After endless PM:s asking me to bring this up I've decided to do so. The idea was to *not* have these contests too frequently to make them a little bit more special. Anyway this month is:

Free Theme!

It has been a long time since we had free themes (I think the last one was when Michael was still moderating the music section) so I thought to introduce it once again. All genre of music is allowed, so the competition will be even tougher this time around! The voting will be done in orderly fashion, that is, public voting.

RULES

* Any music type is allowed
* You may use an already finished work of yours, unless it has already won a contest here!
* Something I'll think of later.
* You can use songs which you have submitted to other contests
* You can use songs which contain lyrics
* You can not use songs which you have composed with someone else

The winner will:

* Get his composition up on www.ichigos.com for public display
* Get a link to his thread from the above to increase publicity
* Get lots, and lots of fame!

DEADLINE: 30th September

Good luck!

- Your teddybear, Noir7.

Due to a lot of PMs asking me these questions... I've updated the rules section a bit.

* You can not use songs which you have composed with someone else

Does "someone else" include people that don't go to these forums? :sweat:

Of course, the work must be composed by you and no one else.

like that?
i attached the mid of my composed song
hyouryuu metsuretsu- driftling chaos

Is there a length suggestion? Or COMPLETELY COMPLETELY open-ended?
and would there be an entry limit (number of pieces) as well?

and when you say any type is allowed....are you also referring to instrumentation as well as genre?

There are no length restrictions, and you cannot enter more than *one* piece. However, you can add multiple files if you want (Like, a MIDI file and an Mp3 of that song, or even sheet music if you wanna include that). But please, use .zip or .rar if you want more than one file.

And no, there are no genre/instrumental restrictions.

I think i'm going to enter my "Kind Words" ^-^ enjoy!

*delete every post here which has nothing to do with submissions*

I was thinking of entering some piano piece but... since there probably will be lots of those in the competition I composed this one instead.

no electronica I swear. :P

Since it is free theme, I guess I'll upload this one. Though my friends disagree, this one is my favorite:lol:

Theme: This song was written for my grandfather's 85th birthday. The song was intended to celebrate this wonderful occasion and as well as allow one to calm one's self and recall their nostalgic years of happiness.

Enjoy^^

i shall be entering... thank god for free theme :D

*gets to work*

Ok, I'm going to do this...but first...I must ask a n00bish question...how do you post attachements?

"Manage attachments" under Additional Options. (Scroll down from your reply box)

heh, checking out the competition...i think kind words will give me a run for my money :) just a pre-competition message...beautiful piece, firebird.

I'd like to submit the first movement to my piano concerto in G minor.

Piece: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G minor (Mvt. 1)
Composer: Michael Wyatt (Alfonso de Sabio)
Link: http://two.xthost.info/AlfonsoDeSabio/Compositions/Concerto%20for%20Piano%20and%20Orchestra.mp3

EDIT:
I fixed the division problem. Thanks for the tip, Noir7.

If you have multiple files, use WinZIP or rar. Makes it easier for everyone... use http://xthost.info for fast and free uploads.

Here is my entry...

Title: The Angel's Lullaby
Composer: W. C. Schleicher (PorscheGTIII)

I thought that I would go back and revisit one of my older compositions and spice it up a bit more: so I did. (:lol:) This is arranged for woodwinds, harp, and percussion. Enjoy!

By the way good luck to all that enter in this months contest!

hey, this is my first post, woohoo ^^

nice song, kaitou, it really does have a nostalgiac feel to it ^^

its a shame i dont really complete my songs, but this is a rare exception :P i dont expect to win with it, though, since it one of my earlier works... its called "The Swan's Adventure." enjoy ^^

I just want to remind you not to give comments/critique about people's submissions in this thread. This is strictly for uploading and questions about the contest.

Hey everyone, Im kinda new to this site, I have been working on an original piece for Winds. I call it "One year in Korea" its a piece dedicated to my one year stay in Korea. Actually Im still here, so I ended the piece abrubtly. There is no resolution, no resolved ideas; for the mere fact that Im still here working on my second year:) anyways. I hope you enjoy the piece, I would like to win of course like everybody, but Im more interested in your opinion of my piece. Thanks~ If I dont see ya, good morning good evening and goodnight~
Tracy :heh: :heh: :sweat: @_@ :unsure:

So many submissions... and I know many more are on their way. This is gonna be a tough nut to crack :lol:

I'll post my extremelly short Flute and Cello Duet in D minor.

