75th Glengarry Highland Games Tune Composing Competition
The 75th Glengarry Highland Games is sponsoring a competition to celebrate the occasion. There will be two competitions one for a song and one for a 6/8 March suitable for both bagpipes and violins.
In addition to celebrating the event “this is also an opportunity to encourage all musicians to develop a knowledge of music theory and our genre of music.”
The competitions are open to musicians of all abilities and are free of charge and there is no limit to the number of entries.
The song should contain at least three verses and highlight the majesty of the Glengarry Highland Games.
The pipe/violin march should contain at least two turns and preferably four.
The tunes should be easy to play and suitable for massed pipes and massed violins.
Though some inadvertent similarities with existing tunes are inevitable, there should be no evidence of plagiarism of existing published or unpublished music and/or recordings.
The tunes may be copyrighted by the tune’s author but the Glengarry Highland Games will have the right to use it without charge.
The Glengarry Highland Games will format the winning entries for pipes and/or violin for use at the Glengarry Highland Games. The winner of a pipe tune will be reformatted to a violin format or vice versa by the Highland Games. The tunes will be published in the Glengarry Highland Games Program.
Compositions should be submitted in PDF format in either handwritten or music writing software and include a midi file (preferred) or a link to an unlisted YouTube performance of the tune by the composer or someone else. The judging will be based on the tune itself neglecting the caliber of the performance.
Entries should be made to the Glengarry Highland Games before April 15th, 2024.
Entries and questions should be submitted to ComposeATune@glengarryhighlandgames.com
Adjudication will be based on:
Originality, ease of playing, “Catchiness” of the tune and adherence to the Scottish Music idiom.
First prize for both categories will be a Gold Patron Pass to the 2024 Glengarry Highland Games. Second prize will be two tickets to Friday and Saturday editions of the 2024 Glengarry Highland Games.