ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION 100 QUICK MARCH COMPETITION
The Royal Canadian Legion 100 Quick March Competition is presented by the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo as a cornerstone element of its 2026 production.
This competition will encourage creative expression from within the ranks of Canada’s military musicians; reinforce the living connection between serving personnel and the Legion’s veteran community; celebrate Canada’s distinctive military band tradition; and generate a new work that contributes to the enduring cultural repertoire of Canadian ceremonial music.
The winning composition will be premiered at the 2026 Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo and will serve as the foundational musical work for the Royal Canadian Legion 100 commemorative scene. As the principal thematic score, the winning march will anchor choreography, ceremonial sequences, and visual storytelling elements, ensuring that the centenary tribute is musically unified and artistically coherent.
The winner and finalists will receive cash prizes for their entries.
ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION 100
For a century, the Royal Canadian Legion has stood as a pillar of remembrance, advocacy, and community leadership. From supporting veterans’ transition to civilian life, to championing remembrance education for youth, to sustaining local branches that serve as gathering places in towns and cities nationwide, the Legion’s work has shaped the social fabric of this country. Its legacy is not only military—it is civic, intergenerational, and profoundly Canadian.
Founded in 1925 at the Unity Conference, the Legion began with a clear mission — to support Veterans, advocate for their rights, and ensure the act of Remembrance continues. On July 17, 1926, the Legion was officially incorporated by a special Act of Parliament.
Today, the Legion is Canada’s foremost Veterans’ organization, with Branches and Members honouring service, promoting Remembrance, and supporting Veterans, RCMP members, their families, and communities.
OPEN TO ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES (REGULAR & RESERVES) WHO ARE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER
DEADLINE: MAY 18, 2026
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
- Entrants must be 18 years of age or older as of July 1, 2026.
- Entrants must also be active members of the Canadian Armed Forces (Regular and Reserves) to participate.
- Entrants must include a 200-word program note on how their quick march relates to the Royal Canadian Legion and/or its history.
- Entrants must agree to the Terms & Conditions (as outlined below) to participate.
- Entrants must complete and upload their submissions (as outlined below) by May 18, 2026. The link to enter is https://tinyurl.com/rcl100 .
COMPOSITION REQUIREMENTS
- Form: Quick March
- Length: 3-4 minutes
- Tempo: 112-120
- Time Signature: 2/4, 2/2 (cut time), 6/8
- Instrumentation:
- Piccolo
- Flute (optional)
- Bb Clarinet (2-3 parts)
- Alto Saxophone (1-2 parts)
- Tenor Saxophone
- Baritone Saxophone (optional)
- Horn in F (2-4 parts)
- Trumpets in Bb (2-3 parts)
- Tenor Trombone (2 parts)
- Bass Trombone
- Euphonium (Bass Clef, Tenor Clef optional)
- Tuba (1-2 parts)
- Snare Drum
- Bass Drum
- Cymbals
- Title: Please title your composition The RCL 100 Quick March.
- Required: 200-word program note on how the quick march relates to the Royal Canadian Legion and/or its history.
- Optional: Include any pertinent performance/conducting notes.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
- You will be required to upload three (3) documents as part of your submission:
- PDF Score
- PDF Parts
- Audio File
- PDF Score Requirement:
- Formatted to A3, A4, or Letter in Portrait orientation
- PDF Parts Requirement:
- Formatted to A5, A4 (reduced) in Landscape orientation
- Audio File Requirements:
- Only MP3 files will be accepted
- An audio file from any notation software will be accepted as long as it is well balanced and represents your composition at its best
The Royal Canadian Legion 100 Quick March Competition is a blind competition. Please remove your name and all identifying information—except the composition title (The RCL 100 Quick March)—from all submission documents (PDF Score, PDF Parts, and Audio File). The Tattoo has ways of tracking submissions. Do not include your name anywhere in the text or file names.
SELECTION PROCESS
PHASE 1: May 18-25, 2026. A panel of adjudicators will listen to all submissions and select the top 4-5 compositions. Composers will only be notified if they advance to Phase 2. We thank you for your submission, but it will not be possible to contact all entrants. We request that you do not contact us about the status of your submission.
PHASE 2: Dates to be determined (based on ensemble availability). A performance of the top 4-5 compositions will take place and will be voted on by the panel of adjudicators. The winner will be selected and notified at this time.
PHASE 3: July 1-5, 2026. The winning quick march will premiere at the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo. PANEL OF ADJUDICATORS WILL INCLUDE THE TATTOO PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR OF MUSIC, TATTOO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, A ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION REPRESENTATIVE AND ONE OTHER, TO BE DETERMINED.
Download a PDF version of the Terms & Conditions here
TERMS & CONDITIONS
1. ELIGIBILITY
The Royal Canadian Legion 100 Quick March Competition is open to all Canadian Armed Forces members (Regular and Reserve) who are 18 years or older as of July 1, 2026.
2. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
All submissions shall be in the form of a Quick March and shall adhere to the guidelines as outlined in the COMPOSITION REQUIREMENTS and TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS sections.
3. ORIGINALITY REQUIREMENTS
All submissions must be written solely by the person submitting and must not have been previously published or performed in public.
For competition purposes, an unpublished musical composition is defined as not being recorded and self-released by the submitter and/or not co-published by a commercially active music publisher.
The musical composition must be entirely original. The submitter must own the copyright of the work and have the authority to submit it into the competition.
The musical composition cannot be an arrangement of an existing work.
4. SUBMISSION PROCEDURES
All submissions must be received via the form at https://tinyurl.com/rcl100 .
Only one submission per person.
All submissions must be received by May 18, 2026.
All submissions must adhere to the guidelines as outlined in the COMPOSITION REQUIREMENTS and TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS sections. The competition is a blind competition. All required documents must not include identifying information.
Submissions that do not include all of the required information as outlined above will not be accepted.
5. FINALISTS AND WINNING ENTRY
The competition includes three phases as outlined in the SELECTION PROCESS section.
It will not be possible to contact all entrants about the status of their composition. Only entrants who advance to Phase 2 will be contacted, and thereafter, the winner. Please do not contact the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo about the status of your submission.
No correspondence will be entered into with entrants regarding a panel decision.
The decision of the adjudicators is final.
6. PRIZES AND AWARDS
The winner will receive a monetary award of $1,000.
All finalists will receive a monetary award of $150.
7. COPYRIGHT
The winning entrant will retain the copyright of their composition, subject to the license requirements as defined in Annex A found on the contest submission webform.
8. LICENSE TO THE ROYAL NOVA SCOTIA INTERNATIONAL TATTOO & ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION
All entrants are subject to the license agreement (Annex A), which will be executed with the winning composer. The license agreement can be found on the contest submission webform. Failure to execute the license or submission of false/inaccurate information will result in the immediate disqualification from the contest.
9. PARTICIPATION IN THIS COMPETITION WILL BE CONSIDERED ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS & CONDITIONS