Even though I'm new at this, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try :heh: ...

It's called No Title in Bb/C Minor :heh: (it was II (2nd Composition) in my compositon thread).
I did rush a bit :\ ... because I'm studying Concert Band...

Oh well... :heh:

ajamesu, simplicityho, clarinetist: Can we please get midis for your entries?

sorry for putting feedback, then...
and Al, sorry, i dont know how to change Finale Notepad files into MIDI =\ if someone teaches me how to...

I found that you can't change Notepad files into midis, sorry :(

I'm just helping convert those songs that that aren't in a standardized format, namely ajamesu's, clarinetist's, and simplicityho's.

Edit: my entry is coming soon...

Edit2: sorry about the bias towards II in converting it to mp3 with higher quality soundfonts. The other ones just weren't improved that much by the different soundfont, at least not enought to spend the time required to convert it to a decent mp3.

BTW, Alphonso, I can't get to your link due to parental controls, so is there any way you could post it directly on the site?

Thanks deathraider!

Okay, here's my entry. It's um . . different, haha. Also, I couldn't zip it up properly, so the explanation for my piece is in the spoiler.

"My Contrapuntal Nightmare" by Alphonse Nguyen

-> This is a fugue in 3 voices, and I will briefly explain the structure of a fugue for those of you who don't know.
-> Sorry I can't provide a score.

PART 1: EXPOSITION

-> The 3 voices I used are: Soprano, Alto (although sometimes it goes into Tenor territory, but meh), and Bass.
-> The piece starts off with the 'subject'. This is a short (or long) theme/melody that is easily recognizable by the listener. Last year, I had created a simple 7-note melody in order to teach the piano to my students. Then in August, I realized that it was suitable for the fugue I had always wanted to compose.
-> The subject starts off alone in one of the voices (I chose the Bass), while the other voices are silent.
-> Next, the second voice comes in (I chose the Alto) with the 'answer'. The answer is either an exact (real) or inexact (tonal) copy of the original subject, but modulated into a new key. So in my piece, I went from C major to G major.
-> While the Alto is playing the answer, what does the first voice (Bass) do? Well it performs the countersubject (or else there wouldn't be any counterpoint!). This countersubject is a melody that goes against the subject (hence the term). It helps if the countersubject is distinct/different from the subject, in order to differentiate the two.
-> Next I have a short section/episode that modulates back to C major.
-> Now, most fugues have at least 3 voices. In an exposition, all voices must be introduced at least once. So now it is my Soprano's turn to enter with the subject in the original key of C major (if I had written for 4 voices, I would then have the Tenor join in to play the answer in G major; this follows the same pattern as the first two voices). The countersubject is now in the Alto, while the Bass does its thing (in some fugues, there may be more than one countersubject, designated countersubject 1 and countersubject 2, etc. but I didn't want to restrict myself in this fugue).

PART 2: MIDDLE SECTION

-> You can do whatever you want in here. All you have to do is expand on your material from before. You can have episodes, sequences, modulations, motifs, and various manipulations of the subject (e.g. inversion, retrograde, augmentation, diminution).
-> In my fugue, I first started off the middle section with the Alto playing the subject in D minor, with the Soprano playing the countersubject. Then I played around with material using the ending part of the subject (in G minor to Bb major).
-> Next, the Alto is playing the subject in Eb major, with the Bass playing the countersubject.
-> Using an enharmonic shift, I modulated to G# minor. I played around some more with the material from the ending part of the subject (slightly inverted now, with call-and-response between Soprano and Alto).
-> Now, a stetto is usually found in the next part of the fugue, but I chose to sneak it in now for no particular reason. A stretto occurs when one voice is playing the subject, but before it has finished, the next voice enters with the subject. Actually, I didn't write a true stretto. Because a) I augmented the subject before the next subject arrived, and b) the next subject that came in wasn't complete and is more 'tonal' than 'real'. The countersubject is still there though. In any case, I started off in B major and ended with the C major as a dominant 7th for F major.

PART 3: RECAPITULATION

-> I'm not exactly sure what minimal requirements are needed for this part, because in my experience, each fugue is different in how it finishes off. I believe that as long as you return to the original key, it should be fine. As stated before, strettos are common here. You can also have a coda and a pedal point (an excellent example of a pedal point may be found in Bach's well-Tempered Clavier Book I: Fugue No. 2 in C minor).
-> As for me, the subject was stated in F major by the Bass, with the countersubject in the Soprano. Just as in the exposition, where I modulated from C major to G major, here I went from F major back to C major. The answer was played by the Alto, with the countersubject in the Bass. I change my modulation to remain in C major, but when the Soprano plays the subject, it is in A minor (submediant/VI of C).
-> I end my nightmare with a short codetta.

