News

Clare College is delighted to announce its the 2025 edition of its biennial Song Competition for the performance of Art Song, aimed at student singers and accompanists from the University of Cambridge. Participants must be aged 18-23 on or before the date of the Final (7 May) and must be current, full-time students at the University of Cambridge. Further information and a link to the application form can be found below:

Song Competition 2025 - Google Forms

1st Round: Submissions by Wednesday 20 November 2024

Semi-Final: Tuesday 25 February 2025, 7:45pm

Final: Wednesday 7 May 2025, 7:45pm

Masterclass: Wednesday 7 May 2025, 2-5pm

Prizes

Singers' 1st Prizes: £400 and a lunchtime recital in Autumn 2025 at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London

Singers' 2nd Prize: £200

Accompanists' 1st Prize: £150

Any singers and their pianists from the Semi-final/Final may be invited to take part in a public masterclass with Sophie Bevan on the afternoon of the Final.

Judges

Graham Ross (Chairman of the Judges), all rounds

Nicola-Jane Kemp (Judge and Administrator, all rounds

Sophie Bevan (Head Judge), Final

Lynette Alcantara, Final

Robert Rice, First round

Repertoire  

1^st Round

An unedited audio (or video) recording of two ‘Art’ songs – one English and one foreign language (NB: ‘Art’ songs do NOT include works from opera, oratorio, operetta or musicals). These should be recent (not older than 3 months).

Semi Final

To perform three ‘Art’ songs – at least one of which must be in English and/or one having been presented in the previous round.  (Up to 10 minutes duration)

Final

To perform a programme of five English and foreign language ‘Art’ songs of up to 15 minutes duration.  (No more than 3 items from earlier rounds to be repeated)

All rounds to be performed from memory (singers)

Entry Fee: £25 per duo

Venue: Bennett Room, Memorial Court, Clare College (Final in Clare Chapel).

The masterclass and all public rounds are free to members of the public and the university

Competitors must, by 5pm, Wednesday 20 November 2024:

1. complete the online application form
2. Pay the entrance fee of £25 per duo. Payment can be made via PayPal - please visit paypal.me/ChoirofClareCollege
3. upload their unedited and recent (less than 3 months) audio recordings to a YouTube channel, Dropbox or WeTransfer and share the links with BOTH njkemp1@gmail.com and gr267@cam.ac.uk (please test the links before forwarding)