YORK FANFARE
A new Musical Commission
Previous finalists of the NCEM Young Composers Award were invited to apply for an exciting opportunity to create a new musical work. Submission have now closed, and we will be in touch with applicants over the next few weeks to discuss the next steps of the selection process.
The National Centre for Early Music, working in partnership with the Renaissance wind band [hanse]Pfeyfferey, encouraged anyone previously shortlisted for the NCEM Young Composers Award to apply for a commission to create a new work to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the York Early Music Festival. You can find details of the brief below:
The Brief
The new piece should be a fanfare lasting 2 minutes. Think about the role of the fanfare: are the musicians summoning people’s attention, communicating a message, or acting as musical beacons of the city? What sort of music will best achieve this? Bear in mind that the most effective fanfares often make their mark quickly.
A second consideration is how the combination of cornet, shawm and slide trumpet sound in different sorts of outdoor and indoor spaces. Composers could draw inspiration from the image of the high towers from which town pipers historically played, music carried on the wind and across the skies as well as descending to the streets below. Composers should bear in mind that the commission may be performed in various spaces, potentially ranging from the garden to the concert hall via York’s historic city walls.
Photo by Ben Drücker
Technical details
The piece should be scored for 3 instruments:
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Cornet
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Shawm
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Slide trumpet
Please note that these instruments are different from modern instruments, they have a particular range and some are not fully chromatic. Neither is the temperament that the musicians play in equal. On the other hand, many techniques for brass and double-reed instruments from contemporary music are still possible, and can be discussed with the players during the workshopping stage.
Please watch the introductory videos from [hanse]Pfeyfferey below, in which the group detail the range and choice of tones on each instrument.
Tips on writing for historic wind instruments
by Gawain Glenton (English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble)
Imitating the sound and articulation of the voice was central to the playing techniques of renaissance wind players. Some points to bear in mind:
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The historical mouthpieces we use allow for a variety of light but clear articulations/tonguings.
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Articulations used on the instruments include 'te-re, te-re', or 'te-de, te-de', so the notes have a 'paired' sound. This is different from modern brass articulations like 'ta ta ta ta'.
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Instruments such as shawms, sackbutts and cornetts can play a wide range of dynamics, but our forte is that of a good singer, not the extreme volume modern trumpets and trombones are capable of.
Range
The Cornett’s range is equivalent to a soprano voice. i.e. comfortable from middle C up to a1 (one line above the treble clef). The range extends down a minor 3rd below middle C, as well as a 3rd or 4th above a1, but this extreme high register quickly becomes tiring to play and is harder to control. Like a recorder or a singer, the cornett is better suited to playing fluent linear musical lines than violin-style leaps and arpeggios. The cornett is a fully chromatic instrument but the fingering system is far better suited to playing in 'home' keys such as C, D, G and F majors, or A, D, or E minors.
Introduction to the Cornett:
The cornett is a brass instrument, as it has a bow shaped mouthpiece. The mouthpiece is very small and very sharp on the lips.
You place the mouthpiece onto your lips and blow to make a sound. Everything you do with your face and muscles has a larger impact on the sound quality and intonation and it is much more important than the use of the fingerholes.
The cornett was extremely famous until the late 17th century; unfortunately, for many reasons, it fell out of fashion, and we don’t have an instrument that developed out of it. When the cornett was still around, it was comparably important to the violin; it is extremely virtuosic.
The cornett can play in the high range, medium range and a bit in the lower range too.
Inspired by Lilli
Introduction to the Shawm:
The shawm was a very popular instrument between the 14th and 16th century, and it is a whole family of many sizes. The most popular size is the alto.
The shawm is a double reed instrument, the reeds are bigger than today’s oboe reeds, but also much smaller than the bassoon reeds. It is a wooden instrument with finger holes and one key.
In the past, it was mainly used to play tenor lines which were in many cases slow tempo. The instrument is quite loud and the sound colour is unique. It can be heard very well, and the overtones can also be heard well. It’s possible to play faster things, it’s just that not every note is equally balanced. It works very well playing with the slide trumpet and cornett. The sound colour of the shawm is similar to the bagpipe.
Inspired by Laura
Introduction to the Renaissance Slide Trumpet:
The slide trumpet is essentially a natural trumpet with the tones of the natural overtone series. It doesn’t have any valves, but it has a slide which makes it partly chromatic. It unites the qualities of a trumpet and a little bit of trombone in it; it was a crucial part of the alte capella ensemble.
It mostly played the counter tenor voice; it’s a voice that does a lot of strange and fun things. The slide trumpet doesn’t have all the notes that everybody needs, but with the notes it has, it’s possible to do quite a bit.
The slide trumpet has a mouthpiece like any other modern brass instrument. You can alter the tone by moving the trumpet along the slide.
Inspired by Alexandra
[hanse] Pfeyfferey play De tous biens playne by Hayne van Ghizeghem (15th century)
Eligibility
Composers must currently be based in the UK. The selected composer will receive a commission fee of £800. They will also receive accommodation in York and travel expenses within the UK to attend the premiere in July 2026. The selected composer will also participate in online conversations with Hanse Pfeyfferey in early 2026 to workshop the piece before the final submission.
Applications have now closed. Contact info.composers@ncem.co.uk with any questions.
Shortlisted composers will need to be available for an online discussion with members of Hanse Pfeyfferey on Mon 17 November. The finished piece must be submitted by 1 April 2026.
Entry is open to all composers who have previously been shortlisted for the NCEM Young Composers Award since its inception in 2008. This initiative follows the success of three previous commissions that were premiered at the York Early Music Festivals 2020, 2023, and 2025..
The NCEM first partnered with the Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments to commission a new piece for the spectacular Trumpet Marine. Awardee Liam Connery’s piece ‘Janya’ was premiered as part of the launch of the Trumpet Marine Project on 9 July 2020. Following this success, the NCEM partnered with The Rose Consort of Viols and The Marian Consort for a commission celebrated the life and work of one of England’s most revered composers, William Byrd, in response to the 400th anniversary of his death in 1623. Juta Pranulyte (2015 finalist) created Lullaby, based on William Byrd’s poem Lulla, lullaby, and this was premiered on 11 July 2023. In 2025, Anna Disley-Simpson’s piece ‘Purgatory: A Waiting Room’ was written for and premiered by mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston and lutenist Toby Carr, as part of their ‘Heaven and Hell’ programme on 9 July 2025 in the York Early Music Festival.
For any questions, please contact info.composers@ncem.co.uk
Photo by Ben Drücker
