Contest seeks new hymn for parish anniversary

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BOUNTIFUL — As part of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Saint Olaf Parish in Bountiful, a hymn-writing competition is taking place.

The competition is open to people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities.

The contest is a way to celebrate the anniversary, said parishioner Holly Norman Dodge.

“I was thinking of a way [as a musician] of having something new and fresh for the 75th anniversary,” said Dodge, whose first thought was to have all the parishioners sing a song together, “and then it occurred to me that composing new music might be a good way to involve the musical community,” she said.

Dodge hopes the contest will reflect the fact that St. Olaf Parish has grown from its original Scandinavian roots to include members of the community from a variety of backgrounds and heritages, she said.

As a member of Saint Olaf community for more than eight years, Dodge said that she has seen that in singing together, “you are really joining in a common purpose,” and a new hymn would allow them to sing “something that represents our parish, something that reflects the joy of celebrating our parish anniversary.”

The competition deadline is Nov. 12. In addition to the $100 prize, the winning entry will be presented during the parish anniversary celebration.

The judging panel “will pick something that we think the community will be able to sing and something that reflects the joy of celebrating our parish,” Dodge said.

Applicants should submit original music and text; existing texts such as Bible verses may be used but must credit the author and not violate copyright laws. The music should be prepared using a software music notation program (Finale or Sibelius). Handwritten submissions will be accepted if legible, but are not preferred.

Four copies of the hymn should be submitted along with an entry form. There is no maxium number of manuscripts that an individual may submit, but in case of multiple entries, each should be accompanied by a separate entry form.

For information about the contest, contact Holly Norman Dodge at h_normandodge@yahoo.com, or the parish office at 801-295-3621.

Contest Guidelines

To be considered for this award, all entries must adhere to the following guidelines.

1. Music must be original and solely the work of the applicant.

2. Music must not have been previously published, nor should it be submitted simultaneously for consideration elsewhere.

3. The new musical setting may be in either a traditional hymn style or a contemporary musical idiom using a verse, chorus and optional bridge structure. The hymn may include a descant. The melody should be within the abilities of an average congregation to sing. The text should be appropriate for a Roman Catholic parish.

4. There is no limit to the number of entries per writer.

5. If different persons have created the text and the musical setting, the prize money will be divided evenly between the author and the composer.

6. The winning entry will be used for congregational singing throughout the 2018 calendar year and may be used by St. Olaf Parish of Bountiful thereafter. The winning entry will be performed in a 75th anniversary concert during the 2018 calendar year.

7. Engraved manuscripts are not required, but hand-notated manuscripts must be clean and legible. Illegible entries will not be considered.

8. To preserve anonymity, the name of the composer and author of a newly written text should appear only on the entry form and not on the copies submitted for judging. In instances where an existing text under copyright is used, the author’s name should be included along with the appropriate copyright notice.