Commissioning New Work
CoMA has commissioned over 380 works across over 30 years of programming. We primarily commission instrumental and vocal works in our Open Score, flexible format. Works written in a flexibly-scored format mean that the parts are not instrument-specific; instead, the composer specifies the range of the instruments (for example, high, medium and low) and it is up to each ensemble to distribute the parts to suitable players. Instrumental parts are provided in a range of transpositions.
Open Score works are suitable for ensembles of varying sizes and instrumentation, making them accessible to many different types of ensembles. Writing in a flexibly-scored format also allows for a variety of interpretations of a single work.
Learn more about approaches to CoMA Open Score writing below from composers Diana Burrell and Howard Jones.
Call for Submissions
Instrumental Open Scores
CoMA hosts an ongoing call for Open Score pieces. Works submitted should consider CoMA’s Open Score Guidelines, provided below.
CoMA is particularly looking for artistically exciting, yet technically accessible works for flexible ensembles including amateur players. Submissions are welcome from composers of any age and nationality. Selected works will be included in the CoMA Catalogue for worldwide promotion.
Submissions are assessed by the CoMA music panel on artistic strength, legibility and suitability for performance by all musicians. Complete the submission form linked here to get free advice on your open score work.
Vocal Open Scores
The Partsong Project
The Partsong Project is central to CoMA’s aims, responding to a need to create a repertoire of flexible pieces for voices. The paradigm of a small group of people singing together – the chanson, the madrigal, the partsong – is one of the most archetypal in Western music, yet little contemporary repertoire exists in this form for amateur or non-specialist singers.
The project sets out to create a repertoire that addresses this lack. Although described as ‘partsongs’, we are not seeking backwards-looking pieces, but instead wish to cultivate new repertoire that is absolutely 21st-century in spirit.
We believe there is a real need for this repertoire and the possibilities it offers to make a real impact on amateur, student and professional music-making. We see many contexts in which really high-quality work of this nature will flourish, from campus to concert hall; the CoMA Partsong collection aims to be the catalyst for an entirely new vocal scene to emerge.
The Partsongs Open Call
As part of our open call for scores, we are looking for partsongs of 3-5 minutes in length for 3-6 voice parts. We are looking for fresh, exploratory, experimental approaches to the vocal medium (not a traditional-style partsong) and welcome non-conventional notation, unusual vocal techniques, speech, movement, auxiliary instruments etc.
Open Scoring means that the pieces should be non-specific with regard to voice part, and therefore suitable for any group of voices available: non-gendered upper/lower voices division is acceptable if necessary, but nothing more specific.
Bear in mind that voices may or may not be trained, and reading ability may or may not be strong: successful pieces will cater for the wide range of abilities and experience within CoMA and beyond.
Submitting works
CoMA is offering free advice on any flexibly scored partsong. Your work will be reviewed by a panel of professionals and will give you structured feedback based on your submission.
Please complete the submission form linked here to submit your partsong.
If you have any questions, please contact music@coma.org.
Development Opportunities
CoMA provides ongoing development opportunities for composers at all levels to learn about open-score writing, and extend their skills. Please visit CoMA’s ‘Projects’ to find out more.