The Foden's Band has marked International Women's Day this week by announcing a major initiative supported via Arts Council England.

Opportunity

The band will offer the opportunity for female composers under the age of 21 to write for the brass band medium.

Composers will be asked to submit a work between 4 and 6 minutes in duration. The closing date is Tuesday 20th June.

Short-listed entrants will be invited to hear their works performed in a concert given by the National Champion on 11th July in Sandbach.

Build

The initiative hopes to build on a 2021 report undertaken by the PRS for Music that showed an increase in the number of women registering as professional songwriters and composers.

https://www.prsformusic.com/m-magazine/news/tipping-the-scales-prs-for-music-reveal-membership-gender-data

Contribution

Speaking about the initiative Mark Wilkinson told 4BR: "We are keen to open opportunities for young female composers to write for the brass band medium and enhance the important contribution made by notable female writers in recent years.

We are aware that the vast majority of major works performed by brass bands is written by male composers, so we hope this competition will inspire as well as encourage new voices."

We are keen to open opportunities for young female composers to write for the brass band medium and enhance the important contribution made by notable female writers in recent yearsFoden's Band

Short list

Submitted compositions will be shortlisted by composers Liz Lane and Lucy Pankhurst before being performed by Foden's in concert. Both Liz and Lucy will provide spoken feedback on each short-listed composition at the concert before announcing the winner.

Further details

For further details contact: markLwilky@hotmail.com