New Century Harp Competition

New Harp Music for the 21st Century

2008-01-30T03:29:00.000-08:00

Please note that this website is still in Draft and the competition is not yet open for entries.

The New Century Harp Competition aims to expand and deepen the available repertoire for folk harp, and is open to any musician who is arranging or composing for the harp.

If you are a harpist, music student, seasoned composer or musician who has always wanted to write for the harp, then this is the competition for you.

Over $3,000 in Prizes

Winners are published in the annual book.

Don't miss this opportunity to stretch your musical abilities and career opportunities.

Enter the Competition

About The Competition

2008-01-29T04:04:00.000-08:00

The 3rd New Century Harp Competition aims to inspire musicians, especially harp performers, to arrange and compose music for folk harp, and to encourage previously unpublished arrangers and composers.

Entries must be arrangements of melodies in the public domain or original compositions. It is the responsibility of the artists to research and determine whether their selected music is in the public domain. There is a wealth of music out there waiting to be arranged for the harp, and many harp players are composing original music.

(The prize listings are from 2007 and will be edited as the sponsors confirm their 2008 participation)

Grand Prize: Awarded for the most outstanding entry : $1,000 value: $500 in cash - plus - $500 in gift certificates from our sponsors - plus - the opportunity to perform the winning piece at the 2008 Somerset Harp Festival - plus - published and distributed by Afghan Press.
Nine Merit Prizes: Each will receive $220 in gift certificates from the sponsors - plus - published and distributed by Afghan Press.*

*The ten winners will have their music published in a new book by Afghan Press, to be available in the summer of 2009. A Royalty of 10% of the retail sales price of all books sold will be donated to the International Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen whose work over the past three decades has been crucial in the renaissance of the harp . However all music remains the copyright of the artists and can be republished elsewhere. All winners may purchase books at wholesale price from Afghan Press.

The judges for the 2008 competition are yet to be announced. All judging will be anonymous. The judges will not see your name on the music, only the 6-digit code that you provide and print on your manuscript.

Before submitting an entry please read the rules. If you still have questions, send an email.

Rules

2008-01-28T04:32:00.000-08:00

Please read the Competition Rules to see if you qualify to enter the contest.

The competition is open to all ages. Entries will be judged without regard to any competitor's age, nationality, or any other non-musical criteria..
The deadline for entries is 15th January 2009..
The competition fee is $25 per entry. A competitor may submit multiple entries, provided that a separate entry form and entry fee is provided for each entry. .
All submissions must be typeset using your choice of music notation software, and must be submitted electronically in pdf format with fonts embedded. .
IMPORTANT. All entries must NOT have the name of the composer/arranger anywhere on the music manuscript. Substitute a 6 character code of numerals and letters (eg. 2g7st0) and include the same code on your entry form. This ensures your anonymity with the judges.
.
Entries must be written for a nylon or gut strung lever harp, between 22 and 36 strings. .
Entries should be appropriate for 'advanced beginner' or 'intermediate' players..
No person may win more than one prize..
Entries must fall into one of the following categories:
A. An original arrangement of any melody in the public domain.
B. An original composition..
Competition entries must not have been previously published by the entrant. Competitors are eligible even if they have previously published other music, unless they are ineligible as described in rule #9 below..
Competitors are INELIGIBLE if:
A. They have published more than five individual pieces as sheet music and sold more than 200 total copies. - or
B. They have published more than five individual pieces in compilation books with others arrangers or composers and sold more than 200 copies. - or
C. They have self published a book or books of music and have sold more than 200 copies. - or
D. They have had a book or books published by a publishing house and have sold more than 200 copies. - or
E. They have twice won a place in the New Century Harp Competition winners book. .
The judges will consider the following criteria: -- suitability: Is the music appropriate for advanced beginner and intermediate levels.
- playability: does the music flow well under the fingers
- musicality: does it sound good
- structure: is it compositionally satisfying
- creativity: does it say something interesting
- functionality: is this something people would like to play (and hear)
- harpistic: does it make the instrument sound good
- pleasure: is it enjoyable to play.
.
The judges' decisions are final.

email us

Submit Entry

2008-01-27T05:15:00.000-08:00

&amp;lt;a href="https://fredschlomka.wufoo.com/forms/w7p2p5/" title="Harp Competition Entry Form"&amp;gt;Fill out my Wufoo form!&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Previous Winners

2008-01-26T04:36:00.000-08:00

The competition entry rules are modified from year to year and therefor the entry categories and individual achievements of the composers/arrangers may be different.

