June 2025 Meetup and Composition Competition

Theme: Own arrangement or composition (£100 first prize, £50 second prize!), or if not participating in the competition: music from a living composer.

This month we have a special competition — play your own composition or arrangement, and be in the running to win a £100 voucher/prize for the best own composition or arrangement, as voted for by the members in attendance on the night. Terms and conditions apply!

• It must be your own composition or arrangement, written or finished in 2025
• You must not have used this composition as an entry for any previous competition (including outside BCGS)
• You consent to a video or recording of your composition going on the BCGS website
• If it’s an arrangement, it should be fairly novel, rather than just slight tweaks on a common arrangement (e.g. just a different key)
• Only active playing members of the BCGS are eligible to participate
• First prize £100, and £50 and a set of D’Addario strings as a prize for the runner-up!

We don’t anticipate a huge number of entries, so alternatively, just play something by a living composer — but you won’t be in line for the prizes!

19:15-19:45 Solos and chamber ensembles

19:45-20:00 Member’s Short Talk
Cari Aplin: How to practice guitar

20:00-20:50 Guest Speaker: Steve Toon, Guitar Maker Steve will talk about his general approach to guitar making and his more recent excursions into double-top guitars. Also about the way he developed his ideas on this type of guitar and all being well he will bring one new guitar for a demo.

21:00-22:00 BCGS Ensemble Rehearsal