Have you ever had the feeling that you need to apply to every single "young composer" competition because your 30th birthday looms? That's what I'm going through right now. Here I saw a last-minute competition for choral music, and all you needed to do was electronically send one vocal piece (it didn't say choral) and another piece. Obviously, it would be preferable if you sent choral pieces. The problem is, I don't have any. One day someone will commission me to write a fantastic choral piece and I will write one! Who wouldn't want a deconstructed mass or a polyphonic motet based on the word "cubicle"? These are great ideas. (Okay, scratch the last one. "Cubicle" would be an awful and difficult word to sing.)
Dear young composer competitions: please stop making me feel old.