Ludlow Song are looking for young composers, aged 16 to 25, who are facing financial barriers to their musical practice, to take part in a free, expenses-paid workshop with leading  composer and teacher Professor Julian Philips in November this year. The workshop is an opportunity to explore English song: music for voice with text in the English language. 

The workshop is generously supported by the Gerald Finzi Trust, and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. 

What we are offering

• 4 or 5 composers will be selected to take part in a 1 day workshop in Birmingham on Sunday 8th November 2026. Please see ‘How to Apply’ below for details.
• In advance of the workshop, the successful applicants will be asked to share a new work in progress –  a song or groups of songs for voice and piano with a text in the English language. There will be 6 weeks, from being selected, for successful applicants to work on their song(s).
• At the workshop in November, they will work on their compositions with Professor Philips, along with an experienced singer and pianist, and will also learn from each others’ ideas and processes.
• The day will end with a free public performance, including a chance to share the new works in progress with a supportive audience.
• We will cover travel (and where necessary accommodation) costs, and will also pay a per diem to cover other expenses on the day (such as food). 
• We are committed to making the workshop as accessible as possible. This includes using accessible spaces. We have also put aside an access budget to make sure we can meet disabled and neurodivergent composers’ needs. If selected you will be invited to share your access requirements with us, but if you have questions feel free to contact Steve Catanach on ludlowsong@gmail.com. 
• The workshop is an opportunity for young composers to meet each other and the Ludlow Song team, including Artistic Director Iain Burnside. We hope that at least one participant will be offered a paid commission for Ludlow English Song Weekend 2027, with support to attend the festival in Shropshire next April.

Who this opportunity is for…

• composers who will be aged 16-25 on 1st November 2026*. 
• who are facing financial barriers to pursuing their musical practice. 

We recognise that this currently applies to a lot of young people in a wide range of circumstances. The application form asks a couple of simple questions, and gives you an opportunity to tell us about the barriers you are facing. This information will be used to check your eligibility and will not be seen by the shortlisting panel.

• It is equally open to composers who are in or out of formal education, and to those just beginning their  journey as a composer, or those already embarked on a professional career. Applicants will initially be shortlisted based on an anonymous assessment of a submitted score. 

*Please note: participants who are under 18 on the workshop day will need to be accompanied by an adult. 

 

How to Apply

To apply please fill in the online form available from our webpage  by 12:00 noon on 28th August 2026: 

https://ludlowenglishsongweekend.com/young-composers/