We are currently taking entries for the New Songwriting Competition for this years Auchtermuchty Festival. The competition takes place on Saturday 11 August at 3.30pm in the Church Hall. The first two years have proved very successful with a good number of entries and a wide variety of songs. We hope to build on that this year and establish a successful competition alongside the other Muchty Festival competitions!

The John Watt Cup for a New Song in the Traditional Style.
This competition was introduced in 2010 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Auchtermucty Festival and also to honour John Watt’s great contribution to traditional music.

To adjudicate the competition on its first year we had Brian Miller and Dave Goulder. This year's adjudicators are Ken Campbell and Linsey Aitken.

The rules for the competition are fairly simple:

A) The song should be “ in the traditional style” and sung by the composer, unaccompanied or accompanied acoustically.

B) The song is be original and not yet entered into current usage.

C) The song can be set to an original tune or to a traditional air adapted to suit.

D) If you'd like to enter, please email your name and address and the words of your song to james.hutchison@axis-connect.com by August 4th 2012.

Good luck and good writing.
http://www.auchtermuchty-festival.org.uk/music/news/new-song-competition

Please note that our on-line entry form for the New Song Competition is currently down and we are working to get it fixed as soon as possible.

In the meantime we ask that you send your name and address and words of your song to james.hutchison@axis-connect.com by August 4th 2012.

As soon as our website is fixed I will add a post. In the meantime, thank you for your patience.

The Auchtermuchty Festival Committee

Hi Erika, there seems to be some variance between what you are saying there, and what it says on your website Competition rules page? On the website, it says (for all competitions as far as I can see) that you can enter on the day.

That's true, it does say that. However, while people can turn up and enter on the day, we are asking for people to let us know beforehand that they are wanting to enter the New Song competition just to get an idea of numbers. We are also now asking for a copy of the words to be sent in beforehand so that we can pass this onto the judges to help with the adjudication. After the competition last year, the judges commented that it would be helpful to them to be able to read over the words in advance before hearing the song to give better consideration to the lyrics.
I hope that this answers your question :)

"the judges commented that it would be helpful to them to be able to read over the words in advance before hearing the song to give better consideration to the lyrics."

You don't say!
Who in the world can place themselves in a position to dare
judge other musical efforts!

I'm not sure if they "place themselves in a position" as I'm sure, as at EFC, they are usually persuaded although many of of them don't need too much "arm twisting".
:-)

It does help if the judges have a copy of the words in front of them and, surely, this is part of the explanation as to how their decisions are so often at variance with that of the audience. However, late entrants may also find themselves at a disadvantage if they can still turn up on the day.

(Please note, these are my own views and not the official stance of EFC)

Em... It's there a prize ?

That's the spirit!
;-)

Everyone in the world judges other[s'] musical efforts every time they decide to buy (or not to buy) a CD or ticket or to retune or switch off a radio. Judging or being judged in a competition is of no greater (or lesser!) significance.

"Everyone in the world judges other[s'] musical efforts every time they decide to buy (or not to buy) a CD or ticket or to retune or switch off a radio. Judging or being judged in a competition is of no greater (or lesser!) significance."

There is no room in music for competition is what I'm saying Roddy Mac!
Music is there to be enjoyed and in which to participate.
Every time you turn off the radio/don't buy a CD is simply expressing ones
musical preferences and not decrying peoples songwriting capabilities!

Thanks Erika: that's it winging its way now!

Competitions - hmm, well some folk do it for a bit of a challenge to themselves, some just for a bit of fun (yes!), and others because they are pushed. Music is to be enjoyed, yes, but just because you played it or heard it in a competition doesn't necessarily mean it's any the less enjoyable. The Chorus Cup competitions at various festivals are hugely entertaining and enjoyable.