Medal y Cyfansoddwr is a collaboration between Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, Tŷ Cerdd and the Welsh Music Guild. It’s an artist development pathway in which three selected composers will create new work for performance at the National Eisteddfod. One of the composers will be awarded Medal y Cyfansoddwr (Composer’s Medal) at the final ceremony of the event in August.

 

THEME

The Medal y Cyfansoddwr theme this year is the poetry of Waldo Williams, one of Wales’s most celebrated poets of the 20th Century – and a son of the Garreg Las, the home of the 2026 Eisteddfod.

 

Medal y Cyfansoddwr – Lleisiau Waldo is a pathway offering three composers a paid opportunity to write two short choral pieces, one for SATB and one for youth/children’s choir (SA), both setting text by Waldo Williams.

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The three selected composers will work with composer mentor Nathan James Dearden, choral director Caleb Mock and an SATB choir brought together specially for this pathway. Applications are welcomed from music-creators from across Wales and across genres.

 

PROCESS

Workshops and one-to-one mentoring will take place in the months leading up to the Garreg Las National Eisteddfod, where their resulting works will be performed at the final day of the National Eisteddfod on Saturday 8 August 2025. One of the three composers will be awarded the Medal y Cyfansoddwr and a £750 prize.

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The process for the two pieces will be distinct:

• For the SATB setting, the three composers will workshop with composer mentor Nathan James Dearden, choral director Caleb Mock, and an SATB choir brought together specially for this pathway. The SATB work will set Waldo Williams’s seminal poem ‘Plentyn y Ddaear’*.

• For the children’s choir (SA) piece, composers will work independently, with some online mentoring/contact-time from Nathan James Dearden. The poem to set for the children’s choir will be ‘Y Ci Coch’*

​*both texts are reproduced bilingually at the foot of this call

 

Each artist will receive £600 for their participation in a combination of in-person workshops and online contact. Travel expenses (within Wales) will be covered for any artists needing to travel to the workshops (Cardiff) and performance (Pembrokeshire).

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The judging panel for this year’s Medal y Cyfansoddwr consists of Tim Rhys-Evans, head judge (conductor), Robert Fokkens (composer), and Branwen Haf (artist).

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All three artists will also be offered the opportunity for their completed works to be published by Tŷ Cerdd.

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​DATES

All applicants must be available for the following workshops / performances:

• Tuesday 10 February (online): Introductory session (2.5 hours, afternoon)

• Monday 30 March (in-person): Workshop with small choir, at Tŷ Cerdd’s Studio, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

• Monday 18 May (in-person): Workshop with small choir, at Tŷ Cerdd Studio, Cardiff

• Saturday 8 August: Eisteddfod rehearsal / judging at the Eisteddfod Stiwdio, Pembrokeshire (daytime)

• Public performance event: Saturday 8 August (Eisteddfod Pafiliwn, evening,  c.18.00)

 

ELIGIBILITY

• Genre 

  • We warmly encourage applications from artists working in any musical style.

  • This opportunity is for music-creators and composers who use music notation.

• Welsh music-creators

Applications are welcomed from music-creators from across Wales. You are eligible to apply if:

• you were born in Wales, or

• one of your parents were born in Wales, or

• you can speak or write in Welsh, or

• you have lived or worked in Wales for 12 months prior to 31 August 2025.

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Expenses bursaries will be available for artists’ travel within Wales. Please note that travel outside of Wales will not be covered.

 

We recognise that many artists continue to face systemic barriers within the music industry. We are committed to addressing these imbalances through our work, and we warmly welcome applications from individuals who are under-represented or who have experienced neglect or exclusion within the arts community. We particularly welcome applications from disabled and neurodiverse people, artists who are Black, Asian or from the global majority, LGBTQIA+ people, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

We aim to make our application process as straightforward as possible, and we’re here to answer any questions you may have about the programme or how to apply. If you would like to have a conversation about your application, or would like to arrange access support, please contact freya.dooley@tycerdd.org. We also invite the music-creators we work with to share and discuss access riders and requirements at any stage in the project.

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We are proud partners and signatories of the Fair Access Principles. More info on this and our commitment to our Cornerstones is here.

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APPLICATION FORMATS

Written applications are submitted through our online PORTAL.

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Audio and video applications are also welcomed. If you need help creating a link to your video, freya.dooley@tycerdd.org or enquiries@tycerdd.org for support. 

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• Welsh language: Workshops will be run bilingually, and participants are welcome no matter where they are on their journey with the Welsh language.