The Competition is proud of our winners and lists all of them by the year that they won. If you are interested in obtaining the works of the winners, you can purchase their annual winners books through our shop.

2007 winners
2006 winners

Advisory Committee

2008-01-25T05:07:00.000-08:00

Mary Radspinner is the owner of Melody's Traditional Music and Harp Shoppe, and Afghan Press, a leading publisher and distributor of music for harp.

Gerry Serviente is the Director of the annual Somerset Folk Harp Festival which attracts hundreds of harp players every year for concerts and workshops. She was a winner in the 2006 competition.

Sunita Staneslow was a New Century Competition judge in 2006 and has been arranging harp music for twenty years. She has published eleven books of harp arrangements and teaches at festivals and workshops in Israel, USA, Europe and South Africa.

Harper Tasche has been a judge for the 2006 and 2007 competitions and has published eight books of harp arrangements. He performs and teaches throughout North America and has been commissioned to write music. One of his pieces received its Russian premiere at the Rachmaninov Academy.

Sylvia Woods has sold tens of thousands of her best selling harp books since the 1980s. She has been a major figure in the renaissance of the folk harp and distributes harps and harp music through the Sylvia Woods Harp Center.

Competition Administrator - Fred Schlomka
Mr. Schlomka is the founder of the competition and has been involved in different aspects of the harp world for over twenty years. he has published numerous books for his wife, harpist Sunita Staneslow, and was the publisher of the 2000 Harp Almanac.

Publicity and Media

2008-01-24T05:12:00.000-08:00

This page will soon have links to the competition press releases and promotional flyers. Check back soon

Contact

2008-01-23T05:06:00.000-08:00

.....

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="https://fredschlomka.wufoo.com/forms/w7p2s7/" title="Contact The Competition Administration"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Fill out my Wufoo form!&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Shop

2008-01-22T05:18:00.000-08:00

These books were generously published by Afghan Press and Melody Music. Clicking on the 'purchase' links will take you directly to the Melody Music website for a secure transaction.

2007 Winners Book - $16 - Purchase
Those of you who enjoyed last year's book of winning arrangements will both enjoy these fresh tunes and notice quite a difference! New harmonies and involved rhythm patterns make this collection for the most part a tad more challenging.

John Sheridan has arranged two Cornish folk songs "The Sweet Nightingale" and "Delyow Sevi." His arrangements are wonderfully different and so enjoyable to play! Gaalen Noland's "Celtic Ode to Joy" is another exceptional arrangement with some tricky and jazzy rhythm patterns and an active left hand.

Kathleen Clark (who also won last year) arranged "The Blooming Bright Star of Belle Isle" for this year's competition. It is a romantic Canadian ballad, beautifully arranged with arpeggios, octaves, and full rolled chords using every opportunity to make the harp sound luscious.

Mack the Knife, arranged by Casey Pinckney, is delightful. Although still under copyright; we were given generous permission to include this arrangement in the book and thank the Kurt Weill Foundation. It's a really fun arrangement and what a neat song! (Please note that the rules state that all tunes must be in public domain, and this rule shall stand for all further competitions.)

Tears of Joy by Ulpia Erdos is an original and is rhapsodic and highly arpeggiated - quite harpistic. It's in C minor, is 9 pages in length with some tricky counting challenges. Margo Krimmel's two arrangements Shenandoah (almost mesmerizing) and Planxty Earl Grey, are rich in harmony and arrangement, yet still retain a simple elegance and are very enjoyable to play. Myriam Reid's "Sally Gardens" is a beautiful and expressive arrangement, and Lisa Boggess' "Miami Dawn" is a lovely original using a wide usage of chords in ¾ that is simply elegant. LEVER HARP intermediate to upper intermediate. Purchase

2006 Winners Book - $14 - Purchase
This lovely compilation is the result of the first annual New Century Harp Competition. In 2006, entrants submitted arrangements of traditional or ethnic music in the public domain, written for nylon or gut strung harp.

