A call for African choral compositions

We are building an index of African choral composers and their sacred music, and we are looking for compositions to put in it. If you write choral music anywhere on the continent or in the diaspora, this is an open invitation.

The problem this is meant to solve is a practical one. Choir directors who want African sacred repertoire often cannot find it, and composers who have written it often have no way of being found. Both halves of that are fixable.

What we are looking for

  • Original choral compositions in any voicing, including SATB, SAB, SSA and TTBB
  • Sacred works across all Christian traditions, including mass settings, motets, anthems and psalms
  • Music that draws on African musical heritage, and contemporary writing that does not
  • Contemporary worship arrangements
  • Settings in African languages, as well as English, Latin and others
  • Accompanied and a cappella works alike

Established composers with large catalogues are welcome, and so are people who have written three pieces for their own church choir. Church music directors who compose for the choir they conduct are exactly the sort of person this index exists to find.

You get a page of your own carrying your biography, your contact details and your full catalogue, so that a choir director who finds one piece can see everything else you have written. Your scores go up on choralcatalogue.com, where choirs can download them directly.

Beyond reach, there is the record. Choral music that exists only as a file on the composer's laptop tends not to survive the laptop. Having the work catalogued and hosted somewhere public is the difference between a piece that gets sung in twenty years and one that does not.

What to send

About you:

  • Full name and professional title
  • A photograph for the profile
  • Biography, including where you are from, your background and how you came to music
  • Current position or affiliation
  • Contact details, including email and phone or WhatsApp
  • Social media handles, if you use them
  • Teaching experience and educational background
  • Awards or recognitions, previous and current appointments, and the instruments you play

About the music:

  • The score as a digital file, PDF preferred
  • Accompaniment requirements
  • Programme notes and performance notes, both optional

How to send it

Email kalese@choralchristian.org, or reach us on +237 681 379 518 on WhatsApp. The simplest thing is usually one email with everything attached, or a link to a Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive folder holding it all.

What happens next

  • We review the submission, normally within two to three weeks
  • We build your composer page from the biography and works you sent
  • Your scores go up on choralcatalogue.com for download
  • We let you know when the profile is live
  • You can send new compositions at any time to keep the catalogue current

Questions

No, there is no fee. Keeping the site running does take a bit of help, though, with things like domain fees, hosting and ongoing maintenance. If you feel led, we would be grateful for any support you can give.

You do, in full. ChoralChristian.org is only a platform for showing and distributing your work, and nothing about being featured here changes who owns it.

Can I update my profile later?

Yes. Send new compositions or corrected details whenever you like.

What file formats do you accept?

PDF scores are preferred. Finale, Sibelius and MuseScore files are welcome as well.

Can composers outside Africa submit?

The focus here is African composers and African-inspired choral writing, but submissions from any tradition are welcome.