Search begins to find a composer for a new Christmas carol

IT might only be February, but an Edinburgh charity is already launching a competition to find a composer to write a new Christmas carol.

Scotland's leading HIV charity Waverley Care is running the unusual Sing A New Song competition to celebrate its 21st birthday year.

New and established composers are being invited to submit carols, scored for four-part choir, which will be considered first by Jenny Sumerling, musical director of Edinburgh-based choir, Cadenza and Scottish composer, Tom Cunningham.

The final shortlist will then be drawn up by renowned composers, Bob Chilcott and James MacMillan as well as Simon Woods, chief executive of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

The shortlisted carols will be performed by Cadenza at a concert in Edinburgh on 27 November 2010.

The winning carol will also be included on Cadenza's forthcoming Christmas CD, and the winning composer will receive a prize of 500 cash plus a trophy.

Details of how to enter can be downloaded from Waverley Care's website www.waverleycare.org.

The closing date for entries is 21 May.