There's a whole lot more you can do with a fugue than I listed here, but I haven't studied it yet, nor would I ever want to!

Edit: Noir7 found this excellent and informative youtube video that explains quite clearly and in a non-confusing way exactly how to write a fugue, based on a popular tune you all know and adore --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgDcC2LOJhQ (I'm being sarcastic if you didn't realize!)

BTW, Alphonso, I can't get to your link due to parental controls, so is there any way you could post it directly on the site?

I don't know if your parents will appreciate this, but I'll do it anyway. I have to do it in two parts though, because when I try to compress it, it doesn't go down enough (I don't think I really know how to use Winzip).

In the voting topic though, I will use Alfonso's xthost link.

I appreciate that, because I really don't like the hacked up version.

konnichi wa,
well...
my song for the competition is a new version of my older song "Teardrops caught within" ; with an important change in it! in this new song, the crying soul is given the chance to shout out loud, to let it flow, to break the cold silence.
i hope you'll enjoy this piece abput sadness, wrath and courage :)
ja mâtâ ne!

ajamesu, simplicityho, clarinetist: Can we please get midis for your entries?

Sorry, I can't :heh: . Printmusic 30-day trial...

Clarinetist, I already converted your song and posted it. I think you'll be pleased with the results...

Thanks Alphonso. My parents are fine with it, I assure you. Oh, and the reason that winzip didn't compress the mp3 files really at all is that mp3 files are already compressed.

I have a question...

I have made some serious updates to my song and I would like to post the new version, can I do that? I´ll remove the other version ofcourse...

Go ahead.

Clarinetist, I already converted your song and posted it. I think you'll be pleased with the results...

Thanks, deathraider :) . Wow... it sounds... great ^_^ ....

Ok, so here´s the updated version of my song Showdown...
still not electronica.:P

I'm just helping convert those songs that that aren't in a standardized format, namely ajamesu's, clarinetist's, and simplicityho's.

thanks deathraider :)

Attention!

Only 1 More day left for entries! Get them in now!

Thanks Deathraider for helping out with MIDI conversions.

Anyway ~ mine (http://two.xthost.info/fanom11/LifeandDeath.zip) is ready. I had some minor details to polish and then I just forgot to put it up here. To everyone: The thread will close tomorrow at approximately 3PM (GMT+1)

Well, I´ll post an already finished work from me for the Composition Contest.

Title: Nox Lacrima
Composer: P.-H. Nguyen

It seems like I don't have time to finish my Overture. XP Oh wells, I'll enter it the next time, but in the meantime, I'd enter my old piece 'Fantasia'. Basically, it's for full orchestra and all that (so is my Overture, but my Overture has better orchestration since it's more recent). So for those who haven't heard this piece, now you will have the chance. ;)

http://media.putfile.com/Orchestral-Piece

Here is a piece dubbed 'Yume' from a two-movement work entitled 'Hana no Hime'.

I had my basic theme for this one down, but basically left it out to dry for a while. Then I saw this composition competetion, though, what the heck, might as well finish it. A more contemporary piece from me...so here it is...movement one of Hana no Hime -- part 2 pending :shifty:

These MIDI files really bother me....damn, it's late, got band practice at 8am...

oh well, off to play rome total war.

Eh, Noir7, I can't get to your song. Is there any other way I can get it so I can be a fair voter? You could email it to me if you want.

ok, here goes mine:
-> Link: Phantasie Impromptu Nr.1 in d-moll (http://forums.ichigos.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2899&d=1156238677)

I would have liked to compose a new song for this CMA but I had absolutely no free time recently... x_x

Eh, Noir7, I can't get to your song. Is there any other way I can get it so I can be a fair voter? You could email it to me if you want.

Okay, *emails*

Finished my composition.

Don't think many people will understand it, but it's based on Messiaen's music theory; using modes of limited transposition, "agrandissement asymmetrique" (where one line rises a semitone and the other lowers a semitone), palindromic rhythms and complex canons. (If anyone is interested in this, PM me for more information)

The piece is based on the idea of satanic rites in the middle of a dense forest; focusing on imitating the drumbeats.

20 minutes to closure.

3 2 1 CLOSED!

*Goes creating vote topic*