The AGO’s choral competition can be traced back to Walter Clemson, a Guild founder. Mr. Clemson sponsored a prize for choral composition in 1896 where the first prize was a gold medal worth $50. An AGO competition in choral composition continued in several different formats for much of the past century. In 1985, building on that history and experience, the AGO Committee on New Music created a new choral competition first with M. P. Möller and then ECS Publishing as the award sponsor. The AGO/ECS Publishing Award is now held in alternate years and attracts a wide variety of submissions. The competition seeks outstanding compositions for SATB chorus and organ in which the organ plays a distinctive and significant role; requirements vary for each competition. The winner of this competition receives a $2,000 prize, publication of the piece by ECS Publishing, and a world premiere performance at the AGO National Convention.
Guidelines for the 2022 AGO/ECS Publishing Award in Choral Composition
2020 AGO/ECS Publishing Award in Choral Composition
Shawn Crouch was awarded the 2020 AGO/ECS Publishing Award in Choral Composition for his commissioned piece, Where in God’s Truth. The 2020 award called for a work for SATB choir and organ with congregational participation, utilizing the text of a poem by Marilyn Biery. Where In God’s Truth, was to be premiered July 9, 2020 at the AGO National Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the premiere has been temporarily postponed.
Mr. Crouch lives in Miami, Florida. His works have been performed and commissioned by many different ensembles in the United States, Canada, and Europe. He studied composition with Martin Bresnick, Ezra Laderman, Lansing McCloskey, and Malcolm Peyton. He has been the Wallace-Readers Digest Composition Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center as well as a composition fellow at the Norfolk Music Festival. Mr. Crouch is currently Assistant Professor of Practice of Composition and Theory at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, where he is artistic director.
Listen to past AGO/ECS awarded compositions.
2018 AGO/ECS – Deep River, ECS #8561 (SATB & organ), by Mary Beth Bennett
2016 AGO/ECS – The Voice of the Lord, ECS#8384, (SATB, trumpet & organ), by Michael Gilbertson
2014 AGO/ECS – Kyrie eleison, ECS #8034, (SATB & organ), by Ivan Božičević
2012 AGO/ECS—There is a flow’r, ECS #7780, (SATB & organ, for Advent), by Alan Smith
2010 AGO/ECS—May Your Life Be Filled With Gladness, ECS #7424, (SATB, organ, optional oboe) by Neil Stipp
2008 AGO/ECS—Rejoice the Lord is King, ECS #6992, (SATB, organ) by Stephen Fraser
2006 AGO/ECS—The Day of Pentecost, ECS #6547, (SATB, organ) by Barrie Cabena
2004 AGO/ECS—Psalm 96, ECS #6207, (SATB, organ, trumpet in C) by Michael Bedford
2002 AGO/ECS—Laudate Nomen, ECS #5783, (SATB, organ) by Carlyle Sharpe
2000 AGO/ECS—Gloria, ECS #5420, (SATB, harp, organ) by Aaron Travers
1998 AGO/ECS—Psalm 122, ECS #5143, (tenor solo, SATB & organ) by Carlyle Sharpe
1996 AGO/ECS—God’s Grandeur, ECS #5037, (SATB & organ) by Don Freund
1994 AGO/ECS—Welcome All Wonders, ECS #4813, (SATB, organ) by James Hopkins
1991 AGO/Möller Award—The Peace Which Passeth Understanding, ECS #4672, (SATB, organ) by James Hopkins
1989 AGO/Möller Award—Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, ECS #4382, (SATB, organ) by James Gardner
1987 AGO/Möller Award—Psalm VIII, ECS #4143, (soprano solo, SATB, organ) by David Evan Thomas Listen to Psalm VIII
1984-85 (not associated with Möller or ECS) —Let There Be Light, ECS #3169, (SATB, organ) by Gilbert Martin
Committee on New Music
Louise Mundinger, MM, Director Email
David J. Hurd, Jr., MusD Email
Carol Feather Martin, MM Email
Alexander Meszler, DMA Email
M. Jonathan Ryan, Councillor for Competitions and New Music Email
AGO Headquarters Email
