Sing to Thrive 2025: Songwriter Callout

Context

Wandsworth has been awarded London Borough of Culture 2025.

A key part of the year will be a large-scale singing event in August 2025 featuring up to 1000 non-professional singers, drawn from choirs from all parts of the Borough. This forms part of a wider initiative, Sing to Thrive, which celebrates the health and social benefits of singing.

Wandsworth is commissioning the composition of two songs to be performed as part of the large-scale singing event, which will take place at Battersea Park in August 2025. Following the performance, the songs will be shared widely with choirs and schools across the borough to sing at their own events during Autumn 2025 and Spring 2026 as part of the London Borough of Culture legacy. 

The songs should be contrasting in mood and should celebrate the London Borough of Culture programme theme that promotes the benefits of singing for health and wellbeing and connections with the wider Wandsworth community.

Key elements

• The songs should be accessible in style and suitable for amateur voices
• The songs should be intended to be learned by ear (some performers will not read music)
• The lyrics should reflect the experiences and attitudes of Wandsworth residents (see ‘Deliverables’ section below)
• The songs should be accompanied by piano, with an orchestrated version to perform with a fuller accompaniment where resources allow
• The songs should be written for at least 3-part choir, allowing for vocal harmonies
• The songs should include the option for children’s chorus/voices

Person specification

• Extensive songwriting experience (music or music and lyrics)
• Experience writing for at least 3 vocal parts
• Understanding of a range of choirs and musical styles
• Experience of supporting and collaborating with amateur choirs
• Comfortable working to tight deadlines
• Connection to London Borough of Wandsworth (desirable but not essential)

Deliverables

• One or two songs, maximum 5 minutes in length, in line with key elements listed above
• Attendance at/delivery of open workshops with wandsworth residents to develop ideas for lyrics (to take place in February 2025)
• Collaboration with music director and artists to produce learning resources (e.g., backing track, sheet music, video tutorials)
• Piano reduction and instrumental score. Instruments and size of ensemble to be agreed upon with Wandsworth Council during composition process. Size of ensemble must be appropriate for scale of mass choir event and feasible within project budget

Key Dates

• Early February 2025: collaborative lyric workshops
• Monday 31st March 2025: composition deadline
• w/c Monday 31st March 2025: testing period
• Early/mid-April 2025: learning resource creation
• Wed 20th and Thu 21st August 2025: mass choir rehearsals
• 22nd-25th August (date TBC): mass choir performance, Battersea Park

Fees

All-inclusive fee of £3,000 per song, including preparation of scores and, if required, working with a lyricist. 

Fee includes:

• Writing music and lyrics or collaboration with a lyricist as appropriate
• Attending 1x full day lyric-writing workshops (timings tbc)
• Attending 2x rehearsals and 1x performance
• Attendance during testing period
• Creation of vocal and instrumental scores and parts
• Attendance at meetings with commissioners and working partners

Wandsworth Council reserves the right to commission one songwriter to write two songs or two songwriters to write one song each.

Copyright and ownership of each song will devolve to the composer/songwriter and lyricist on1st January 2027 to ensure performance opportunities for the songs within the wider Wandsworth community during and immediately after London Borough of Culture 2025. Wandsworth choirs, schools and other London Borough of Culture partners will have access to free performance rights to the songs from the date of the first performance until 1st January 2027.

How to Apply

Please submit a letter of interest to [javascript protected email address], outlining why you are the right person to write these songs.

In your application, please answer the following questions:

1. Do you write lyrics and music? Or do you have a lyric-writing partner who you normally work with?
2. Would you be comfortable leading lyric-writing workshops? You would be briefed ahead of delivering these sessions and supported during the workshops.

Please provide examples of recent work (e.g., video/pdf/audio recordings)

Please include links to online resources to support your application (e.g., website)

All applicants must have the right to work or operate in England.

Deadline for applications: Friday 10th January, 6pm

Interviews will be held in person on Wednesday 15th or Friday 17th January 2025.