Some were for harps of 26 strings or less, and some for larger harps. Titles are: Gaudete, Trad. Carol; An Cailin Gaelach (“The Irish Girl”); When a Knight Won His Spurs; adapted from The Fair Flower of Northumberland; Three Swiss German Folksongs.

Melodies Charmantes, French lullaby; Wade in the Water, Spiritual; Exhilaration, Early American Hymn; Farewell to Tarwathie, traditional whaling song; The House of the Rising Sun; Durme, Durme, Sephardic Lullaby. Intermediate level, all harps.

Purchase

Sponsorship Pledge

2008-01-20T01:29:00.000-08:00

If you would like to sponsor the Harp Competition please fill out the form below and you will be contacted by the Administrator.

The full value of the sponsor's prizes are awarded to the winners.

Major Sponsor donations will be awarded in their entirety to the top winners of the competition. Other contributions may be divided among several winners at the Administration's discretion, and are usually divided into $50 awards to several prize recipients.

All donations may be in cash or gift certificates, or a combination of the two.

Sponsorship Categories:

Major Sponsor: $1,000
Gold Sponsor: $500-$999
Silver Sponsor: $200-$499
Bronze Sponsor: $50-$199

Please only fill out this form if you are committed to sponsoring the competition. If you have any lingering questions, please contact the administrator.

&amp;lt;a href="https://fredschlomka.wufoo.com/forms/w7p2a3/" title="Harp Competition Sponsorship Pledge"&amp;gt;Fill out my Wufoo form!&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Thank you for your pledge

2008-01-19T02:02:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for your sponsorship of the competition. You will receive a confirmation email and I will be in contact with you directly about the details.

All the best,
Fred Schlomka,
Administrator

2006 Winners

2007-12-31T04:44:00.000-08:00

Small Harp (26 strings or less)

1st place: Bev Ross, Canada
Farewell to Tarwathie, traditional whaling song by G. Scroggie, circa 1850
2nd place: Rebecca Bromwell, USA
An Cailin Gaelach ("The Irish Girl")
3rd place: Joanne Griffin, Canada
Melodies Charmantes , French lullaby

Large Harp (more than 26 strings)

1st place: Kathleen Clark, USA
2nd place: Charlotte Roe-Bravo, USA
Durme, Durme, Sephardic Lullaby
3rd place: Haley Hewitt, USA
Wade in the Water, Spiritual

Honourable mention

Amanda Jensen, USA
Exhilaration, Hymn, US, 1854
Elsa Almquist, USA
Gaudete, Trad. Caron, Latin text
Gerry Serviente, USA
The House of the Rising Sun, Trad. English
Madeline Herczog, USA
Three Swiss German Folk Songs

2006 Judges: Sunita Staneslow, Harper Tasche

2006 Sponsors: Melody Music/Afghan Press, Sommerset Harp Festival,
Sylvia Woods Harp Center, Virginia Harp Center

2007 Winners

2007-12-30T04:47:00.000-08:00

All winners were published in the winners book.

Grand Prize - $1,000 in cash and gift certificates

Lisa Boggess, USA
Miami Dawn

Best-For-Beginners Prize - $600 gift certificate

Margot Krimmel, USA
Planxty Earl Grey

Merit Prizes - $220 gift certificates each

Kathleen Clark, USA - The Blooming Bright Star of Belle Isle
Ulpia Erdos, Australia - Tears of Joy
Margot Krimmel, USA - Shenandoah
Galen Noland, Canada - A Celtic Ode to Joy
Casey Pinckney, USA - Mack the Knife
Myriam Reid, Canada - Sally Gardens
John Sheridan, USA - An Eos Hweg (Sweet Nightingale)
John Sheridan, USA - Delyow Sevi (Strawberry Leaves)*

* Please note that two people won two prizes each solely on their merit since all judging was blind to the names of the artists. However the committee decided in future years that the rules would be modified to only allow one prize per person.

2006 Judges: Harper Tasche, Monika Stadler

2006 Sponsors: Big Sky Folk Harp Festival, Camac Harps, Dusty Strings, Harp World Inc.,
Melody Music/Afghan Press, Salvi Harps, Sommerset Harp Festival, Stoney End Harps

Sylvia Woods Harp Center, Thormahlen Harps, Virginia Harp Center