Karl Jenkins will write a piece for your choir to maybe perform at Carnegie Hall – if you win this competition

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A letter to the editor in the November issue of BBC Music Magazine identifies Karl Jenkins as a "Marmite composer": you either love him or you hate him. If you fall into the former group, you'll want to get your choir in tune for a competition being run by music publisher Boosey & Hawkes. The choir that wins the competition will have a short piece written specially for them by Jenkins, and will have the opportunity to perform the piece at either Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center.

Here's how it works: you buy the score for Jenkins's motets (read more about a new recording of these works) from Boosey & Hawkes. You perform it, and upload a video of your performance to YouTube. You let Boosey & Hawkes know that you're throwing your hats (or your robes, as it were) in the ring. They choose a winner.

If you win, Jenkins will write "a new short a capella choral work" for your choir, and dedicate it to you. You will then have the opportunity to perform the piece as part of the Distinguished Concerts International New York series at either Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center. (They choose the venue, and FYI: your choir assumes all expenses for travel and lodging.)

Ready to sing it out? Details regarding the contest, which has a deadline of April 30, are at boosey.com.

Photo: members of the Normandale Lutheran Church Choir, happy to be performing in Ireland this summer, jumping for joy such as your choir might do if you win the Jenkins competition.