Compose & Arrange

Policy

The Chamber Chorus welcomes the submission of manuscripts by any composer or arranger, and does not discriminate on grounds of race, color, creed or gender.

Although the Chorus pays modest fees and stipends to its singers and Artistic and Executive Directors, it is a not-for-profit organization which depends upon many volunteers. As a result, it cannot respond as quickly and fully to each inquiry as its correspondents would like. Please be patient!

Introducing music that is new to both its performers and its listeners is a strong tradition of the Chamber Chorus. Throughout its history the Chorus has presented numerous World, American and St. Louis premières. Some of the living composers we have presented are based in the United States (e.g. Ronald Arnatt, Richard Rodney Bennett, Charles Collins, Audrey Kooper Hammann), but many others live outside North America (e.g. from Brazil: Marcos Leite; from Great Britain: Judith Bingham, Sasha Johnson Manning, David Matthews, Stuart McIntosh; from Australia: Tristram Cary, Clare Maclean; from Ireland, Patrick Zuk.

Guidelines

Since the Chorus always performs unaccompanied, only a cappella works are considered for performance.
Customarily each program is diverse in period, style and scoring. As a consequence, single works lasting more than forty minutes are unlikely to be considered.
Only five or six rehearsals are scheduled for each program. Although sight reading and a proven capacity for individual preparation are the hallmarks of each singer, works whose complexity merits more rehearsal time are unlikely to be considered.
Great efforts are expended to sing works in their original language, but if the given text is not English, then a translation should be provided.
It might be helpful for those considering us to know of certain enduring features of the Chorus's repertoire. Each season:
- opens around early October with a program constructed around a setting of the Mass
- includes at least one concert of polychoral works
- includes a Christmas celebration
- includes works by Brahms, Holst, Marenzio, Mendelssohn and Vaughan Williams
- culminates in a spring concert which includes a Requiem (not necessarily liturgical)

Procedures

Please send all manuscripts to:

The St. Louis Chamber Chorus

P.O. Box 11558

Clayton, MO 63105

Mark your envelope MANUSCRIPT.

Compositions can only be returned if a self-addressed envelope with the correct postage is enclosed or subsequently mailed to the Chorus.

The review process generally takes three months, and those submitting works will then be contacted. Acknowledgments of receipt are not issued.

At the discretion of the Artistic Director, manuscripts are forwarded to one of the readers who make repertoire recommendations. These readers are, typically, the Assistant Director, the Chorus Accompanist and a chorus member.

The final decision rests with the Artistic Director who regrets that no correspondence can be entered into regarding compositions.

This policy was approved by the Board of Directors in May 1995, and subsequently revised in November 1996.