Winners of St. Thomas’s Sesquicentennial Choral Composition Competition!

Congratulations to the winners of the Choral Composition Competition, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of St. Thomas’s Church.

The competition attracted a diverse range of submissions from across Canada and around the world. In total, we received 87 entries. The First Prize–winning composition will be premiered at Evensong on Sunday, November 24 at 5 p.m.

The competition was open to all and invited original compositions for choir, unaccompanied or with organ accompaniment, 2.5 to 5 minutes in length, on the poem “Praise” by parishioner Margo Swiss.

John RotaR, First prize

John Rotar is a Brisbane-based composer and conductor. John’s compositional work has garnered him numerous awards, scholarships, and compositional residencies, both nationally and internationally. He is the artistic director of The Australian Voices and has a particular passion for performing new music, having conducted over 40 world premieres. Aside from his conducting and composing work, John is a sought-after educator and performer, as an organist, trombonist, choral bass, and piano accompanist, and is the Organist and Assistant Director of Music at historic Holy Trinity Church, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Australia.

Robert Hamilton, Second Prize

Robert Hamilton is the Director of Music at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Reston, Virginia. Originally from Toronto, Robert is a PhD candidate in Music Theory (specialist in the music of Herbert Howells) at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York.

Conner David McCain, Third Prize

Conner David McCain, Third Prize winner, is Professor and Director of Sacred Music at Saint Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, New York. He is a PhD candidate in Music Composition at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all composers who participated in this competition. Their creative responses to the poem have enriched the global choral music landscape. Thank you to everyone who contributed their time, talent, and artistry to this special project in celebration of St. Thomas’s 150th anniversary.