Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is launching this exciting competition in association with Lark Music, inspired by Vaughan Williams’ iconic masterpiece The Lark Ascending. As an orchestra, we are at our core simply music lovers, and we want to celebrate the joy of music making through this competition. It’s open to all amateur musicians over 18 in the UK, so don’t worry if you’re not a pro – this is your time to shine.
Sound fun? It gets even better… The winners of each age category (18-25 years, 25-39 years, and 40+ years) will win £1,000 courtesy of Lark Music Insurance and a full Season of BSO Digital Concerts (worth £170)!
How to enter:
All you need to do is submit a video up to three minutes long of your solo instrumental performance, and the piece you play must be inspired in some way by birds. You can choose bird-related music (including your own composition!) and the bird connection can be as creative as you like – it doesn’t need to be obvious.
No matter your genre or instrument, all instrumental performances without vocals are encouraged to enter. If you need some inspiration, take a look at how Ed got on with his submission of Blackbird by The Beatles on acoustic guitar below…
Entering couldn’t be easier, just fill in the registration form below. Once completed you’ll be taken to our submission portal where you can upload your video. The competition closes on 25 June 2025, so don’t miss out!
Here’s a breakdown of what you need to do to get involved:
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Pick your piece
Any music with a bird connection will fit the bill – get creative! Whether you’re grooving to Marley’s Three Little Birds on guitar, getting jazzy to Lullaby of Birdland on trumpet, or serenading us with Billie Eilish’s Birds of a Feather on LinnStrument, we can’t wait to hear from you! Our judging panel is looking for creativity, expression and musicality.
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Recording your rhythm
No professional set up is required, your phone propped up against a book will do the job perfectly. But, if you want the full shebang, go for it! However you choose to express yourself, all you need to do is get the camera rolling and show us what you can do.
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Submission station
Fill in the form below and you’ll be taken to our submission portal. The portal page will give you all the info you need, but you must remember to use the same email on both the form and the submission portal so we are able to contact you. Don’t be shy, it’s time to blow your own trumpet!
Once you’ve submitted your video, you can sit back and relax, ready for winner announcements in July. With plenty of prizes up for grabs, there could be some good news coming your very way soon…
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(Please note that you will only be contacted by the BSO and via email if you win and we will not ask for your financial details through social media or unverified email.)