Three amateur composers from Cornwall are looking forward to a raised profile for their works after taking the honours in a our prestigious composers competition.

Elizabeth Sidebotham, of Liskeard, won the competition with her composition “Travel In Style”. Her triple prize is £400, the Harold and Thelma Miller Memorial Cup, and the publication of her work by Alan Simmons Music Ltd, a specialist in male voice music publishing.

By holding the competition early, it is hoped that the winning piece will be performed during next year’s festival concerts at various Cornish locations, with all choirs attending having the chance to prepare them.

The same high-profile opportunity will apply to the competition’s second and third-placed works – “Y Keryn Kernow” by Mike Jones, of Bodmin, and “This is My Land,” by James King, of Mount Hawke, Truro, both of whom will also have their work submitted to a suitable publisher.

At the presentation evening sponsored and hosted by Truro College, Mike collected £200 prize money and James £100. Elizabeth unfortunately was unable to attend.

Entries were judged by Peter Davies (Festival Director), Paul Drayton (Musical Director of Duchy Opera), John Harries (Head of Cornwall County Council Music Service) and Thom Meredith (Musical Director, Colne Valley Male Voice Choir, winners of the Large Choir International Competition in 2007).

A wonderful selection of compositions was submitted in a variety of styles and using texts from the Psalms, ancient and modern, local poets and the composers themselves. The adjudicators were delighted and almost unanimous in their choice of the three winning entries which all independently scored very high marks. The winners were selected because they brought singable music to male voice choirs in a way which could challenge them but be easily recognised by singers and audiences as traditional male voice in style.

Elizabeth Sidebotham, of Liskeard with Harold Miller, co-founder of the festival.	James King, of Mount Hawke, Truro (left), and Mike Jones, Bodmin (second left), third and second respectively in the amateur composers’ competition, with Festival representatives.