Community Notes

The Norman Community Choral Society Poetry Contest

The Norman Community Choral Society begins its 6^th year in sponsoring a poetry contest.  

This contest is designed to encourage Norman school children to write and enter an original poem.

One poem from a middle school student and one from a high school student will then be selected by 3 judges.

The winning poems will be set to music composed by our director and composer-in-residence Beverly McLarry,

and performed at the choral society’s spring concert.

In addition, the author of each prize-winning poem will receive a $100 cash award from the Norman Community Choral Society.

The poems, along with those receiving Honorable Mention, will be printed in a booklet to be distributed at the concert.

Suggested contest guidelines:

"What to write about?" you ask.

Ah, dear reader, here's your task:

Write of things you know about -

If you don't know, go find out!

Give your poem rhyme and reason:

Make it perfect for the season;

Write of people, places, things,

Or trials and joys a lifetime brings.

Yet if to rhyme you would defer,

And if it's free verse you'd prefer,

Still make it not too short nor long -

But just the right length for a song.

Written by Beverly McLarry

 View a printable flier for the poetry contest here.
Students should include their name, address, phone number, age, grade and school on a separate sheet attached to each submission

 Students should submit no more than two poems apiece.

Our entry deadline for poetry submissions is Entry Deadline December 11, 2009. 

Students may mail their poems directly to NCCS Poetry Contest, P.O. Box 474, Norman, OK  73070. or e-mail them to gbaird5@cox.net.  

The NCCS reserves the right to publish any entries.

The Norman Community Choral Society received submissions from many talented students during previous contests

We look forward to the opportunity to perform a piece written by another creative young Norman poet.  

If you have any questions about the contest, please call Joan Baird at 329-2293, or our director, Beverly McLarry, at 946-3123.

This project is partially funded by a Norman Arts Council Grant.

2008 Poetry Winners- An Official Centennial Project

Judges: Alvin Turner, Jane Taylor, and Ruth Loeffler