Huntsville, ALA – June 11, 2024 – In recognition of Earth Day, the Huntsville Master Chorale (HMC) and the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library (HMCPL) are proud to announce a joint poetry contest for North Alabama High School Juniors and Seniors. This exciting initiative invites young poets to submit original works based on an environmental theme. The winning poems will be used as lyrics in a national music composition contest. The competition is now open. The deadline to enter is August 31, 2024.
The contest aims to celebrate and recognize the poetic talents of high school students while promoting environmental consciousness. Winning poets will not only receive cash prizes but will also have the honor of their work being set to music by composers across the country. The resulting compositions will be premiered at a Huntsville Master Chorale concert in 2025.
The contest is open to all students enrolled as Juniors or Seniors in any public, private, or home school in Madison County for the 2024-2025 school year. A joint committee of HMC and HMCPL volunteers will judge the submissions, and up to three winning poems will be selected, each receiving a $200 prize.
The winning poems will be provided to composers participating in the HMC Choral Composition Contest. One composition will be selected as the contest winner and presented in a concert in 2025.
“The Huntsville Master Chorale seeks to celebrate creativity and community in all that we do. Through our annual Composition Contest, we are able to bring a new musical work to life each year. This year, our Composition Contest winner will be setting the poetry of a local Huntsville-area student to music. Through this collaboration, we will be able to showcase the creativity and artistry present in our community by facilitating the creation of a beautiful new piece of choral music for presentation in our Spring 2025 Concert celebrating Earth Day,” said Jordan Lawson of the Huntsville Master Chorale.
For detailed entry requirements and submission guidelines, please visit the Huntsville Master Chorale website.
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About Huntsville Master Chorale:
The Huntsville Master Chorale celebrates creativity by providing vibrant musical performances, developing singers, commissioning original compositions, and promoting community through choral singing and collaborating with other local arts groups.
The Chorale has a particular heart for commissioning new works. Composition is where music begins, and we feel honored to participate in the process. The Chorale consistently brings new musical works to life, both from composers of international renown and in the local area.
Above all, we seek to promote unity through music. We believe that corporate music provides the unique opportunity to offer peace, inclusion and harmony to all involved, performer and listener alike.
About Huntsville-Madison County Public Library:
This is the public’s library. Huntsville-Madison County Public Library (HMCPL) is a nonprofit 10 branch library system that serves all of Madison County, Ala. For 200 years, the library has been dedicated to enriching the educational, recreational and cultural lives of communities in Madison County through materials, information and programs that foster a lifelong love of learning. In addition to the collection of over 500,000 items, HMCPL also provides outreach services, a BookMobile and BookBike, online services, training, an extensive digital collection, public-use computers, free Wi-fi, meeting spaces and much more. For more information about MCPL and its services, please visit hmcpl.org.
For more information contact:
Dr. Patricia Hacker, Artistic Director
Huntsville Master Chorale
256-6837979
