 12, 2008 Solo Song Bass-Baritone-- December 12, 2008 Entry Fees: Choral Setting -- $15 Solo Song -- $15 Checks payable to "The Longfellow Chorus, Inc." THE COMPOSER'S NAME MUST NOT APPEAR ON THE SCORE. Do not send sound files Send two copies of the score. Please include a cover letter with composer's name, address, contact information and title of the setting. Submissions and performance copies of winning entries, when applicable, will not be returned, but destroyed after February 22, 2009. Submissions limited to one choral setting and one solo song per composer. MAIL TO: The Longfellow Chorus, Inc. C/O Charles Kaufmann P. O. Box 5133 Portland, Maine 04101 CONTACT The Longfellow Chorus: clk328@rcn.com The Longfellow Chamber Chorus, Aug. 3, 2008 at Longfellow National Historic Site

Mission Statement of The Longfellow Chorus, Inc.:

"The Corporation shall organize and maintain a chorus to perform and record vocal and choral settings of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poetry, written from 1840 to the present, shall inspire and commission new vocal and choral settings of Longfellow's poetry, and shall perform choral music of the Romantic and immediate post-Romantic eras, ca. 1825-1920."

All materials on this Web-site are protected by copyright of Charles Kaufmann, The Lygonia Press, The Longfellow Chorus, Inc., The Longfellow National Historic Site, Bowdoin College, Houghton Library, Harvard College, The First Parish in Portland, UUA, and/or the Maine Historical Society.

e-mail: The Longfellow Chorus

The Longfellow Chorus
c/o Charles Kaufmann
P. O. Box 5133
Portland, Maine 04101

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