Superlocrian announce winners of Beyond the Hills & Valleys composing competition.

Saturday, September 12, 2026

18-year-old composer Freya Murray from Dorchester has been announced as the winner of Superlocrian’s Beyond the Hills & Valleys composing competition. Press release attached.

We have received the following press release;

Superlocrian announce winners of Beyond the Hills & Valleys composing competition

Sunday 4 October 2026
World premiere concert at Bridport Arts Centre

18-year-old composer Freya Murray from Dorchester has been announced as the winner of Superlocrian’s Beyond the Hills & Valleys composing competition. Her composition, alongside works by three other selected young composers, will be premiered by chamber-jazz septet Superlocrian at Bridport Arts Centre on Sunday 4 October.

Launched earlier this year by Superlocrian in partnership with Dorset Music Service and Devon Music Education Hub, Beyond the Hills & Valleys invited musicians aged 11–19 in full-time education to compose original music inspired by the natural world and the environment. The competition provides a high-level composing opportunity within a supportive educational environment, with the selected composers receiving professional mentoring, feedback and the opportunity to develop their music with Superlocrian, culminating in world premiere performances of their compositions by the ensemble.

Murray, who has recently completed her A levels at The Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester, takes first place ahead of Jacob Butler-Sereno, 19, from the University of Exeter; Elliot Mair, 18, from Devonport High School for Boys; and highly commended 16-year-old Lukas Makuta from Ivybridge Community College. Murray began composing at 12, later arranging music for her school clarinet ensemble. In 2024, she was invited to compose for Dorset Chamber Orchestra, which performed her piece Beyond the Castle at its annual Concert for Youth. She will begin studying composition at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in September. “Being able to receive mentorship as part of the competition will allow me to further explore my musical voice and learn more about composing for different instruments and styles,” says Murray.

Second-placed Jacob Butler-Sereno developed his interest in composition through GCSE and A-level Music and has continued writing whilst studying at the University of Exeter. Third-placed Elliot Mair, a tenor horn player with Devon County Youth Brass Band and Plymouth City Brass, will also begin studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in September. Highly commended Lukas Makuta is a multi-instrumentalist and member of South West Music School who has recently completed his GCSE Music.

Entries were judged by a panel comprising Superlocrian Musical Director Sam Massey; trombonist and Dankworth Composition Prize-winning composer Tom Green; composer and educator Dr Elfyn Jones; and film composer and educator Laura Rossi. Massey says: “The standard of entries has been exceptionally high and the judges had an incredibly tough decision choosing the finalists and ultimately the winning composition. The entries really captured the theme of the competition – a sense of place, identity and the natural world – and we’re looking forward to performing these pieces at their world premiere concert on 4 October.”

Supported by Arts Council, England, Dorset Music Service and Devon Music Education Hub

Bridport Arts Centre: https://www.bridport-arts.com/event/superlocrian-beyond-the-hills-and-valleys-tour/

Superlocrian: https://superlocrian.co.uk/
Superlocrian is an acoustic chamber-jazz septet founded by trumpeter and composer Sam Massey, Hugh Davies and Mark White (trumpet/flugelhorn), Edward Leaker (soprano & alto saxophone), Jade Gall (saxophones & flutes), Tom Green (trombone) and Mike Poyser (tuba).  The ensemble performs original compositions, jazz standards and arrangements by leading composers including Callum Au and Tom Green. The album Hills & Valleys, inspired by the landscapes local to the band’s composers and members, particularly Dartmoor National Park, combining pastoral folk influences with contemporary jazz writing, was released to critical acclaim in 2024.

Spark!: https://sparklabel.bandcamp.com/

ECN Music: https://ecnmusic.com/