News

Young Composer Competition Winner!

20 February 2025

Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus is pleased to announce that the winner of the Stella Jockel Young Composers Competition 2024-25, part of Classical Sheffield Festival Weekend 2025  is Thomas Stearn.  Thomas lives in  Sheffield where he is pursuing a PhD in Vocal Composition at the University of Sheffield. He wins the first prize of  £1,500, and his work will be performed at the final concert of the Classical Sheffield Festival Weekend 2025, on Sunday 23 March in St Marie’s cathedral at 8pm. BUY TICKETS HERE  for just £16 to see the prize giving and  to hear Thomas’s winning work.

“I am delighted that my setting of Katharine Towers’ poem has won first prize.” said Thomas, “I very much enjoyed working with the poem and contributing to the competition, and I would like to thank the choir, Classical Sheffield, and Stella’s family for this opportunity. I can’t wait to hear the piece!”

The judges were very impressed by Thomas’s expressive composition. “The entries were varied in selection and interpretation of one or other of the texts and in musical style, but all display impressive adherence to the brief.” said Chorus MD Darius Battiwalla, who headed the panel of judges, ” But we were unanimous in selecting Thomas as the winner. He has composed an assured work that shows great creative respect for the text. The Chorus is enjoying rehearsing the piece and it’s sounding really good”.

The second prize of £1,000 was awarded to Cassie White, aged 27. Cassie works as a composer for a video games company on the outskirts of

Sheffield. Her specialties include choral composition and composition for video games and other interactive media. Her work has been performed by ensembles including the BBC Singers and the ANIMA Ensemble, and programmed at events including Aldeburgh Music’s Friday Afternoons, the Oxford Lieder Festival, TORCH Women’s Spaces in Sound, Offbeat Festival, and more.

“That’s amazing news!” said Cassie on hearing of her success, “Thank you so much for this second prize. I’m extremely grateful and very excited for the concert next month!”

The third prize of £500 goes to Reuben Tozer-Loft aged 23. Reuben was born and grew up in Sheffield, where early piano where early piano and violin lessons led to his membership of Sheffield Music Hub orchestra and later, Sheffield Youth Orchestra. He started to compose at an early age and wrote Snow for Ensemble 360’s wind quintet as part of their PowerPlus project, aged just 13.

“That’s terrific news—thank you!” said Reuben, “It’s been a delight to write for this competition, and it’s really wonderful to be awarded a prize. Do pass on my regards to the judges for their kind feedback, I look forward to hearing the winner!”

Cerys Owen (21) and James Thomas (25) were Highly Commended. Cerys is a 21 year-old final-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Sheffield, while James is studying for a PhD in instrumental composition supported by a University of Sheffield Arts and Humanities Research Scholarship. 

All the scores were anonymised before making them available to the three judges to ensure the works would be judged on the merit of the composition alone. Our heartiest congratulations go to all the winners!

“The high standard of entries is testament to the commitment shown by the local young composers who submitted their work for the competition” said Darius Battiwalla, Music Director of Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus, who headed the three-strong panel of judges, “We were unanimous in selecting Thomas as our winner and the Chorus can’t wait to sing it for him at the concert on 23 March”

The competition commemorates Stella Jockel, a former Sheffield teacher and vicar’s wife who sang alto with the Chorus for many years and whose generous legacy is being used to fund the competition. The aim is to support the creation and performance of new choral works and to encourage and support young people who are studying or starting out on a career in music. 

Applicants had a choice of two texts, both commissioned from award-winning poets: Susie Wilson, who won a Disabled Poet’s Prize for her pamphlet Nowhere Near As Safe As A Snake In Bed,  and Katharine Towers, who won the Seamus Heaney Centre Prize for The Floating Man and was shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize for The Remedies. It was judged by conductor and organist Darius Battiwalla, Music Director of the Chorus, together with renowned composer and organist Philip Wilby and choral director and conductor Ellie Slorach. 

The winning work will be performed at a special prize-winning event on the final evening of the Classical Sheffield Weekend Festival on Sunday 23 March 2025, in the wonderful acoustic of St Marie’s cathedral in the centre of Sheffield. The concert will include the world premiere performance of three new works by established composer Stephen Johnson, who will be there to hear his works for the first time, along with Faure’s beautiful Requiem and Finzi’s Lo the full final sacrifice. 

Tickets are £16, available online or on the door.  

For details of the composer competition see www.sheffieldphil.org/youngcomposer