Search for New Awiting Bayan Choral Pieces

The National Committee on Music of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Music Competitions for Young Artists Foundation, Inc. (NAMCYA) have announced the search for new and unpublished choral settings of Philippine folk songs or original compositions for mixed (male and female) adult choir dubbed “Mga Awiting Bayan para sa Korong Pilipino: A Choral Writing Competition.”

PA on Culture and NCCA Executive Director Cecile Guidote Alvarez said the competition is in response to the dearth of choral settings of songs from various parts of the Philippines in the local languages.

“There are more than 170 languages and dialects in the country which needed to be popularized among our young generation today and the popular medium is music” added Guidote-Alvarez.

Fifteen (15) outstanding choral settings of songs from different parts of the country will be selected and will be published in an anthology.

The folksongs or the original composition arrangements should not be shorter than 3 minutes but not longer than 5 minutes and must be written from the period January 1 up to December 20, 2006 in any Philippine languange or dialects accompanied with the following attachments: contestant’s profile, 5R sized photo showing the half of the body, background information on the song in approximately 150 words including song’s place of origin, meaning, context, etc., and the English translation of the song text not intended to be sung.

A typewritten information sheet should contain the complete name, address, birthday, email address, contact numbers, title of the song, date of the completion of the piece, names of lyricist and composer with dates of birth and death, language used, instruments used and duration of the piece must also be submitted in an envelope.

“Works maybe accompanied or unaccompanied. If accompanied, a piece should use instruments that are readily available to ordinary choirs. They should also use public domain materials or original works to avoid copyright infringements” said Dr. Verne Dela Peña, Secretary General of NAMCYA.

Each of the selected pieces will receive Php 20,000.00 subject to applicable withholding tax, during the awarding ceremony to be held in February 2007 as part of the Philippine Arts Festival.

Contestants may submit more than one entry at the NAMCYA Office located at Folk Arts Theater, CulturalCenter of the Philippines Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, on or before December 20, 2006, the deadline of submission.

“The choral writing competition is part of the mandate of the NCCA towards the development, preservation and promotion of culture and the arts,” stressed by Prof. Felipe M. De Leon, Jr., head of the Committee on Music.

For more information and inquiries, contact the Project Manager at 0918-9344240 or 0927-4309560 or email at awitingbayan@yahoo.com