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If you’re interested, but you have some questions…

…we can chat with you directly by phone or Zoom. Email freya.dooley@tycerdd.org or enquiries@tycerdd.org to arrange a call. We want to remove as many barriers as we can – so if there’s anything you’d like to talk to us about, let us know and we will try to help to find a solution.

 

HOW TO APPLY...

 …upload the following information to our PORTAL. Applications are welcomed in Welsh and English.

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1. Personal details: your name, email address, mobile number, address, confirmation that you are over 18. Please also include your website and social media handles (if applicable)

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2. Tell us about your practice (Max 250 words): 

Tell us about your practice as a composer creator and what you’ve been most proud of.

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Let us know about any previous experience you’ve had as a music creator that might be relevant to this opportunity.

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3. Why would you like to be part of this pathway? (Max 250 words)

Tell us how this would build on your previous experience and what you hope might change and develop in your music through taking part.

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How do you think this opportunity will benefit your practice? 

 

4. How might you respond to working with the two different choirs, and to setting Waldo Williams’s texts? (Max 400 words: you don’t need to use the full word limit, but give as much detail as you feel is helpful to include.)

As part of your answer, please tell us about your:

 

approach to working with the two distinct choirs

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interest in Waldo Williams's writing

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relationship to Wales and its language. Successful candidates will demonstrate a commitment to the Welsh language and appreciation of its importance to this project.

 

5. Examples of your work: please provide two links or attachments to your music and the corresponding two scores.

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Please send links to single tracks (rather than full albums)

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We encourage you to share examples that showcase your strongest work and, where possible, connect with your approach to this project.

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For audio: please send links rather than sound or video files. These may be hosted on SoundCloud, Spotify, YouTube, etc. If you need help creating links, contact freya.dooley@tycerdd.org.) 

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For scores: please send PDFs.

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You’ll also be asked:

6. Do you have any access requirements? This is an optional opportunity to tell us if there are any support / conditions you need to enable you to participate in the pathway. We invite you to share your access riders / requirements with us at any point in the project. NB: This info is not shared with the panel.

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AUDIO AND VIDEO APPLICATIONS

1. Record your answers to questions 2, 3, 4 & 6above. (Max 10 mins duration: you don’t need to use the full ten minutes, but include as much detail as you feel is helpful).

2. Upload a link to your recording, adding the your Personal Details (Q1) and links to two examples of your work (Q5). If you need help creating a link to your video, please email freya.dooley@tycerd.org

 

SELECTION AND PANEL

The panel will consist of:

• Supriya Nagarajan, singer and composer

• Iwan Teifion Davies, conductor and Chair of the Eisteddfod’s Music Panel

• Nathan James Dearden, composer and pathway mentor

• Deborah Keyser, Director, Tŷ Cerdd

Freya Dooley (Artist Development Manager, Tŷ Cerdd) will observe/chair the panel and take notes.

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Applications will be assessed on the following criteria:

• How applicants clearly communicate their practice and the relevance of their work/ambition to this opportunity (Q 2)

• Based on their answers to Q 3

• The extent that the applicant tells us how this opportunity would benefit their practice short and long term (Q3 and Q4)

• the impact of this opportunity on the applicant’s personal, professional and/or artistic development (Q3 and Q 4)

• Genuine engagement with Welsh language (Q4)

 

Music examples:

• To what extent do the examples provide show potential, quality and originality

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Feedback:
We will provide feedback to all applicants who request it.

 

TIMELINE & SELECTION PROCESS

• Deadline for applications: 10:00 on Wednesday 7 January. We will give a buffer of 10 minutes after the deadline - but cannot accept applications after that time (10:10am). If you feel you need help meeting the deadline, please contact us before 7 January (freya.dooley@tycerd.org / enquiries@tycerdd.org)

• The panel will meet shortly after the deadline.

• We’ll let you know the outcome by w/b Monday 19 January.

 

PARTNERS / FACILITATORS

Nathan James Dearden is a Welsh composer/educator (Lecturer in Composition, Royal Holloway) with significant experience in writing for choirs of varied ability and approach. He was awarded Tlws y Cyfansoddwr (now Medal y Cyfansoddwr) in 2023, and is currently working with Tŷ Cerdd as lead artist on CoDI Côr, a scheme supporting artists to write for community choir.

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Caleb Mock is a tenor and choral/orchestral conductor based in Cardiff, and director of Octave Cymru.

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​Welsh Music Guild’s purpose is advancing the understanding and appreciation of the music of composers of Welsh origin and the composers of any nationality resident in Wales.

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TEXTS OF POEMS

▶ Plentyn y Ddaear

▶ Y Ci Coch

▶ Literal translations of 'Plentyn y Ddaear' + 'Y Ci Coch'​​​​