An archive of Malcolm Arnold’s manuscript scores may be consulted at Eton College Library, and entrants for the prize are encouraged to do so. Lists of scores may be found by searching the library’s online catalogue, and by contacting the library directly.

Malcolm Arnold was a leading trumpet player of his time, and the theme of the 2023 competition is ‘Malcolm Arnold and his contribution to music for brass’.

The completed essay of between 2500 and 3500 words should be typed in double spacing and sent to [email protected] by 1st August. The adjudicators will be Dr Timothy Bowers and Paul Harris, and the winner will be announced in September. The author of the winning essay will receive £300, and the essay published in Maestro, the annual magazine of the Malcolm Arnold Society.

Previous winners:

2022: Becky-Ellice Creighton (Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys), ‘To what extent was Malcolm Arnold a misunderstood composer?’

2019: Thomas Nettle (Wells Cathedral School), ‘Malcolm Arnold’s 1954 incidental music to “The Tempest”: a proposition for a concert suite’ 

2017: Isaac Adni (Westminster School), ‘Malcolm Arnold’s concertos: masterpieces of mélange’

2017: Eleanor Fox (KCL), ‘”Just Great”: clarinet concerto no 2, opus 115’

Malcolm Arnold Trust

More information about Malcolm Arnold and the Malcolm Arnold Trust are available on the Malcolm Arnold website.